The Ultimate Pillowcase Dress post
March 4, 2013
I get emails almost daily from readers who come across my pillowcase dress tutorials and want more information. So instead of trying to update the several posts I have, I decided to create a new one, combine all information into one place, and put it somewhere prominent on my blog so it’s easy to find and easy to come back to.
I have 2 pillowcase dress tutorials. The first is a very basic, wonderful for beginners, tutorial. It can be found here.
And I created a fabric size chart for using this tutorial to make your dress:
Then I created another tutorial for how I make pillowcase dresses using my serger. The technique is a little different but the finished product looks exactly the same. See it here.
And again, a size chart.
I’m also asked frequently about the size of the armholes. It really doesn’t matter too much, but for a general rule of thumb, I’d use this new chart I created:
I have information for several places you can donate dresses, for those who are interested.
The Lira School Dress Project
The Lira School Dress Project who is hoping to take 66 dresses to Kindergarten girls in Africa. The trip is in JUNE 2013 so the deadline to receive donated dresses is 1 MAY 2013. The address to send them to is:
Lira School Dress Project
1701 Lytle Trail
Abilene, TX 79602
They are specifically wanting dresses in a size 6/6X since the girls who will be getting them are in Kindergarten.
Project Yesu
I just recently learned about Project Yesu. It’s an organization founded by a young woman name Mallory, who has an amazing heart is raising money to help children in Uganda. She started collecting money for them in 2011 and so far has raised over $12,000! This year Mallory is returning to Uganda and is wanting to take pillowcase dresses to hand out while she’s there. She is collecting dresses through 31 MAY 2013 and is taking them in all sizes. Take a few minutes to look around her site, she’s doing incredible things!
For more information you can email her at mallory@projectyesu.org.
Little Dresses for Africa
Little Dresses for Africa is always collecting pillowcase dresses for girls of all ages as well as shorts for boys. They distribute the clothes all over the African continent and do amazing things to feed, educate, and shelter the people. Dresses (and shorts) can be sent at anytime to:
Little Dresses for Africa
24614 Curtis Dr.
Brownstown, MI 48134
Several of you have asked me for a printable version of the instructions for you to take to churches and meetings to pass out to the groups who will be sewing dresses. So, here it is. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s all the steps and all the pictures from the original tutorial condensed into a .pdf for you to download and print and use at your convenience!
There is a button on my sidebar that links back to this post, so the information will always be easy to find. As I learn about more drives or organizations donating these dresses I’ll update the information so you can always have the latest if you’re interested in donating! It really touches me just how giving and selfless people are, so keep it up! The difference you make to girls all over the world is changing lives in incredible ways!
Posted in Tutorials
April 5th, 2013 at 1:43 AM
[...] places to donate dresses if interested. Click on that link in the right sidebar for the “Ultimate Pillowcase Dress” post. [...]
April 18th, 2013 at 5:59 PM
Great tutorial! I want to add another fabric to the bottom. Would you add it before you sew the sides together or at the end? Thanks
April 18th, 2013 at 11:16 PM
I would add it before you sew the sides together, make it the first thing you do.
April 19th, 2013 at 10:31 PM
do you know of any place in australia that is doing this. fantastic, and would love to jump on board, but posting to the states . . . . . .
April 23rd, 2013 at 7:12 AM
Aimee, I have been making dresses like this for Dress A girl Around The World and they have a rep in Australia. She has a blog at dressagirlaustralia.blogspot.com.
April 30th, 2013 at 5:28 PM
I would like to make matching dresses for my girls sizes 2T, 10, 12, and 16. I see older girls wearing these dresses in the pictures and I am wondering how to alter the pattern…particularly the daughter wearing the 16.
April 30th, 2013 at 8:39 PM
For your older daughters you’ll have to experiment a little to figure out how much fabric you’ll need. For the 10 and 12 you can probably expand my chart out, based on their height and weight. I’d probably go with 25 or 26 inches wide for them. For your 16 year old I would say she probably needs a good 30″ to give it room to ruffle, especially over a bust. To do the armholes, measure a tee in their sizes (not a fitted knit shirt, a true tshirt) from the shoulder seam to the side seam. For all of them, measure from the little hole in your neck where the collar bones join and the neck starts (where men have Adams apples) down to the length they want, then add in the seam allowances like in the chart for the tie casing and the hem. I hope this makes sense!
May 1st, 2013 at 10:16 AM
[...] a good cause? Head on over to Project Yesu’s website and learn more about it! You can make pillowcase dresses for the girls and shorts like these for the boys. I used a couple different patterns. The smaller [...]
May 2nd, 2013 at 2:03 PM
Thank you for the wonderful tutorial….you have beautiful children!!
May 12th, 2013 at 2:06 PM
Hi Melissa! I have a quick question! I am going to be making a dress for a 9 year old and she gave me her waist, hip, and shoulder to floor measurements! I was wondering should I use the waist or hip measurement for the width? Also how many inches should I make the height for the dress if the daughter’s shoulder to floor measurement is 44 inches? Thank you so much!