Pillowcase Style Doll Dress

Today’s project is an easy doll dress in the “pillowcase” dress style. To fit an American Girl (or other 18in) doll, 1 fat quarter of fabric (18X22in) will be enough to make 2 dresses (when the fabric is cut sideways to the selvedge). Larger toys will need more fabric. This is a good beginning project as it is straight seams and not form fitting. It can be done with a sewing machine or by hand. You can use new fabric, cut up old clothing or even use an actual pillowcase. Depending on the size of the pillowcase you could make child & doll dresses that match!

Supplies needed: Fabric- see measuring info in next step but a fat quarter (18X22 piece will work for many dolls), ribbon or other drawstring material & thread, general sewing kit

You’ll need to know the chest measure, the length, and the arm hole.

Take the doll or toy- measure the chest (below arms) and neck to knee (or desired length).

It is also good to measure under the arm (start at the neck, go under the arm, then back up to the neck) to know how much space to leave open for the arms.

For the 18in doll (American Girl / Our Generation / Journey Girls, etc.) one fat quarter or 2 pieces of fabric cut 9in wide by 11in tall will work.

This will also work for lightly shorter dolls- the dress will just be more of a maxi length rather than knee length.

Take the length wanted, add about 1.5 inches for hem & seam allowances. Then take the chest measurement and add about 4 inches (wearing ease- this isn't form fitting + 2 side seams) for seam allowances. These will be your FINAL measurements. If you aren't sure what size doll you are making the dress for- bigger is usually better. Nobody likes a dress that won't fit the doll- the shoulder ties will help gather up excess fabric so the same dress can work for the 18inch American Girl style doll, a chunky baby doll or a fluffy teddy bear. Of course, some may be easier to dress feet first rather than over the head.

You will need TWO pieces of fabric cut half of the final chest measure WIDE by the final length LONG. If these are less than 11in wide by 18in long, a fat quarter will still work. If your numbers are larger- you will want to buy yardage or find a pillowcase to cut up. If you are using a fabric with a big design/image you want to showcase- try to center that on the dress pattern piece- this may require EXTRA fabric to allow good placement. Smaller, all over prints or solids may be easier to work with first.

TIES: you want something at least twice the chest measurement plus 6-12 inches for shoulder bows. This will be cut in half later. I used 1 yard of ribbon cut into 18" lengths for the example dress.

Cut you fabric into 2 pieces- You will need TWO pieces of fabric cut half of the final chest measure WIDE by the final length LONG.

Cut your ribbon or tie material in half to you have 2 equal lengths.

If your fabric frays a lot or just to have a nicer result, you can edge finish your fabric pieces now- zigzag stitch or serge all sides.
Take your two pieces of fabric, lay right sides (outside/printed pretty side) together. Be careful to match your pattern for a nicer looking result.

Decide which end is the top and mark down ½ of the armhole measure plus .5in. If armhole is 6 inches- this would be 3in + .5in or 3.5in. Sew side seams from bottom to the armhole mark. I like to use .5 in seams or the edge of the presser foot. Iron seams open. A tailor’s ham or rolled up towel inserted in the dress helps with this.

Next, sew armhole openings- from top to just below side seam and then back to top. For the drawstring casing- fold down the top about ¾ to 1in (REMEMBER a wider drawstring needs a wider slot to fit) to the INSIDE of the dress.

Sew close to the edge of fabric to create the casing for the drawstring. You will do this for both the front & the back of the dress.

THREAD the drawstring thru the slots- 1 piece for the front & the other for the back. I like to center the string and sew it down in the middle so the child can’t pull it out while playing.

HEM- fold up the bottom edge .5 to .75in and sew around base of dress. You can do a double fold hem (fold twice & sew once) for a nicer finish.

Trim threads and voila, you are done!

You can add ribbon trim either before sewing side seams if at waist area or after if you are adding it at the top or hem. You can embroider designs or add beads or buttons (not suggested for children under 3- possible choking hazards).

You can use 2 fabrics to make it more of a sundress style- use the above info for the top but have length to about the dolls waist + .5in and then cut the skirt either the same width or 1.5 to 2 times as wide and gather when attaching. A net or tulle overlay can be added to make the dress a party dress.

Have fun and go dress those naked dolls!