You know what’s funny? When I was pregnant it seemed like EVERYONE was having a boy, but after I had Kendall it seemed like the world is full of little girls. Case in point is our local playgroup. Out of seven regular members, only 2 of us have boys. And even as we’ve started to add new members to the mix, it seems like they ALL have girls.
So as birthday season approached this year (there was a stretch of 4 months where I swear we had at least 2 birthdays to attend each month), I had to get a little creative about what to give for birthday gifts, and after seeing so many pictures of adorable little girls wearing stylish pillowcase dresses, I set my mind on figuring out how to make them. They sell on sites like Etsy for $25+, but you can make one with less than a yard of fabric and a couple yards of grosgrain ribbon.
Now, pillowcase dress tutorials are not hard to find online. There are hundreds, or… I don’t know… maybe thousands? I looked high and low for the easiest one I could find. I ended up mainly following one from AndersonsPlace.net. A few months ago a friend asked for a link to the tutorial, and when I went to send it to her I noticed the link was dead. It hasn’t come back up since, and AndersonsPlace appears to be blank. Luckily, I printed out the tutorial long ago and it’s still readable.
So I’m going to just type out the tutorial below based pretty closely on what I printed off from AndersonsPlace.net If anyone from this website reads this, please contact me! I’m not trying to rip you off, and would LOVE to give credit. It was such an easy, helpful tutorial that I think it needs to be accessible again. The photos that I’m using are mine.
I always start with a yard of fabric and have never actually used a real pillowcase for one, but you can do it either way.
If you are using a pillowcase, cut it off, leaving the hemmed end, based on these measurements:
6 months -14 1/4″
12 months – 16 1/4″
18 months – 17 1/4″
2T 18 1/4″
3T 19 1/4″
4T 20 1/4″
If you are staring with a yard of fabric, cut it to the length specified above, and a width of 28″ for 6 months, up to 33″ for 4T (adding one inch in width for each size up). This, however, can really be based on your own judgement, depending on how wide you want/need the dress to be on the girl.
While you are cutting fabric, go ahead and cut one piece 1 1/2″ wide and 30″ long and set aside for later.
Fold up half an inch along the bottom of the large piece of fabric (will be the bottom of the dress), press with iron, and fold again. Stitch along the top fold to hem.
Fold the fabric vertically (lengthwise), right sides together, pin and stitch 1/2 inch from un-joined edge to create a tube of fabric.
Use pinking shears to trim excess fabric from the seam.
Lay the tube, seam side up, with the seam in the middle and press to one side with an iron.
Fold the tube in half vertically to cut the armholes. From the top (un-hemmed) edge, measure 1.5″ in and 3″down for sizes up to 2T. For 3 and 4T measure 2″ in and 4″ down.
Using your marked measurements, cut a J shaped armhole through all 4 layers of fabric. Don’t stress about perfection.
Okay, this next step, for me, is the most difficult, but once you figure it out, it gets much easier. (That’s why I included a ton of pictures.)
Unfold the dress (guess we can stop calling it a tube now) and line the 1.5″ x 30″ piece along one armhole, right side of the strip to wrong side of the dress (dress is still inside out at this point). Fold down the top of the strip about 3/8″ and meet the top of the fold with the top of the dress. Stitch the strip all the way around the armhole. I tried pinning this, but it’s really much easier if you just freehand it. Maybe pin the top to help you get started.
When you get close to the end of the armhole, cut off the extra fabric, leaving enough to fold down 3/8″. You will use the remaining fabric on the other armhole.
Fold down the 3/8″ and finish off the armhole.
Repeat on the other side, then turn the dress right side out.
Next fold the strip in half so the raw edge is touching the raw edge of the armhole.
Then fold again over to the other side of the armhole, creating a binding. Pin as you go along the entire armhole (I use about 4 pins and just keep most of it in place with my fingers while sewing).
Stitch along the binding and then do the same for the other side.
Turn the dress inside out again.
Fold the top of the front and back 1/4″ and then again 5/8″ and press with an iron to form a casing with no raw edges. Stitch along the bottom fold, similar to what you did for the bottom hem.
Thread 1 yard of ribbon (or less for the smaller sizes) through each casing. I like to pin a safety pin to one side and use that to guide it through the casing, then trim the ends of the ribbon when I’m done.
Gather the ribbon and tie bows on the shoulders and you’re done! You can also secure the ribbon by stitching it in the middle to the inside of the casing (wrong side of the dress) by hand.
Now, even though these dresses don’t make appropriate winter wear by themselves, they do look adorable over long sleeve shirts and jeans or leggings! So you can make and give these all year, even for the holidays 
Hope this was clear! Please let me know if you have any questions.
Wow. I’m so not handy with a sewing machine (or a tape measure, for that matter…) but I’m sure I could follow these instructions! You rock, and the dress is adorable!
I DREAM in pillowcase dresses! I’ve been eyeing them since my daughter was born and I NEED to make some. I envision her living in them this summer…can you just see it! Thanks for the tutorial!
I’m gestating a little girl at this very moment… might just have to sew some of these for her asap. I have an embarrassing stash of 1 yd only fabrics, so this is perfect. Ps: I think we have the same sewing machine!
Thanks Jill! I think I might be able to manage this. I want to make a Christmas one to match a hairbow I bought for Amelia.
You are awesome XOXOXOXO
Sallie
Must.go.conceive.girl!
I’ve been looking for dresses for Peanut and I’m so going to make one of these now! Thanks!
I fell in love with this idea! I made two dresses for my daughter. They are adorable!! Thanks for the simple tutorial!
Thanks for the tutorial! I made a cute little dress for my friend’s daughter’s 1st birthday next weekend. I sewed one of the armpit holes together, but thanks to my husband who has a private school education that required a sewing class, we were able to salvage the dress. I also messed up again on the armpit and sewed the binding the wrong way, but it still turned out so cute and I love it! After I finished, my husband said to me, “You’re planning on wearing something under that shirt, right?!” He thought it was for me. =)
So…the ribbon actually goes through the top casings (front and back) and not the arm holes…right? Does that make sense?
Yes.
Thanks for posting this, by the way! Super helpful!
I just finished my first dress for my little girl using your instructions. They were the best I’ve seen and tried. And I’ve tried ALOT! It was fun and your instructions were clear and easy. Thank you SO much for your help and easy to walk through steps. It turned out so cute! Back to get more material for another tomorrow!
Hooray! That is so good to hear!!
I just had to say Thank You! I’ve been looking for an easy to follow tutorial on this dress that included good pictures- which I desperately need when I’m trying something new. And, just as you’d mentioned there are only
about a million instructions for this dress- So, again thank you for this wonderful tutorial!
I love the pillowcase dress. When I have a daughter I can’t wait to make her some. Or maybe I’ll just start making them as gifts.
I just WISH my girls weren’t already way too old for these!! I’m thinking of how cute they would have been wearing them! And now I’m thinking “Who do I know with little girls, who would like dresses?”
Thanks!
I love this!! I have made two so far for my youngest daughter.. I am going to make them for my older girls to relax in as well.. My girls are 7 months , 8 yrs, 9yrs and I am just now a SAHM so I have a bit of time
Good instructions. The front is a bit high on my daughter so I think I will “scoop ” the front neckline next time. For the armholes, I found it easiest to iron the strip in half (right side out) then open it up (wrong side up) and fold in each side to mid point and iron it again. Made it much easier when sewing it to arm holes.
This is a great tutorial! I have made one from a pillowcase and one with left over material, both are awesomely cute! My favorite part is how easy and fast they are, you can complete one during nap time! On the 2nd one I added two little pockets to the front.
I made this dress for my daughter, she loves dresses and this was simple and easy thank you for the tutorial.
Does anyone know how to fix the sizes for an older girl? My step daughter wants me to make one for her she is about a size 7-8. I am just not sure how much material I need to use.
The dress sounds so cute, would love to try one but the pictures did not show they were blank. Do you know why?
Hey! Not sure why they aren’t showing up
Thanks for letting me know. I’ll look into it.
Where did the pictures go? I bookmarked this a year ago, and now that I want to make one, the pictures are gone!!
I’m trying to re upload them today. No clue what happened.
WOW….I didn’t even know such a creature existed…and I have a 3 yr. old little girl…WHO ADORES DRESSES!!!
well then…I guess I’ll use the sewing machine that I requested for X-mas 4 years ago for something other than pillows and curtains:) WOO HOO!!!
Thanks for the step by step – the pics are super helpful!
hey im makeing pillow case dress for uganda and haiti did u know that some people in uganda and hati cut there arms off so that they can go arownd and say i need money and today i saw a pic of a 10 year old girl wich is the same age as me butt she had her arm cut off thats sad i thik well how i figered out pillow case dress is was my techer Mrs.Gray and shes my fourth grade techer and if u wont to chek out my school websit go to Google and look up stepping stones acadamy school and this school is a awsome school it dus all sowis of cool stuff but it is a trter school
Bought a pattern at the store… gave up first five minutes… found this website on google and made two dresses in two hours. Thank you Thank you! Your Rock!