I have a new girls sewing pattern to share with you today! A simple Girl’s A-line Pullover Dress, designed to be sewn with knit fabric, available for download in girl’s sizes 4 to 10.
A-line Pullover Dress Pattern
Pin the pattern here to save ==>> 
Do you remember the cute little A-line dress I showed off in our Back to School pictures a few weeks back? I finally finished the multi-sized pattern to share with you today.
This sweet and simple knit dress is an easy sew. No troublesome bindings, buttons or zippers! The dress is designed to slip over your little ones head and shoulders with ease. It even has pockets!
A-line Dress Pattern Details
This A-line Pullover Dress pattern comes in girl’s sizes 4 to 10. The dress pattern has a wide boat neck shaped neckline, above the knee length (which of course, you can always shorten or lengthen to your individual child) and pockets.
The sleeves are dolman style (so no set in sleeves) and the neckline is made with a very simple facing.
I consider the skill level needed for this pattern to be “advanced beginner” mostly due to the fact you will be working with knit fabrics, otherwise it is a fairly easy sew!
Fabric Recommendations for this Knit A-line Dress
I recommend fabrics such as medium weight french terry, or other medium weight knits that don’t have too much stretch.
In this version, I used a lightweight french terry fabric I found online (and on sale) at Funkalicious Fabrics (now sold out). My missy loved the graffiti look of the fabric, but it definitely did not photograph as well as the chevron print did – oh well. (Instructions for the infinity scarf are here, boots here.)
The striped version was made from some sort of medium weight polyester-ponte-type knit fabric.
Girls A-line Pullover Dress Sewing Instructions
Pin the pattern here to save ==>> 
A-line Dress Pattern Tips
- When printing the free pattern, first download the pattern to your pc, then open in adobe reader choose auto/landscape and print at actual size.)
- Seam allowances are included and are .25 inches unless otherwise specified.
- Hem allowance is .5 inches
- (pattern link is found under materials needed)
Tips for sewing with knits:
- Use a ballpoint/stretch needle
- Sew seams with either a serger, stretch stitch, narrow zig zag with a long stitch length or a straight stitch with a long stitch length and a slightly loosened tension. (Make a couple of practice stitches on your fabric to see what works best.) I also like to use this “lightning bolt” stretch stitch on seams that need strength but a little give. (I used it when attaching the skirt to the waistband).
- Sew hems with a zig zag, twin ball point needle, narrow zig zag with a long stitch length or a straight stitch with a long stitch length and a slightly loosened tension or leave raw. (also helps to use a walking foot.)
- If you find your fabric keeps getting pulled inside the needle plate, place a small piece of tissue underneath the fabric so the feed dogs have something to grip.
Materials needed to make the dress:
- Pattern (add the pattern to your cart and check out, it’s free and a download link will be emailed to you.)
- Up to 1 yard of 59 inch wide knit fabric (Though you will be cutting it close for a 10, so take care to not waste fabric.)
- Iron on interfacing (optional – you may want to use interfacing if using thin fabric. I did not need it for either dress.)
- Basic Sewing supplies
Products used and recommended in this post:
- My favorite fabric shop for knits: Funkalicious Fabrics, Fabric.com and Girl Charlee.
- My Sewing Machine: SINGER 9960 Quantum Stylist, my coverstitch: Janome Cover Pro 1000cpx
- My Serger: Brother 1034D 3 or 4 Thread Serger or you can just use Pinking Shears
- Rotary Cutter
- I love my large ruler and large cutting mat, but you may prefer to start of with a smaller Cutting set
- Dritz Dual Purpose Marking Pen and Fray Check
- Ball Point needles
- Singer walking foot or universal walking foot
- Wonder clips (I didn’t use these in the post, but they are just awesome!
Pattern tips and instructions:
- Download pattern and save to your PC. Open the pdf document in adobe acrobat. Don’t print from google’s online version of adobe. (It will sometimes cause the pattern to print to small.)
- Seam allowance is 1/4 inch with a 1/2 inch bottom hem.
Fit info:
Size 4: Height- 41.5 inches, Weight- 36 lbs, Dress length: 22.1
Size 5: Height- 44.5 inches, Weight- 42 lbs, Dress length: 24.2
Size 6: Height- 46.5 inches, Weight- 48 lbs, Dress length: 26.2
Size 7: Height- 51 inches, Weight- 60 lbs, Dress length: 27.6
Size 8: Height- 53 inches, Weight- 66 lbs, Dress length: 28.8
Size 10: Height- 55 inches, Weight- 74 lbs, Dress length: 30.25
A-line Dress Sewing Instructions:
Step 1: Print and Assemble pattern, cut out pattern pieces.
Save pattern to your desktop, open in adobe. Set to print actual size and print pattern. Align the gray boxes, edge to edge (don’t overlap) matching up colored circles. Tape pattern together and cut out size needed. Transfer the pocket placement marks with a disappearing ink marker or pins.
Cut:
- 1 Front dress piece (on fold) and 1 back dress piece (on fold.) Don’t forget to transfer the pocket placement markings.
- 1 Front facing piece (on fold) and 1 back facing piece (on fold.) (If your fabric is thin, apply iron- on interfacing to the back of the facing fabric before cutting.)
- 2 arm binding pieces
- 4 pockets. (Fold fabric in half and cut 2 pockets at a time <not on fold.> This will ensure your pocket pieces will be facing the correct way.)
Step 2: Assemble the dress.
Line up the facing and dress pieces, right sides together and sew shoulder seams. (Indicated in blue.)
Line facing up to to dress along neckline. Pin and sew using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
Cut v-shaped notches into seam allowance so the neckline will sit flat. Be careful to not cut into the seam!
Flip facing around and press. Topstitch around neckline.
Fold sleeve binding in half and line up raw edges with the sleeve edge. The binding will be a few inches longer that the sleeve. Line the binding up so the extra fabric is equal on both sides.
Sew the binding to the sleeve using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.
Flip the binding into place, press and topstitch. Repeat for the other sleeve.
Step 3: Adding the pockets and sewing the side seams.
Line up the pocket piece with the side of the dress at pocket placement marks. (Placement shown in photo below.)
Sew the pocket in place, using a scant 1/4 inch seam allowance.
Repeat for the other 3 pockets.
Flip pocket over and press seam well.
Line the dress sides up, folding the sleeve binding in toward dress as show in photo below.(Because the sleeve binding is folded in the finished dress, tucking the binding in helps keep it in place.) You could choose to leave it out to give the sleeve a different look.
Sew along the side of the dress using a 1/4 inch seam allowance. follow down the side and around the edge of the pocket as shown with the blue arrows above. Make sure both ends of the binding are completely sewn into the seam. Repeat for other side.
Trim excess binding. Repeat for other side.
Flip dress right side out and fold the binding over. Press and tack the folded edge in place.
Tack the facing down at shoulder seam as well. (It’s impossible to see the tack marks in these photos, but I circled them for you below.) Repeat for other side.
Top stitch along the edge of the pocket, on all four sides.
Fold bottom edge, press and hem. (1/2 inch is included in pattern for hem allowance.
That’s it, you are done!
Now have your little one try it on and pose for some pictures!
If you make one of these dresses, be sure to come back and share a picture on my Facebook page or tag me on instagram!
Don't miss any more posts!
Ann Connellan says
Hi Jaime, No matter what I do, I cannot save this as a pdf. It insists on being a jpg and will only show up on my computer as a single page jpg of the entire pattern just as it looks on your blog. I am working on a Mac, which shouldn’t make any difference, but any help you can offer would be appreciated. My granddaughters need this dress! Thanks for creating it.
Ann
Jamie Sanders says
That is strange. My only guess is you are not using the adobe reader to open the pattern.
Alison says
The dresses I made from this pattern are my daughter’s favorites. She has three now and still wants more because they are so comfortable! On one I made a little chest pocket instead and on another little front pockets. She is only a size 7 so I can still make them for her for a couple more years. 😊
Nathalie says
I was looking for a pattern for my daughter. I’ve added a collar to this one and after having found the right fabric, I’m thrilled with the results! Happy to send a picture 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Jamie Sanders says
Love that! I have a face book page you can share your pics on or you can message me there to keep your photos more private.
Sara says
So cute! Do you have the measurements if I want to make this dress in a size 18 months?
Jamie says
I don’t, I’m sorry.
Jamie says
just a test
Smithkj56 says
I would love to have this pattern in adult sizes but a little fuller more like a swing dress. Any tips on how to create that, or a chance that you might create one for us…pleaase.
laurelwhite says
Lucky me I dіscovered your blog by
accident (stumbleupon). I’ve book-marked it for later!
Sue D says
I made 2 of these dresses for my daughter, she loves them. I loved that it was so simple to sew! Is there any chance you have this pattern for adult sizes, I would love to have 1 of these dresses for myself too!
Jamie says
It’s on my someday to-do list, lol
Sam says
Any chance you have a pattern for this gorgeous dress in adult sizes??!
Jamie says
someday, maybe
Jane says
I am excited to create this with some modifications. I will be making “Santa’s Elf” tunics using this pattern for each of my grand daughters. I really appreciate the pattern and look forward to using it. Thank you very much.
Jane says
I forgot I wanted to ask is it possible to increase the size to a 14? Thank you again,
Jane
Jamie says
you could easily do this with the slash and spread method.
Jocelynn says
I LOVE THESE! Thanks so much for sharing! Paramore is actually one of my favorite bands! They have a song with lyrics that say “That’s what you get when you let your heart win”. Where do you get your fabrics? They are all so beautiful!
Jamie says
Thanks! I believe this one came from funalicious fabrics on etsy, but I get my stuff from all over. Fabric.com, girl charlee etsyy…
Andrea says
Maybe I missed it, but is there somewhere that says how much fabric is needed for each size?
Jamie says
Currently, this is the only info provided:
Materials needed:
Breanna says
I am so excited to be making this pattern! I am making one for my daughter who wears a 5t. And my husbands little sister who wears a 6/7. How much fabric should I need approximately for each pattern?
Liz says
I’d like to share photos of the dress I made for my daughter with thus pattern. How can I share for your site?
Eileen Conley says
I did not receive that A-line dress email after seeing the online confirmation that I should see the email. It has been over an hour.
Jamie says
I tried to forward it to you, but if you don’t get it, it is because all is blocking the encrypted link. The only solution for that is to use a different email address.
Eileen Conley says
Got it, Jamie. It just took over an hour. Thanks for your help!
Pamela says
I purchased one yard of fabric to make a dress but due to the way the fabric stretches there isn’t enough material to cut the back on the fold. Could I cut 2 single pieces for the back and then stitch them together (adding extra for the seam)? I really love the pattern and bought two different fabrics for my 2 granddaughters. This will be my first time sewing with knit so I’m very unsure of myself. I did this modification with a another pattern (sewn in cotton) and sewed the back seam as a French seam which worked out great. Scared of knit!
Jamie says
Yes, I’m sure that will be fine. I heard somewhere that a seam down the middle makes a dress/top hang better. (I’m going to test that theory in a dress for me very soon.
MARCI says
I need to make 9 dresses of these for our Tumbling Recital and after I bought the material I learned that it’s not possible to get all the pattern pieces on the material if I go by stretch. If it’s a 4 way stretch can I do the arm piece anyway I desire. It doesn’t fit doing across the stretch.
Angela Lucy Moustafa says
Hey there. I hacked your pattern to make a size 2 dress for my baby but I couldn’t do the neckline right so ended up putting a neckband on. I’d be happy to test out a size 3 for you, although it wouldn’t fit her for a while, I have a friend who’s daughter it would fit.
paws says
Thanks so much for the free pattern. I am a beginner seamstress, and I just got a serger for Christmas, so I’m trying to learn new tricks. This was my first big project on knit fabric. It went pretty well, but I had a really hard time top stitching around the pocket (with my regular machine, of course, not the serger.) Any tips to make that easier?
Also, I hate the look of a zigzag hem. What did you use?
Jamie says
I don’t have any tips for the pocket top stitching. I just had to squeeze all the layers under the presser foot and go slow. For the hem, I will sometimes use a double needle, but I do like how well the zig zag holds up. You could also try a blind stitch with your serger. https://www.scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com/2014/09/free-short-legging-pattern-serger-blind-hem.html I now have a cover stitch machine which I often use.
Marie says
I am trying to figure out how to get the pattern of the shift dress that you pullover the head. I sew for missions and that looks like it would be quick and easy. NO ZIPPER, NO BUTTONS AND A LITTLE BIT OF A SLEEVE CAP IS PERFECT
Jamie says
You should try my peasant dress pattern. May people use that one for charity sewing: https://www.scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com/2012/11/howtomakeapeasantdress.html
Carol Mongeau says
Hi!
Thank you for the pattern as well. Now, I cutted the pattern to the best that I could …would it be possible please for you to send me a picture of the pattern once that it is all cut up and glued or tape together….Many thanks again.
Jamie says
I’m sorry I don’t have one handy to send.
Andrea says
Do you think I could turn this into a long sleeve dress?
Jamie says
For a long sleeve dress, I would combine this pattern with my free long sleeve t-shirt pattern. https://www.scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com/2016/03/free-t-shirt-pattern.html