How to Make the "Best Dress Ever" - A Tutorial

Welcome back!  

When I think about Dress A Girl Around the World I think about pillowcase dresses.   It is a great little dress  pattern…the length can be adjusted with the ties, and the width has plenty of ease.   This tutorial includes step by step instructions for making the standard pillowcase dress with ties on the shoulders.


This is a chart of the finished dress lengths.  Sometimes it is difficult to make a dress the correct number of inches so here is a range.  Do you know what size dress you would like to make? Take a look at the chart below.

Size/years old                    Finished Dress Length

Infant                                     14-16 inches

1-2 years                               17-19 inches

3-4 years                               20-22 inches

5-6 years                               23-25 inches

7-8 years                               26-28 inches

9-10                                         29-30 inches

11                                              31-33 inches

12-14                                       34-35 inches

There is one quick thing you need to do before we get started.  You need to draw a template for the arm opening.  Here is a photo of my templates in S, M, and L.  Get out a piece of paper or cardboard to draw your template on. I am going to give you the measurements for the width and length.  The curved line should go straight down for about 3 inches and then curve in a J shape.  No matter how your curve looks it will work out as long as you have the length width measured correctly.  

Template measurements: (width then length)
Small     1 1/2" x 4 1/2"   to fit infant to size 4   
Medium      2" x 5"           to fit child size 5 to 9
Large    2 1/4"  x 6"           to fit child 9 to 14


Let's get started!

For those of you that bought a pillowcase, choose the length of the dress that you wish to make and add one inch.  Take into consideration the width of your pillowcase particularly if it is large or king size.  Some king size pillowcase are pretty narrow and you don’t want to make a dress too narrow to run or play  in. 

If you are more of a visual person (like me) take a tape measure and measure the width of the pillowcase x 2 and put the tape around your own legs just below the knee.  What do you think? Is it too narrow?  If so make a smaller size and you can use the leftover fabric to make pockets.

Lay your pillowcase flat on a flat surface.  With a yard stick measure from the hem to the desired length + 1 inch.  Cut across the closed end.  Pillowcase people skip the following paragraph and pick up at the pink sentence below.  (scroll down)

For those of you that bought fabric, choose the length of dress that you wish to make and add two inches to the length the width will be whatever the width of the fabric is… we’re going to take advantage of those selvages. Go ahead and cut your dress the length you’ve chosen.  Put the selvages together and seam the length of the dress.  If you do not have selvages zig zag from top to bottom to make sure that this seam does not come apart.  Now let’s put in a hem.  On one end of the fabric tube turn up ½” all the way around the dress, pressing as you fold.  After you’ve completed this go around again folding up another ½”.  Stitch close to the edge of your hem with your machine.

We should ALL have a tube of fabric with a hem on one end.

Lay your tube out flat with the seam on the side rather than down the back.  It will be much less noticeable and both the front and back will appear seamless.  

Trace and cut your arm openings.  Your fabric should look like this.

It’s starting to look a little like a dress isn’t it? 

On the top front fold over ¼” and press.  Now fold over ¾” and press firmly.  Flip the dress over and do the same thing on the top of the back of the dress.  

Stitch close to the edge along the fold on the front and the back.  After you finish, press the casing one more time. 

Dress Size                 Elastic Length

6 mo to 5                           6”

6 to 9                                    7”

10 to 12                               8’

Select the size dress you are making.  You will need to cut two pieces of 3/8 or ½ inch elastic. (If you prefer you can leave the elastic in once piece for example if you are making a size 6 dress you will cut the elastic 14 inches and mark the center with a pin or marker. (I like to do this because it is easy for short pieces of elastic to get away).

Put a safety pin on the end of the elastic and push it through the casing.  When the center of your elastic reaches one end, pin or secure with a few stitches, clip the end of the elastic and continue across.  

While the safety pin is still attached fasten the end securely with a stitch or pin.  Do not stretch out to distribute the gathers…we’ll do that later.  Turn the dress over and repeat on the other side.

If you used pins to hold the elastic tack all four of the elastic ends using a zig zag stitch.  Make sure that you can see the ends of elastic so they will be well secured.

This is what your dress should look like…if it does give yourself a pat on the back.

Now  for the ties.  Find the length of ties that correspond to the size dress that you are making and cut two.  It will take one package to make one dress unless you are making an infant size dress.  If you buy 2 packages you will have enough tape to make 3 dresses.

Size                       Tie Length

Infant                    24

Small                     30

Medium                 36

Large                     38

If you look very closely at most bias tape while it is folded, one edge will appear to be a little wider.  You can see it pretty well on the tape edge on the left.  The wider side will go to the inside of the dress that way when you sew the tape about the arm opening you won’t have to worry about catching the edge of the tape that is out of sight.

Fold in and press the ends of the ties.

Fold you ties in half and mark with a pin.

With the right side of the fabric facing out pin the center of the bias tape to the center of the underarm.  Remember the widest edge of the bias tape needs to go on the inside of arm opening.  Make sure the dress fabric is all the way in to the fold.  Pin every inch or so to make sure that the fabric doesn’t slip out.

Lay your dress out with ties laid up like this.  You start sewing on the top of the left tie.  Sew the edges together with a straight stitch.  When you get to the dress fabric keep sewing removing the pins one at a time and then continue sewing up to the end of the tie.  You will be sewing a giant U.  Repeat on the other side.

*If it is easier you can sew around the U with a zig zag stitch.

Look on the inside of the arm opening and make sure that you caught all of the edges.

Turn your dress inside out and clip all the threads, check your seams and the hem. 

You are finished!  Flip your dress right side out, tie you ties and hang your dress up and admire your work.

GOOD JOB!  

Now it is time to embellish your dress and make it your own!

How to Make the "Best Dress Ever"

This little girl lives in Zimbabwe. She is one of thousands of little girls dreaming of a dress of her own.
Photos are a good way to put a face to the work that we have chosen to do. They help us focus, and remind us of the importance of our work.

I like to put a photo of a little girl on the wall behind my sewing machine to be a constant reminder of who I am sewing for. It is a good exercise and one that I would encourage everyone to try.

When choosing fabric for the “best dress ever’ it is imperative to take into consideration the hostile environment that so many of these girls live in. Their young and developing bodies need to be covered and protected from those that would choose to exploit or abuse them.

In Haiti, the incidence of rape has increased since the earthquake. One in four children living in Zimbabwe is orphaned as result of parents dying of AIDS. Many children must fend for themselves and their siblings. Some of these children are preyed upon by traffickers and sold. It makes me feel sick just to write the words but this is why it is so important to offer our “best dress ever.”

The ‘best dress ever’ will make a little girl feel special and loved while serving as a message to outsiders that this is a child that is being watched over by a group who cares enough to sew their name on the hem of each dress.

One of the difficulties with pillowcases is that they tend to be white or pastel and sometimes sheer or see through. If you use a pillowcase, find one that is a print or a solid color and one that you can’t see through. A good test is to put your hand between the layers to see if you can see your hand OR hold it up to the light. If there is any question in your mind then you should pick something else.

Your other option of course is to choose fabric. Cotton or cotton blend fabrics are the best. Steer away from sheer and clingy fabric. Pick out a print that you think a little girl would love as well as a fabric that will wear well. Fabric choice is half of what makes a dress ‘the best.’

Wide double fold bias tape makes the sturdiest ties. Ribbons are pretty but in some cases the satiny bows untie as a girl wiggles around in her dress. Please do not use wired, paper, organza, silky ribbon or thin lace. Lace and ribbon can be used on other parts of the dress but first let’s make a sturdy dress, embellishment fun will come later.

A dress made properly can be worn for several years and even possibly passed on to another child. Your dress may be the only garment that a little girl will own and will be worn day after day.

So let’s shop for the materials we need and meet back here on my blog later this week and I will help you make ‘the best dress ever.’

Pillowcase or fabric $5

Bias tape $3

Photo of little girl wearing a dress we recognize priceless.

Seeing a little girl wearing a dress we made a year after she received it…totally AWESOME.

Little Girl's Panties - A Tutorial

This is a tutorial for making a comfy, modest pair of little girl panties.  These panties are easy to make, are upcycled and earth-friendly.

One of the misnomers about thrift stores is that the donated clothing is worn out.  The clothes are usually a collection of outgrown garments, clothes that went out of style, and then there are the clothes bought on a whim that have never even had the tag removed.

You will need at least one t-shirt…two if you want contrast bands. Look for t-shirts with a little spandex in them especially for the leg and waist band, 95% cotton and 5% spandex is a good blend. If there isn’t a content tag just stretch the fabric and see if it springs back or has memory.  If you find a really nice shirt that is 100% cotton with no spandex you can use it for the body of the panties and use spandex fabric for the waist and leg bands.

Let‘s get started.

I started with a pair of panties that I picked up at the thrift store. Actually these are training pants (size 2) but they had a nice shape so I used them for my panty pattern.  Cut the bands off the legs and the waist.

Set the leg and waist bands aside you’ll need them later on to use as a pattern.  Cut the sides of your panties open so you can lay them flat.  When you finish this step your panties should look like this.

Are you with me?  Good!  My panty pattern fit on the sleeve so I cut the sleeve off of the shirt and cut it open along the underarm seam. Lay the panties out on the fabric. If your pattern is a larger size and won’t fit on the sleeve just lay them out on the front or back of the shirt where the fabric area is larger.

Add seam allowance by cutting around the panties about 3/8” around on all of the edges.  Don’t measure with a ruler just pick up those scissors and go for it. We'll straighten it up in a minute if it needs it.

Fold your panties in half lengthwise to see if the sides match.  Trim if necessary. This is a forgiving pattern so don't worry if they aren't perfect.  Just tidy them up and then let's carry on!

Cut open the leg and waist bands that you removed earlier lay them down without stretching, let’s start with the waist.  My waist band measures 15 inches long, so I am going to cut the waistband 15 x 3.5 inches.

So go ahead and lay out the shirt with spandex in it and cut the waist band out.  Your length may be different but the width will be 3.5 inches.

Repeat this step for the leg bands the band make the band 2.5 inches wide.  Set your waist and leg bands aside for a minute.


*Optional step: If your fabric is thin you may want to add a panty liner. If you do scroll to the bottom of the tutorial to see how to cut one out.  After you cut it out come back to this paragraph to continue. 

Now that the pieces are all cut out put the leg bands aside and let's start putting these sweet panties together.

Fold your panties right sides together and sew the side seams.  When you turn your panties turned right side out they will look like this.

Let's move on to the leg and waist bands.

Sew the waist band ends right sides together with a simple seam.  Fold it in half so that the seam is on the inside or wrong sides together.

Mark the waist of the panty with pins on both side and mid-front and mid-back.  Now do the same thing with the waist band.  Match the pins up starting with the band seam on one of the side seams of the panty. There may be a lot more panty fabric than there is in the waist band.  That’s okay.

Keep your panties right side out and put the presser foot on the inside edge of the panty fabric so that you can ease in the extra fabric.  Sew (beginning at the side seam) all the way around the waist stretching the waist band just enough so that there is an equal amount of fabric.  Now zigzag around catching all the layers.  It should now look like this.

If yours does then you're ready to put on the leg bands.  Put the leg bands in exactly the same way.  Put the pins in the band and around the legs and match them up.  Stretch just a little while you sew around the leg and then zigzag.  

Turn your panties right side out.  Do they look like this?  They do?  Fantastic!

There is only on thing left to do to complete your panties.  Leave the panties right side out and stitch the legs and waist bands on the inside as close to the edge while staying inside of the zig-zag.  

Look at the inside and outside stitching.  You'll have to look close to see the stitching.

TA DA you’ve finished.  Make yourself a cup of tea and admire your work.  

Panty liner instructions:  Using a scrap, lay the panties on top of the fabric and trace the leg opening with a washable marker or just cut out the opening.

Then cut it out free hand so that it looks like this.  

Zig-zag the curved top and stitch the top and bottom of the liner piece and then sew the curved top and bottom right onto the panty.  No need to do the sides they will be secured when you attach the leg bands. Now scroll back up to the top.

Warm Winter Dress Project

Andrea Wilson, Dress a Girl representative from Fredericksburg, VA asked me several months ago about sending dresses to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

A Christmas project we originally thought but we soon realized that the need of these little girls was much greater than what we would be able to do in Virginia. We decided to enlist others to make warm dresses for the Lakota girls.

Pine Ridge Reservation, located in South Dakota. There is an estimated population of 40,000 the reservation is 2,000,000 acres in size, unemployment is over 80% compared to the rest of the country where unemployment runs about 9%. The average salary is $8,900 for a family of 4 or even more. The weather is extreme, most families most live in poverty, many do not have adequate heat, food, healthcare or clothing. They struggle from one day to the next.

Our warm Winter dresses will be send to Lakota Oyate Wakanyeja Owicakiyapi (LOWO) which is an service that provides care for children who have suffered from the effects abuse and neglect. These children are transitioning to foster care families or with relatives.

One of the many challenges is to provide seasonal clothing to children that have little or no clothing when first coming to LOWO. Many of the foster families or relatives do not have the means to purchase clothing for these children and that is where Dress A Girl Around The World comes in.

Dresses and other articles of clothing will be distributed by case workers to assist in the care of the fostered children.

Because of the severe weather we decided that dresses needed to go as they are made. If you have the means please consider including an extras- such as panties, tights, leggings, hat, and gloves or mittens.

This is a difficult time for all of us secondary to the economy but it is particularly difficult for the Pine Ridge Reservation. We are all called to share what we have, and make certain that every girl on the Lakota Reservation has a warm Winter dress of her own.

Thank you so much for joining the effort to lend a helping hand by sewing dresses and purchasing supplies to send to the girls on Pine Ridge Reservation.

If you have any questions at all you may contact me at
DressAGirl@charlottesville.net my name is Karen

A skirt pattern which include elastic length and skirt length are available free at www.themerrychurchmouse.blogspot.com I would probably increase the length of the skirt by 2“ so that it covers the knees.

A warm dress pattern, and dress lengths are posted on my warm dress tutorial.

Chart for Dress Length

Dress lengths for Pillowcase and Winter Dresses

Size 24 mo      18"

Size   3 yr       19"

Size   4 yr       22"

Size   5 yr       24"

Size   6 yr       26"

Size   7 yr       28"

Size   8 yr       30"

Size   9 yr       32"

Size  10yr       34"

Size  11yr       36"

Size  12yr       38"

Figuring out how to get the proper length is a piece of cake!  Lay the yard stick on the chest about half way down the sleeve. See my photo above. Measure from top to bottom.  When you get to the length you want add 1".  Use a marking pen or chalk to mark (little dashes) all the way around the dress then draw a straight line and cut off.

Put in a simple hem.  Press 1/2" up all the way around.  Press another 1/2" and sew close to the edge all the way around. This is a fast hem...try it you'll like it!

Warm Winter Dress Pattern

I design upcycled kids clothes so I want to encourage you to scout around for t-shirts or sweatshirts from friends, neighbors, Goodwill, and yard sales or ask any Mom. Kids grow quickly and there are tons of beautiful shirts that have plenty of wear left.

Besides the fact that recycling is earth-friendly you can get beautiful brand name shirts such as Sonoma, Gap, Garnet Hill, or Carter that will last much longer even tho they have been washed a few times. I paid 50 cents to $1 for the shirts I used.

So far I have experimented with lightweight corduroy, flannel and light denim. Be careful about the weight of the skirt fabric so it won’t stretch the t-shirt too much.

 I made a gathered skirt, and a pleated skirt. The gathered skirt took me twice as long so I am going to show you how to make a neat little dress with a pleated skirt.

A warm winter dress is pretty much a pillow case that has been sewn onto a t-shirt. There is a seam around the middle, one down the side and a hem. That's it!

So here we go.

Most t-shirts have a size in them so that is the size dress you will want to make. Start by laying out the shirt.

Measure 3” down from each underarm then lay a ruler across and mark with a fabric marker (disappearing ink) and cut across with scissors or use a rotary cutter.

This is what your shirt should look like. Set your top aside for now it is finished. (Put the bottom of the shirt aside so you can make a neat little pocket).

Now the skirt. I make the skirt width 42 inches (all sizes) which is the same as the pillowcase dress. If your fabric is a little wider or narrower don’t worry about it.

 The easiest way to make the correct length is to hem the dress at the end.  So all you need to do right now is make the side seam

I always put the seam under one arm, that way the front and back appear seamless. After you’ve made the side seam lay the fabric flat put a pin on the opposite side that then a pin mid-front and mid-back.

Now do the same thing with the top put a pin on both sides, mid-front and mid-back.  Look close you can see the mid-center pin.

This next step is the trickiest part. Turn the skirt inside out and place the bodice and skirt together. Match up the pins and pin the pieces together.  Make sure that the seam of the skirt is on the side under the arm.

You’re probably going to be worrying about things at this point…stick with me it will make sense in a minute.

Starting mid-center where the pin is…pleat toward the underarm (my pin is yellow).  Each pleat is ½ wide and they are approximately (and I mean very approximately) an inch or so apart. Please don’t measure just fold the fabric until you get to the side seam. Now go back to the center and made pleats heading the opposite direction to the underarm. *If you pleat the wrong direction please don’t re-pin it...just carry on! It will work out fine.

After you finish pleating one side, flip the dress over and do the same thing so that your dress look like this. If it does then you made it!

Sew around using a straight stitch and then zig-zag the edges going around. That’s pretty much it! All that is left is the hem.

Using the Dress A Girl measurement chart, measure down to hem. Start from halfway down the sleeve (see photo) to the hem. Add one inch to the finished length.

I don’t have an illustration of the easiest-hem-in-the-world but you’ll be able to do it. Fold up ½ inch and press, then turn up another 1/2 inch again press and sew around.

Turn your dress inside out. It’s finished! TaDa

Give yourself a pat on the back, and make a cup of tea!