How to make a Pillowcase Dress (free Pillowcase Dress pattern sz 2 to 16)

What is a Pillowcase Dress?

Pillowcase dresses were originally designed to be kind of a “one size fits all” type dress for little girls.  The way the dresses are made (loose-fitting and gathered around the neckline). The dress will “grow” with the girl, eventually becoming more of a top than a dress.

This style of “dress” has actually been around for years and years.  Pillowcase dresses are fast and simple to make and originally were a great way to recycle a set of pretty pillowcases when one of the sets was lost. 

You can easily make this dress with an old pillowcase, but the trend now is to make the pillowcase style dresses with bright pretty fabrics.

If you do use a pillowcase, the instructions are basically the same except the sides and bottom hem are already done! (You would just use the included bodice pattern to cut the armholes.)

Learn How to Make a Pillowcase Dress:  

The good news is, for this tutorial, I’ve included a printable pillowcase dress pattern that you can download and print.  This post includes step-by-step instructions on how to sew the pillowcase dress, with photos for you to follow.

Since Pillowcase dresses are designed to grow with the girl, the patterns tend to be “one-size-fits-all.” 

I wanted my pillowcase dress to fit a bit better, so I created three different pattern sizes: 2t to 5, 6 to 10 and 12 to 16.

Fabric Amount Chart for the Pattern

Fabric requirements will vary based on the style you choose and size.  For a bigger girl, (dress size 6 and up,) you might wish to add width to your pillowcase dress, which will double the amount of fabric needed.

Notice how our size 6 dress is kind of narrow in width?   I opted not to use extra fabric and could only make the skirt as wide as the fabric, which was about 42 inches.

Don’t worry though, I’ve included a little chart along with the tutorial to help you determine how much fabric is needed.)

Where do I get the Pillowcase Dress Pattern?

Visit my Shop and add the free pattern to your cart and check out. Then come back here for the sewing instructions.

Enter your name and email and check out (it’s free.)

The pattern will be emailed to you.

Click the download link and the pattern automatically downloads.

Open The free Adobe reader and then open the pattern file. (Don’t print from directly from google’s online version of adobe reader.  It will sometimes cause the pattern to print to small or it just won’t open.)

Tips/Pattern info: 

• *** Important pattern printing tip***  When printing the pattern, do not print directly from Google docs.  Download the pattern to your computer and open it in the free adobe reader program.  Choose auto/portrait landscape and select “print actual size.”  (If you use any other pdf printing program, I can’t guarantee your pattern will print to the correct size.)
• Seam allowances are 1/4 inch unless otherwise stated.
• The fabric chart includes 1/4 yard for fabric ties.  For Faster assembly, you could use store-bought bias tape. (You need about 66 inches.)

Armhole to Hem Measurement

• 2t: 15 inches,
• 3t: 16.75 inches,
• 4:  18.5 inches,
• 5: 20.25 inches,
• 6: 21.75 inches.
• 7:  23.25 inches
• 8:  24.25 inches
• 10: 25.25
• 12:  26
• 14: 26.5
• 16: 27.5 inches

Fold the selvages over to the middle of the fabric.

Line up the bodice pattern so the edge that says “fold” is on the fold of the fabric.

To draw out the dress pattern, place your measuring tape or ruler at the lower corner of the armhole and measure down to your measurement to the edge of the fabric.  Use a fabric marker to mark along this line. Then with a ruler, make a straight line back over to the fold.  Cut out the pattern piece. (Ignore that my pattern piece looks different from what you printed – the one I used is before I digitized it.)

Use the 1st pattern piece as a guide to cut out the second piece.

Cut one strip of fabric 4 inches tall by the width of the fabric, cut a 2nd piece 4 inches tall by 23 inches wide.

Step 2:  Assembling the dress and finishing armholes.

Line up the front and back piece, right sides together and sew along the sides.  You will need to finish these seams with pinking shears, zig zag stitch on your sewing machine or with a serger.

When it comes to sleeveless tops, I have trouble folding fabric on a curve and making it look good, so I like to use single fold bias tape to make perfect armholes.  For this method cut 2 pieces of single fold bias tape to about 16 inches each.  Turn dress right side out and open bias tape up.  Align the edge of the bias tape up with the edge of the armhole as shown below, pin in place.

Keep going until you have pinned the bias tape around the entire armhole.

Sew along the fold of the bias tape (about 1/4 inch in.)

Fold the bias tape back up and over to the other side.

Pin in place and sew right along the edge of the bias tape.  Repeat for the other armhole.

Press the side seams and armholes flat.

Step 3:  Creating the casing.

Fold the top edge of the dress over 1/4 and press.

Fold over another inch and press again.  Sew along the bottom edge of the fold.  Repeat on the other side of the dress.

Step 4:  Create and add the ruffle.

Place the two fabric strips right sides together and cut off the selvage edges.  Sew the strips together end to end so you have a very large circle.  Iron these seams open.  (I used my serger and could only iron them to the side..)

Fold the fabric circle in half, wrong sides together, and iron flat.  (Wow, I obviously need to replace my ironing board cover…  We have very hard water and I use steam quite a bit.)

To create the ruffle, change your stitch length setting to the highest setting.  Sew a straight stitch along the open edge of the fabric circle.  Do not back stitch.

To ruffle the fabric, pull on the bobbin string in one direction while pushing the fabric in the other direction.  The father will start to gather up.  Keep pulling/pushing the fabric and thread, making sure to distribute the gathers evenly.

The flash makes it difficult to see what is going on, here is a photo from a different tutorial.  You can see a little better how the ruffle is gathering up.:

Keep gathering the ruffle until the ruffle is the same width as the bottom of the skirt.

Line up the edge of the ruffle with the bottom edge of the dress as shown below and pin in place.

Make sure you have switched the stitch length back to normal and sew the ruffle to the skirt by sewing along the bottom edge about 1/4 inch from the edge.

Finish this seam with pinking shears, zig zag stitch on sewing machine or with a serger.

Flip dress to the front and iron the finished seam, pointed up.  Top stitch the ruffle along the bottom of the dress as shown in the photo below.

Step 5:  Creating the tie:

Sew the 2 fabric strips together so you have about a 62 to 65 inch long strip of fabric.  Cut off the selvage ends.

Fold and iron the strip as shown in the photos below:

Tuck in the ends and sew along the edge.

Thread the tie through the casing, and you are done!  Now go find a sweet little princess to try on your creation and take some pictures!!!