Maxi Shirt Dress Sewing Pattern – Free PDF

The Maxi Shirt Dress is a long, elegant shirt dress with long sleeves, a classic shirt collar and a full-length button front. Princess seams shape the bodice and flow into a generous flared skirt, two slanted welt pockets sit just below the waist, and a self-fabric tie belt cinches the waist. It is easy to wear from morning to evening, belted or open like a long light coat.

This free maxi shirt dress sewing pattern is made for medium-weight woven fabrics with a soft drape, like linen or a linen blend, cotton twill or chambray, lyocell twill or light denim. It has 13 pattern pieces and 18 buttons. The dress is unlined, so you finish the seam allowances as you go. The welt pockets and the shirt collar ask for some care, so we rate it intermediate, and the instructions walk you through every step.

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1 cm (3/8″) seam allowance · 2 cm (3/4″) hem allowance included

Printable sewing tutorial

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Get the full printable tutorial for the Maxi Shirt Dress: detailed step-by-step sewing instructions with clear illustrations, line sketches, a sizing guide and the list of materials you need.

• Illustrated diagrams for every step, from the welt pockets to the shirt collar
• Size charts, finished measurements and fabric amounts per size
• Video guides for the key techniques, with links and QR codes
• Printable PDF, instant download

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Design details and fit of the Maxi Shirt Dress

• Shirt collar, sewn straight onto the neckline
• Full-length button front with 18 buttons, a separate right placket and a left button facing
• Armhole princess seams at the front and back, and a center back seam
• Two slanted single welt pockets with pocket bags
• Long set-in sleeves with a plain hem
• Maxi length with a wide flared hem
• Self-fabric tie belt with pointed ends

The dress has about 5 cm (2″) of ease at the bust in a middle size, so it is close without being tight, and the tie belt lets you set the waist where you like. It is drafted for a height of 167.75 cm (5′6″). The center back length from the neck seam to the hem is about 138 cm (54 3/8″) in size 8, a true maxi length that falls to the ankle.

Difficulty and what to know before you start

The pattern is rated intermediate. The trickiest part is the two welt pockets (step 2): they need precise stitching, so make one on a scrap of your fabric first. It takes about 15 minutes and makes the real ones much easier. Then you sew a shirt collar, set in two sleeves and make 18 buttonholes. Read all the steps once before you cut.

Sizing guide

Drafted for a height of 167.75 cm (5′6″). Use your body measurements, bust first, then waist and hips, in the table below, then check the finished garment measurements to see the ease. If you are between sizes, choose by the bust: the waist is adjusted by the belt. Not sure? Read how to choose your size.

Letter sizes: 00/0 = XXS · 2/4 = XS · 6/8 = S · 10/12 = M · 14 = L · 16 = XL · 18 = XXL · 20 = 3XL · 22 = 4XL

Body measurements

Finished garment measurements

Finished measurements are taken on the pattern, without seam allowances. Chest, waist, low hips and hem sweep are full circumferences. Back length is measured from the neck seam at center back to the hem.

Fabric requirements

The main fabric amounts include every main-fabric piece (also the belt, collar, placket and outer pocket bags), laid out on a single layer without nap, plus about 8 % for shrinkage and straightening. Add 10 % for a one-way print or a fabric with nap. Interfacing, 90 cm wide: 140 cm for US 00–10 and 170 cm for US 12–22. Pre-wash your fabric the way you will wash the dress, because linen and cotton can shrink 3 to 5 %.

Common fit adjustments

Length. The center back length is about 138 cm (54 3/8″) in size 8. To lengthen or shorten, add or remove the same amount at the lower edge of pieces 1 to 5 and of the placket (13) and button facing (7). Adjust the sleeve at its hem.

Between two sizes. Choose by your bust: the belt adjusts the waist. See how to take your body measurements if you want to double-check.

Sewing notes

Choosing fabric for a maxi shirt dress

A long flared skirt needs a fabric that falls nicely. Linen or a linen-viscose blend gives the relaxed, slightly textured look of the sample dress, cotton twill or chambray is easy to sew and holds a crisp collar, and lyocell twill drapes beautifully for a more fluid dress. A light denim up to about 6 oz works for a casual version. Avoid stretch fabrics and very stiff fabrics.

On linen, press with steam and a press cloth on the right side so the fabric does not get shiny. Press every seam as soon as you sew it, first flat, then open or to one side.

Sewing steps

Sew with right sides together and a 1 cm (3/8″) seam allowance unless stated otherwise. Finish each seam allowance with a zigzag stitch or an overlocker as you go, because the dress is unlined.

1. Prepare the pieces. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the welts (10), both collars (8), the right front placket (13) and the left front button facing (7). Staystitch the necklines of the center fronts, side fronts, center backs and side backs 0.8 cm from the edge so the curves do not stretch. On the lower edge of every body piece, press the hem up 1 cm, then 1 cm again, and unfold: these creases show the hemline later.
2. Sew the welt pockets. Mark the pocket box on the right side of each side front (3). The slanted opening is about 11.8 cm (4 5/8″) long in size 8. Fold a welt (10) in half lengthwise, right sides together, stitch the two short ends at 1 cm, trim the corners, turn right side out and press. Baste the welt to the box, raw edges on the box line. Pin the inner pocket bag (11, lining) over the welt and the outer pocket bag (12) on the other side of the line, right sides down, with their straight edges on the box. Stitch the two long lines of the box through all layers, starting and stopping exactly at the box ends. Cut along the center line, stopping 1 cm before the ends, then clip diagonally into each corner without cutting through the stitching. Push both pocket bags through the opening to the wrong side, press, then stitch the pocket bags together all round at 1.5 cm, catching the small triangles at the ends. Finish the edges. From the right side, press the welt up over the opening and edgestitch its short ends to the dress.
3. Sew the front princess seams. Pin a side front (3) to the side edge of the right center front (1), matching the notches and the waist line, then stitch, clipping into the curve where needed. Sew the other side front to the left center front (2) in the same way. Finish the seam allowances separately and press open, keeping the pocket bags free of the seam.
4. Sew the center back seam. Pin the two center backs (4) right sides together and stitch from the neckline to the hem. Finish the seam allowances separately and press open.
5. Sew the back princess seams. Pin each side back (5) to the side edge of the center back, matching the notches, then stitch, clipping into the curve where needed. Finish the seam allowances separately and press open.
6. Sew the shoulders. Pin the front to the back at the shoulders, right sides together, and stitch. Finish the seam allowances separately and press open.
7. Sew the side seams. Pin the front to the back at the side seams, matching the notches and the waist line, then stitch from the armhole down to the hem. Finish the seam allowances separately and press open.
8. Sew the right front placket. Press one long edge of the placket (13) 1 cm to the wrong side, then fold the placket on its fold line and press. Pin the other long edge, right side of the placket to the wrong side of the right center front, raw edges even and the top at the neckline. Stitch at 1 cm and press the seam allowance toward the placket. At the lower end, fold the placket on its fold line, right sides together, fold the dress hem allowance out of the way and stitch across the placket end at 1 cm. Trim the corner, turn the placket to the right side, pin, then edgestitch both long edges and the lower end.
9. Sew the left button facing. Press one long edge of the button facing (7) 1 cm to the wrong side. Pin the other long edge to the front edge of the left center front (2), right sides together, top at the neckline, and stitch at 1 cm. At the lower end, stitch across the facing at the hemline, 1 cm from the facing edge, and trim the corner. Turn the facing to the inside, roll the seam to the edge and press. From the right side, topstitch 3 cm (1 1/8″) from the front edge, which matches the width of the right placket.
10. Sew the collar. Choose one collar (8) as the upper collar and press its neck edge, the shorter long edge with the notches, 1 cm to the wrong side. Pin the two collars right sides together and stitch the two ends and the outer edge, leaving the neck edge open. Trim to 0.5 cm, clip the corners, turn right side out and press. Pin the neck edge of the under collar to the neckline, right sides together: the center mark on the center back seam, the notches on the shoulder seams, and the collar ends exactly at the finished front edges of the placket and the facing. Stitch at 1 cm, clip the neckline curve and press the seam into the collar. On the inside, bring the pressed edge of the upper collar over the seam, pin, and edgestitch or slipstitch it in place.
11. Sew the sleeves. Easestitch the sleeve cap between the small circles with two rows of long stitches, at 0.5 cm and 0.8 cm from the edge, leaving long thread tails. Fold the sleeve right sides together, stitch the underarm seam, finish and press open. Hem the sleeve: turn up 1 cm, then 1 cm again, and stitch close to the inner fold. Pin the sleeve into the armhole, right sides together: the top of the cap (EASE mark) on the shoulder seam, the single notch to the front, the double notch to the back, and the underarm seam on the side seam. Pull the thread tails to fit the cap, then stitch at 1 cm. Finish the seam allowances together and press them toward the sleeve. Sew the second sleeve the same way.
12. Hem the dress. Turn the hem up along the creases from step 1: 1 cm, then 1 cm again (2 cm / 3/4″ hem). Ease in the fullness of the flared skirt as you pin. At the front edges, tuck the ends of the hem under the placket and the facing. Stitch close to the inner fold all round, then slipstitch the hem ends to the placket and facing. Press.
13. Make the buttonholes and sew the buttons. Make 18 vertical buttonholes, 1.2 cm (1/2″) long, on the right front placket at the marks, centered on the placket. Lap the right front over the left, center fronts together, mark the buttons through the buttonholes and sew the 18 buttons on the center front of the left center front.
14. Make the belt. Pin the two belt pieces (9) right sides together at their straight ends and stitch at 1 cm, then press the seam open. Fold the belt lengthwise on its fold line, right sides together, and stitch the long edge and the pointed ends, leaving a 10 cm (4″) opening in the middle of the long edge. Trim the points, turn right side out and press. Slipstitch the opening closed and edgestitch all round. Optional: make two thread loops at the side seams on the waist line to hold the belt in place.

Tips and common mistakes

Practise the welt pocket first. Make one on a scrap of your fabric before you cut into the dress. Stitch exactly from end to end of the box and stop 1 cm before the ends when you cut the center line.

Test on a scrap. Sew a few stitches with a stitch length of 2.5 mm, fuse a small piece of interfacing to check the heat and sew one buttonhole before you start.

The collar and placket are cut as drawn. A line marked FOLD is a fold line for sewing, not a fold of the fabric. Cut the piece as drawn, on a single layer.

Ease the hem, do not stretch it. The hem is very wide. Pin it with the fullness eased in and stitch slowly so the edge stays flat.

How to style the Maxi Shirt Dress

Belted: with flat sandals or white sneakers for the day.

Open: worn open over a tank top and jeans as a long light coat.

Autumn: with heeled boots and a knit.

Another button-front dress to sew: try our button front pinafore dress sewing pattern.

Care

Machine wash at 30 °C on a gentle cycle. Line dry and press with steam while the dress is still slightly damp. Do not tumble dry linen at high heat.

Questions

Happy sewing!

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