---> ENGLISH VERSION BELOW! <---

The Tessa pattern is a versatile wrap dress with many details. The beautiful V-neckline, the ruffled sleeves at the sleeve ends and at the cuffs and the wide tie band give Tessa a very feminine look. Originally designed as a calf-length dress with long sleeves, we added another length line to both pattern pieces. There are also options for designing a knee-length dress and three-quarter-length sleeves without cuffs.

Length at center back = 124 cm

In these instructions, Tessa was sewn from a softly falling Tencel.

→ To the pattern “Tessa”

Required material:

We recommend flowing fabrics such as viscose, cotton or silk that are opaque as the dress is unlined.

Sizes 34-42

• Outer fabric 3.90 m (140 cm wide)

Sizes 44-50

• Outer fabric 4.30 m (140 cm wide)

Sizes 34-50

• Insert 0.55 m (90 cm wide)

• Fixing strap 2.50 m (12 mm wide)

• Buttons 6 pieces 8 mm diameter

In advance for you as information:

cutting:

Cut out the pattern pieces from your outer fabric and interlining. Lay the fabric right side up. Lay the selvedges parallel to the center so that you can lay the back, skirt-back and facing-back in the fold. The pattern pieces should all be face up. Always align the grain arrow on all pieces in the same direction and parallel to the selvage of the fabric. Transfer all the notches from the pattern through a 3mm long incision with scissors or chalk. Pinch the seam allowance in the fold of the fabric because this is always a center. Markings define positions of dart ends, pocket positions, etc. Transfer these either with chalk or pins. It is best to first roughly cut all outer fabric parts that are completely covered with an interlining. After you have fixed the insert, cut it out exactly. There is also a video about gluing and fixing pattern pieces here.

You need from fabric:

• 1x skirt-back in break
• 2x skirt-front opposite
• 1x band overstep
• 1x band understep
• 1x front part step
• 1x front underlay
• 2x side part-front opposite
• 2x side part-rear in opposite directions
• 1x back part in break
• 4x pocket bags, 2 of each of the same kind
• 2x sleeves in opposite directions
• 2x sleeve slit tape

also with insert:

• 2x receipt front opposite
• 1x document-back in the rupture
• 4x cuff, 2 of each of the same kind

also with band:

• 1x neckline/cutout of the sewn-together slips
• Note: Then check the length of the cleavage with the paper cut! Since the grain is sometimes skewed, the distance can be longer with softer fabrics.

Sewing instructions:

To sew this dress you will need a sewing machine and an overlock sewing machine, alternatively you can use the zigzag stitch on your sewing machine to overcast the raw edges.

In addition to the description, the colorful lines in the pictures show you where a seam needs to be sewn or something to be glued.
When sewing, pay attention to the seam allowance included in the pattern. Seam allowances that are not specially marked are 1 cm wide!
Happy sewing!

Start working on the side seam pockets. Place the pocket bags right sides together on the back skirt piece. Orientate yourself on the snaps in the cut.

Lay the matching pocket bags right sides together on the front skirt pieces. Orientate yourself on the snaps in the cut.

The seam allowances are ironed outwards from the back part of the skirt as shown in the photo...

... and ironed to the center front for the front part of the skirt including the pocket bag.

Place the pocket bags on top of each other right sides together and stitch both together. Use the clip in the cut as a guide. You neaten the seam allowances together.

The side seams are closed right sides together.

The side seam is trimmed with the seam allowance of the pocket bag and then ironed to the back.

Now you can neaten the entire hem all around.

Iron the trimmed hem down 1cm. Iron the front edge of the skirts in and out twice.

Stitch the hem all the way around.

And then stitch the front edge tightly and iron everything nice and flat again.

Gather the waist of the skirt along the stretch from the bodice with two auxiliary seams. Note that a small stretch between the side seam and the first knot remains smooth (see photo below). To do this, skip the seam and leave appropriately long threads for gathering.

In this video, Dagmar shows you how to work a ruffle and how best to ruffle the section. You can also use these tips for your waist seam.

Here you can see the smooth stretch, which is not extra crimped. The skirt is prepared and can now be put aside.

Now grab the tops. The back part is sewn together with the two rear side parts right sides together and then neatened together. Iron the seam allowances to the center back.

Sew the front part top step right sides together with the correct side part front. FYI: This is later the right side of the body. Neaten the seam allowances together and iron them to the side seam.

The front piece underlay is also sewn together with the correct other side piece, right sides together, trimmed and ironed to the side seam.

Now place the front and back pieces right sides together and close the shoulder seam. Neaten the seam allowances together and iron them to the back.

The side seams can now also be closed, but make sure to leave an opening on the right side of the body for the tie. This page will not be cleaned for the time being...

... because only the short distance is cleaned individually ...

... and then both seam allowances and the other short stretch of the opening are finished in one go. Then iron the seam allowances backwards or apart (NZG of the opening).

The front overlap has a longer stretch in the front edge than the front underlap. You also gather this section with two auxiliary lines.

Here you can see a detailed photo of the two auxiliary seams stitched through...

... and then curled to 4cm.

Now you can prepare the binding tape so that it can then be fixed between the facing and the front piece. To do this, you stitch both binding bands on top of each other, right sides together. For curves and corners, seam allowances are shortened with scissors and cut or cut off. The corners do not become too thick when turning and the seam allowances can be laid flat. It is particularly important that the seam is not cut. That's why we recommend that you sew just before the point and from there with a smaller stitch length. This guarantees you a corner that won't fray as quickly after trimming.

After turning, you should shape the corners with a corner and edge shaper and then iron them out. Depending on your sewing project, you can topstitch the outside edges, this will flatten them nicely and secure them.

The ties have laid folds, which are open at the bottom. Lay them according to the pattern and secure them with an auxiliary seam.

Here you can see a detailed view of the processed folds in the binding tape.

As a reminder, here is the finished document again with the ironed-on form band and the section measured and adjusted from the pattern.

Place the slip right sides together on the prepared bodice and slide the ties into their correct position between the slip and the bodice. Clip the seam allowances, especially in large curves.

The outer edge of the receipt is trimmed all around...

... and then 1cm ironed and stitched.

Then the seam allowances are flat-stitched as far as you can get. This method not only makes the final ironing easier, but also means that the facing automatically lies inwards and does not roll out if it is not topstitched separately. Only the facing is stitched to the seam allowances. The stitching line can then only be seen from the wrong side of the fabric, but not from the right side.

Here you can see a detailed view of the processed document from the inside.

Iron the facing inwards and secure the shoulder seams with an auxiliary seam through and through.

Now comes the moment when the bodice is sewn together with the prepared skirt. In this photo you can see how the skirt is right sides together on the bodice. As you sew, note the snaps and smooth stretches of the gathers.

In this photo you can see how the bodice lies right sides together on the skirt and how it was processed. The receipts are initially folded away and left out.

Here you can see that the facings have been turned over onto the skirt part right sides together and stitched through separately. Then neaten all the seam allowances together.

The sleeve has a cuff with a so-called rolled-in slit. Start slot processing.

For clearer processing of a rolled slot, we have detailed instructions in our glossary.

Or you can watch our new video in which Ellen explains step by step how to process a slit:

To do this, place the slit strip right sides together under the incision in the sleeve. Place both under your sewing machine and sew the strip in place, starting at 0.7 cm, with the same edges as the incision. At the top of the cut the seam allowance is only approx. 2mm and ends at 0.7cm again. This means the incision goes straight from 0.7cm to 0.2cm and back to 0.7cm while the seam allowance of the fly strip always stays the same distance (see photo).

The split strip is then ironed over.

To finish the slit, the slit strip has to be folded in and out twice...

... and stitched through from the right side just under the edge.

Now you can fix the upper corner of the slit on the inside of the sleeve with a seam running diagonally upwards.

Now the slit can be finished and ironed to the correct side. The top step is ironed once and stitched. The understep stays flat. The upper photo is of the left arm for orientation, a slit can always be opened backwards when tightened. Cut the fly strip at the beginning and end to the correct length of the sleeve.

Close the inner arm seam right sides together according to the pattern and neaten the seam allowances together. Then iron the seam allowances backwards.

After the slit and inner arm seam have been finished, the folds of the sleeve in the sleeve head and hem can be gathered as shown in the pattern. Secure the folds with an auxiliary seam that is the width of a foot. Use the cut of your cuff to measure the length of the ruffle on the hem.

Here you see a finished ruffled sleeve.

There are two variants for cuff processing. The first variant is the simpler one, in which you stitch the cuff all the way around the edge. But if you don't want any quilting on your cuffs and you're a sewing professional, then dare to try the second variant.

Here I show you the simpler version: Iron the lower cut edge of the inner cuff with 1cm...

... and sew the outer and inner cuffs together all around. Process a right and a left cuff. FYI: A cuff can always be opened backwards when it is tightened.

For curves and corners, seam allowances are shortened with scissors and cut or cut off. The corners do not become too thick when turning and the seam allowances can be laid flat. It is particularly important that the seam is not cut. That's why we recommend that you sew just before the point and from there with a smaller stitch length. This guarantees you a corner that won't fray as quickly after trimming.

After turning, you should shape the corners with a corner and edge shaper and then iron them out.

The cuff is processed from the inside out. So sew the outer cuff right sides together onto the sleeve and iron it around.

Then you stitch a seam sewn close to the edge through the cuff from the right and at the same time meet the inner cuff close to the edge.

Your sleeve with slit and cuffs is finished when you have processed the buttonholes and buttons according to the pattern.

Now you can place the sleeve in the armhole and finish the seam allowances together. Pay attention to the snaps in the cut.

Your TESSA is ready !

If you don't know what to do, or if you have any questions, please send us an email to info@schnittmuster-berlin.de. We will answer you as soon as possible. 

Have a lot of fun with your new designer piece! 

Sincerely, your Sewing Pattern Berlin team.

--> ENGLISH VERSION <--

Sewing instructions wrap dress Tessa

The pattern Tessa is a versatile wrap dress with many details. The beautiful V-neckline, the curled sleeve in the arm ball and at the cuff and the wide tie band give Tessa a very feminine look. Originally designed as a calf-length dress with long sleeves, we have added another length line in both pattern pieces. So there are also options for creating a knee-length dress and a three-quarter length sleeve without a cuff.