Pillowcase Dress Pattern
The beauty of pillowcase dresses is that they are so simple to make that even the most novice sewer can make it. They make perfect presents for small girls who are sure to like them. As the name implies, a pillowcase dress is made with a pillowcase. You can use any old or new pillowcase for making this easy dress. Pillows with small patterns and vibrant or pastel colors are just right for making this type of dress. Since there is minimal stitching involved, even a person who is not too adept at sewing can make this dress. Pillowcase dresses make great summer dresses. You can of course make a pillowcase dress pattern more fancy by adding various embellishments like ribbons, lace, sequins and buttons. Here we are going to give you instructions on making easy pillowcase dress pattern.
Pillowcase Dress Instructions
To make a pillowcase dress, first you need to wash and press the pillowcase. Place the pillowcase on your work table with the open end facing downwards. Now the next step is to measure the distance from shoulder to shoulder of the child for whom the pillowcase dress is intended for. Cut off the top end of the pillowcase with a pair of sharp scissors, referring to the distance between the shoulders that you have just measured. This will now make the top of the dress. Next draw two shapes like a large "J" on either corners of the pillowcase starting from the top corners. With the help of scissors or rotary cutter cut the J shaped armholes. For a small child, the armholes should have a depth of around 2.5 to 3 inches and for an older child they can be around 4 inches.
After you have cut the armholes for your pillowcase dress, the next thing that you need to do is fold the top edge of the pillowcase into an inch. Sew along this fold and you will form a hollow inside which is called the casing. Do this on both the top edges, front and back. For ease of sewing, it is advisable that you first iron the edge after folding it. Insert a ribbon inside the front casing, making sure that the length of the ribbon is such that about half a meter hangs from both sides in excess. Insert another ribbon through the bottom casing in a similar way. Stitch the armholes that you have cut out neatly. Your pillowcase dress is ready. All you need to do is to tie the ribbons on the sides on the child. This is one of the most basic pillowcase dress patterns. If you are looking for pillowcase dress pattern for infants, then it is better to make it out of store bought fabric.
There are many websites that lets you download free pillowcase dress pattern. You can use these patterns for making your own pillowcase dress. If you want to make pillowcase dress pattern for adults, then using a pillowcase for making the dress is not going to work. It is best to buy fabric from the store and then make the dress. Making pillowcase dress pattern using fabric is quite simple and will require just a few hours to complete. Instead of ribbons used as drawstring to tie around the shoulders, you can also use an elastic band. The length of a pillowcase dress is usually tea length, but you can make a knee length dress if you like. You can use other sewing techniques like appliques and embroidery on the fabric to make the dress more fancy.
