CONSTRUCTION:
BODY & SLEEVES:
With right sides together sew the front bodice to the front sleeve at the armhole seam. Neaten with an overlocker/serger and press towards centre front. Sew a twin needle topstitch on the side of the body. Repeat for the back bodice/back sleeve armhole seams.
With right sides together sew the shoulder of the front bodice and front sleeve to the shoulder panel, start at the side neck and match the shoulder seam at the notch. Neaten with an overlocker/serger and press upwards. Sew a twin needle topstitch on the side of the shoulder panel. Repeat for the back bodice on the other side matching the sets of double notches.
With right sides together sew the lower sleeve panel to completed upper sleeve, the note the front/back and notches for the shoulder panel. Neaten with an overlocker/serger and press upwards. Sew a twin needle topstitch on the side of the upper sleeve.
With right sides together join the sleeve facing to the sleeve edge. Press and understitch close to the seam on the side of the facing, neaten the outer edges of the facings with an overlocker/serger.
With right sides together and the sleeve facing unfolded, sew the front and back sleeve and bodice side seams. Start at the sleeve opening (end of the facing), continue through the underarm and finish at the waist. Neaten with an overlocker/serger and press towards the back.
Fold the sleeve hem facing to the inside and sew a twin needle top topstitch along the facing edge to secure to the sleeve.
With the side seam and sleeve seam pressed towards the back, topstitch the side seam of the bodice through to the sleeve seam with a 6mm (1/4”) topstitch, finishing at the sleeve opening.
POCKETS:
Take one set of pocket bags and with right sides together, sew the straight edge to the lower front side seam along the pocket opening (A). Clip the seam at the notches, fold over the pocket bag, press and understitch close to the seam.
With right sides together lay another pocket bag on top and stitch the round outer edges together (B). Leave the straight sections that join to the side seams. Neaten the rounded edges with an overlocker/serger.
With right sides together sew the lower front and lower back side seams. Take care not to catch the front pocket opening as you sew. Neaten with an overlocker/serger, press the seam towards the back.
BODY HEM FACING:
Neaten the longest edges of the hem facings with an overlocker/serger. With right sides together, join the top section of the front and back facings together (1cm/3/8”) as notched at the side seams.
With right sides together sew the hem facing to the body. Start at the lower centre front edge and stitch across the hem and with the needle down, turn the corner and stitch up the split, when arriving at the side seam section of the split, with the needle down, clip into seam, turn and stitch down the back split. Continue sewing the facing to the body until arriving at the opposite centre front. Clip the corners, turn out to the right side and press. Understitch on the side of the facings along the edges as close to the corners as possible.
Turn the seam allowance of the short ends of the waist casing to the inside and stitch. Press the seam allowance of one long edge to the wrong side.
Sandwich the unpressed long edge of the waist casing between the right sides of the lower panels and the bodice at the waist seam, note the casing starts 1.5cm (5/8”) from the CF edge as marked on the pattern, sew the waist seam. Neaten with an overlocker/serger and press upwards. Edge stitch close to the seam on the side of the casing.
Pin the prepressed edge of the waist casing in place to the bodice and edge stitch to secure.
COLLAR & ZIP:
With right sides together join the top curved edge of the 2 collar pieces. Fold, press and understitch close to the seam on the side of the inside collar.
With right sides together, attach the outer collar panel to the main body neckline.
Neaten each centre front edge with an overlocker/serger.
Take the front zip extension, fold lengthways with right sides together and stitch closed the top and bottom ends. Turn out to the right side and press. Edge stitch along the 3 enclosed edges and neaten the remaining raw edge with an overlocker/serger.
Undo the zip and separate the bottom. Sandwich the wearers right hand side of the zip tape in between right sides of the zip extension and main body. Line up the top of the collar with the top of the zip and the extension. Note the zip and extension should finish above the hem facing and the extension is a little longer than the zip at the bottom. Sew the zip extension, zip and main body together. Sew the left side of the zip to the left body.
Fold the inside layer of the collar over the top of the zip so that the right sides of the collar are together and stitch through all layers.
Turn out the zip teeth to the right side, fold under the seam allowance of the inside edge of the collar and ditch stitch around the neckline from the outside to secure. Make sure the inside collar layer is secured.
With right sides facing, sew the centre front of the hem facing to the centre front of the body. Clip the corner and turn out to the right side.
Pin the hem facing in place and sew a twin needle topstitch around the top edge of the hem facing to secure to the body.
Sew a twin needle topstitch down the centre fronts beside the zip. Start at top of collar and finish at the bottom hem edge.
Assemble the drawstring by pressing in the seam allowance, then with wrong sides together fold in half lengthways, press and stitch along the edge.
Using a safety pin, thread the drawstring through the waist casing.
Attach the press studs following the markings on the pattern. The front stud will fold over to meet the back.
