Download and print the template from sewmag.co.uk and follow the cutting guide. Neaten the top edge of the breast pocket, then press over the part indicated on the pattern piece. Turn this part back on itself and stitch down each edge. Trim the corners, turn back to the wrong side, then tease out the corners and press flat. Continue pressing in the seam allowance around the three remaining edges, then position the pocket to the left-hand side of the front dressing gown piece, as indicated on the pattern. Edgestitch the pocket in place.

Lay the front dressing gown pieces on top of each other, matching the centre-back collar. Sew this seam together, then press the seam allowance open. Position the back gown onto the front, matching the shoulder seams. Clip to the dots marked on the front pattern piece to release the neckline to enable the back neck and the neck of the collar to match together. Pin across the shoulders and neckline, matching the centre-back neckline to the seam in the back of the collar. Stitch the seam together in one continuous line. Neaten the shoulder seam allowances together and press towards the front.

Lay the pair of front facing and collar together, then sew the centre-back of the collar. Press the seam allowance open. Neaten the outer edge of the facing from the shoulder to the base on both sides. Lay the dressing gown out flat, right side facing uppermost, position the facing around the outer edge of the collar and down each front edge. Pin and stitch in place starting at the base of the facing up around the collar and down to the base of the adjacent front edge.

At the hem edge of each facing, measure up the 4cm hem and sew across at this measurement. Trim the bulk from the corners and turn the facings to the inside of the dressing gown. Tease out the corners and the seams, then press flat. Turn under the neck edge of the front facing along the stitching line. Clip to the dots marked on the pattern to enable the seam allowance to be turned under and sit along the beginning of the shoulder seams. Hand or machine stitch the folded edge to the neckline and shoulders of the dressing gown.

Neaten all the side seam edges on both the front and back, then the straight edges of the side pockets. Match the pockets to the dots on the side edges and stitch the pockets to the side edges between the dots. Line up and stitch the side edges together from the under armhole to the top of the pocket, then from the lower opening of the pocket to the base of the gown. Match the two pocket bags together and stitch around the edge, then neaten the seam allowance together. Repeat the process on the remaining side of the gown. Press the pockets towards the front of the gown.

Neaten the long edges of the sleeves. Sew a row of gathering stitches around the head of the sleeves starting from the front notch and finishing at the back notches. Match, pin and stitch the underarm sleeve seams together with right sides facing, press the seams open then turn the sleeves to the right side. Pull the gathering threads up slightly and place the sleeve into the armhole of the gown. Match the side seams and the underarm seam of the sleeve together, match the notch in the centre of the sleeve to the end of the shoulder seam, then adjust the easing stitches to fit the armhole of the gown. Pin and sew in place. Neaten around the seam allowances of the armholes.

Neaten around the base of the sleeves, press in the 2.5cm hem and edgestitch the hems in place. Neaten the base of the gown, then turn in and press up the 4cm hem at the base of the dressing gown, pin in place, then edgestitch the hem. Make the belt loops by folding and pressing the two long outer edges to the centre and fold the strip in half again, matching the folded edges together. Edgestitch on both sides. Fold and press in the two raw ends, then position the strip to the position, just above the pocket on the side seams. Sew the loop securely at the top and bottom.

Stitch the pair of belt pieces together along the straight end of the belt, then press the seam open. Fold the belt in half lengthways and sew across the shaped ends and along the length leaving a gap in the centre of the stitching line. Trim the bulk from the corners, then turn the belt to the right side. Tease out the corners and press flat. Close the gap by hand slip-stitching.