How To Sew A Custom-Made High Neck, Backless Dress

In today’s post, we’re making one of my favorite makes this year, a custom-made high neck backless dress for a friend of mine. This dress features a high-low skirt, zipper, and pearl buttons.

Are you excited?! I’m excited! Let’s get into it!

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This creation is our sixth project in the #UseUpYourStashChallenge! If you’ve been following along this whole time, you know we’re in a push to use up some of our extra crafty material stash before the end of the year. You can check out some of the other projects here:

• How To Make A Reversible Vest Using Fabric Scraps
• How To Make A Bandana For You Or Your Pet
• How To Make A Tulle Overlay Dress
• How To Make A Layering Mesh Top
• How To Make Your Own Statement Pants

Approximate time put into this project: 1-1.5 months, with 2-4 hours put in every day or every couple of days

Disclaimer: I am trying to teach myself the Metric System, I will always try to include both measurements in my tutorials, i.e. centimeters and inches, meters, and yards. Though I have been using them interchangeably in my everyday sewing life lately, I apologize if I miss including both or switch between the two too often.

The Design

I made this dress for my amazing friend, let’s call her Potato. She drew up a couple of pictures and sent me the following designs.

Creating this high neck backless dress took a lot of puzzle piecing in my head. But I think we finally figured it out! I am so happy with the end results – and even better, so is my friend!

Check out my latest reel to see it in action!

Creating the Pattern for the Skirt

This is going to be a high-low circle skit. And it probably took my brain the longest to figure this part out. Believe it or not, the Tulle Overlay Dress was actually my first test run for the skirt of this dress. I was too scared to mess up the pretty fabric, so I tested my folding technique on the tulle first.

To create a circle skirt you will need to do a little math to determine the radius of the circle to cut. For a full-circle skirt, you need the following for your waist:

• 1/4 waist measurement X 4″ ÷ by 6.28″ = the radius for a full circle skirt.

Make sure you give yourself a .50″ (1cm) seam allowance when cutting. Meaning you will cut the hole for your waist a little smaller than the number you got from the math above.

For the folding technique, I cut this as a triangle, I have not tested if you could cut it in a rectangle fold, but I think you could – hypothetically – so I’m including a drawing of each.

When you fold it, make sure that the bottom and top layers are different lengths. That is, the top layer should be your desired length of the front skirt, from the waist measurement, plus a little seam allowance included for hemming (1″ or 3cm). The back layer should be the longest you want your skirt to be in the back, plus seam allowance for hemming (1″ or 3cm).

Make sure you cut the waistline first, then cut each layer separately. Your circle doesn’t have to be perfectly half-circle shaped, it can be a little more oval-shaped or curve a little less toward the corners. Doing this in the front will create a soft slope as it heads to the back.

After you cut the waistline and curved layers, we’re going to unfold this so that there is only one fold, along the waistline. Finally – I need you to trust me on this – cut this open along the folded waistline, separating the front piece from the back piece. Then cut a straight line up the center back, creating two back pieces.

Additional Things to Cut

Next, we’ll cut pockets, because obvi. You will want a straight edge on one end and a curved edge on the other end. You’ll need to cut four. I recommend tracing your hand or your phone and adding a couple of inches on either side.

For this design we’re adding a little belt – that is not removable, but of course, it’s optional. If you’re adding it you’ll need to cut a long strip of fabric a few inches longer than your waist, cut on fold.

Creating the Pattern for the Top

For the top of the high neck backless dress, I found this tutorial on YouTube from PatternStudio101. Her tutorial is so simple and easy to follow, I highly recommend it if you’re making a halter neck dress or top. This helped me to design the general shape, but I did have to make some tweaks for my own personal touch. I would recommend you follow her tutorial and then come back here for the next steps.

The main tweak we’re making is we’re creating this pattern as a backless dress. She provides you with instructions to make a back for your halter top. I just didn’t use the back pattern piece. I cut out the front piece like normal.

For our high neck backless dress, we’ll need to cut out two slightly curved triangles for the back (you can see them in a below photo). You can’t skip it all together because without it the top won’t cover your breasts and we won’t be able to hold the zipper and skirt on sturdily. You will need to cut two identical pieces for the back at whatever height or shape for the scoop that you desire. Make sure these pieces are big enough to overlap in the back a little.

For the neck piece, cut two pieces a few inches longer than your neck, about 2″ (5cm) in height. We’ll be sewing this, flipping it right side out and adding buttons that will cause the two ends to crossover each other slightly, so make sure you add enough extra length for all of these steps.

Sewing the Skirt

Hold your front skirt piece up to your waist and put a pin where you want the pockets to start.

Lay your skirt pieces out flat and pin one pocket, good sides facing, to each side of the skirt. The pocket piece should fall down, into the skirt. Make sure the height is even on the front and back. I recommend pinning the front pockets first then laying the back panels on top of the front skirt panel, lining up the waistline. Immediately you’ll know where to pin the pockets on the back piece.

Hold the front skirt piece up to your waist one last time before you sew to make sure the height of the pockets are still good. If all feels right, sew these in place and zig-zag stitch or overlock the raw edges. Open up each pocket piece so it lays flat like the above photo, and press the seam with your iron.

Next, take the skirt panels and pin your pieces together along the sides seams, good sides facing. Make sure you pin along the side seam and around the pockets. Then we’ll sew these in place and zig-zag stitch or overlock the raw edges here too.

Sewing the Top

For the neck, make sure you pin a few little pleats along the neckline till you reach your desired width and look for the top. I put two little pleats. Sew these in place with a little straight stitch as close to the top, raw edge as possible.

Taking your side panel triangle pieces, pin these in place along the side seams, good sides facing, and sew them together. Finishing with a zig-zag stitch or overclocking.

Before we finish off the raw edges, you’ll need to pin the top to a mannequin or pin it to yourself and figure out how you want the top to sit. I wanted a draped, loose look, so I added about three pleats at random spots along the center front waistline to compliment the pleats at the neck. Sew a little stitch as close as possible to the raw edge to hold these in place.

You will also want to determine here if you want to change the back piece’s shape. If you do need to trim it, I recommend trimming only a small amount at a time.

Now create a double rolled hem alone the side seam all the way to the neck. Sew a simple straight stitch to hold this in place.

The Neckpiece

To prep the neckpiece, pin your two neck fabrics together. Before you sew them together, measure your neck at a comfortable point, you ideally shouldn’t be choking. Add 2″ (5cm) to that measurement. 1″ is for seam allowance, and the other 2cm is so we can add buttons.

Sew one side seam and the top closed.

Cut two small elastics for the closure about 2″ (5cm) long. Pin them in place with the looped part hanging inside and the tails hanging out at the end. Sew these in place, going back and forth a few times to ensure its security. Flip the neckpiece right side out and iron it.

Hand sew your buttons in place, making sure to line them up with your elastic loops. They should be about .50″ (1cm) in from the edge.

Attach the neckpiece to the neck of the top. Pin it in place at the center and sew it first to the top. Then fold the bottom edges in together to create a clean finish along the bottom edge. Tops stitch these.

Lastly, attach the top to the skirt at the waist. Pin them good sides facing, lining up the center first and sew, finishing the raw edges with a zig-zag stitch or overclocking it.

Sewing the Zipper Cover

For the high neck backless dress we will need to make a zipper cover. Start by cutting a strip of fabric, on fold, the length of your dress in the back, plus 1.50″ (4cm). Mine was about 4″ wide on fold. Make sure you take this measurement from where the back triangle pieces meet.

Cut three pieces of thin elastic about 2″ (5cm) long.

We’ll need to determine the button spacing first. Fold your fabric in half, wrong sides facing, and pin the top part together.

Make your first mark .50″ (1cm) down from the top of the fabric. This is to account for seam allowance just so we know for reference later. Then make three marks starting 1″ (3cm) down from the very first mark, at 1″ (3cm) apart. Take this to the sewing machine and line your sewing foot up just before the first of the three marks. Before you begin to sew place the elastic band, folded in half on the mark. The mark on your fabric should be about the center of the elastic band, but you can make these tighter if you want. I probably will if I do this type of button again.

Sew over the elastic several times to make sure it stays securely in place and can be tugged on. Repeat these steps with the other two elastics.

It’s probably going to be ugly…and that’s okay, we’ll fix it.

We’ll sew a little patch over the ends of the elastic so that it won’t look so ugly. This part won’t be seen, but it really elevates the finished look just by covering it up. Cut a small strip of fabric wide and long enough to cover your elastics plus a little bit of seam allowance. Then sew it down around all edges to achieve a similar look to the photo on the left.

Admittedly, this was a little more difficult to sew due to the unevenness of the elastics on the side. For extra security, I backstitched a couple of times along each elastic end when I sewed the patch on.

Fold your piece together, good sides facing, pin along the top edge, and sew it closed. Zig-zag stitch or overlock the raw edge. Now turn your piece right sides out and iron the top and folded edge for a crisp finish.

Pin the flap together, wrong sides facing. Make sure everything sits evenly and flat. Then sew a zig-zag stitch or overlock the raw edge to keep these pieces from shifting.

Sewing the Zipper

Before we sew the zipper flap and zipper in, we need to prep the belt and sew it in place.

Take your fabric strip for the belt and fold it in half good sides facing, then sew the tube closed. Zig-zag stitch or overlock the raw edge. You can sew an angle along each edge to make it a little narrower, If you do this you have to make sure they’re absolutely even on both sides or it won’t look right.

I had to undo it and redo it so many times. In hindsight, my personal opinion is that it’s not worth it. I would just sew the tube closed with it even on all ends and call it a day.

After you’ve sewn it, turn it right sides out and iron it. Find the center of the belt and the center front at the waistline and pin it in place. Grab your needle for hand sewing. From the inside of the dress, we’re going to sew a loose stitch through one of the layers only. Basically, you’re going to baste it into place. It doesn’t need more than that, we’re just holding it in place. I did two rows, one along the top edge and one along the bottom.

With the belt basted on, pin your layers in place. You should have layers in the following order: the dress, the belt, and the zipper flap on top. That’s one side, the other side will have just the dress and the belt. Make sure you pin the zipper flap with the ugly side facing up, that way when you sew it in place it will fold down and hide inside.

If it’s easier for you, sew a straight stitch along the edge of the side with the zipper flap so you don’t have to fight it later. But make sure you check that everything lines up perfectly before you sew it!

Next, pin your zipper in place. We’ll be putting in an invisible zipper here the same way you normally would insert an invisible zipper.

If you need a little more help with sewing an invisible zipper, check out this post.

Before you sew your zipper in and/or all those layers, again, make sure you check that everything lines up perfectly one last time! Seriously…it’s worth the extra check so you don’t have to undo it.

Finally pin the space below the zipper and sew the skirt closed. Zig-zag stitch or overlock the raw edge.

Hemming and Buttons

Create a double-rolled hem along the bottom of the skirt and sew. I sewed my zipper flap together with the bottom hem of the skirt. I didn’t want it flapping open accidentally.

Hand sew on your buttons. Only the buttons on the right will be functional, but it will help the dress not to look lopsided if you add a second, matching row on the other side.

Finished Results

Isn’t she so pretty?! I think it turned out so well!

That’s it for this high neck backless dress with a high-low skirt. I hope you love the finished results as much as we do! If anything was not clear and you have some questions, please let me know in the comments and I’d be happy to help you create your dream look!

If you decide to give this project a go, tag me on Instagram @doorsandfloorsblog and use the hashtags #SewingCat and #DoorsAndFloorsBlog so I can see what you make!

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Playing trivia is a great way to keep your mind active and have fun with your crafty friends and family while busting out those seam ripping, crocheting, and other time-consuming, but necessary, crafty tasks.