Using found materials to create new clothing pieces is a great way to save money these days. If you have a gently used pillowcase that you no longer use, or simply some fabric scraps wallowing in the bottom of your sewing basket, a pillowcase dress might be the best crafting project to put those materials to good use. Pillowcase dresses are stylish and easy dress patterns to make! For little girls who are constantly growing, these dresses can be great because they can be easily made and altered. The pattern is simple to learn, so these are great projects for sewing novices, too. Check out these free pillowcase dress patterns, or if you're looking for a more grown-up look, we also have several adult-size sundress patterns for summer.
Also See:
Fat Quarter Bundle Dress
This set uses the varied kinds of fabric you might find in a fat quarter bundle — a collection of fat quarters from a fabric line. Melissa Mortenson uses different kinds of fabric for the stroller quilt and dress which will have a decorative strip at the bottom. You’ll only need 6 quarters and 3 yards of fabric for the dress ribbon and quilt backing. The dress is measured on a garment chart to fit 6 months.
Shabby Chic Parisian Pillowcase Dress Pattern
This lacy romantic-style pillowcase dress its the girliest and pretties one I have come across yet. It is sized from newborn all the way up to size 12 in big girls. This pattern package comes with so much! Charts for determining size, optional ruffle neckline, 3 trim options, yet it is still easy enough for beginners.
Caroline Dress with Bonus Doll Sized Pattern
Does your daughter have a doll that she carries around with her all the time? This dress pattern comes in daughter-size as well as doll-size! The Caroline dress can be sized for girls anywhere between 12 months old and 8 years old. For a regular dress, you’ll need about ¾ yard to 1 yard of main fabric, and ½ yard of contrasting fabric for the trim at the bottom. This pattern is great for beginners and the contrasting fabrics look adorable. Girls will love to have a dress that they can wear alongside their favorite doll.
Tiered Pillowcase Dress
This tiered dress is named as such because it includes three different tiers of fabric. You can use two different kinds of flowery fabric and a solid color fabric. Or you could do stripes, polka dots and a solid color. The combination is all up to you, and there are endless creative possibilities with this dress. You’ll need ¼ yard of fabric for the bodice, ½ yard for the second tier, ⅝ yard for the third tier and ⅛ yard of fabric for the tie closure at the top. The pattern is pretty simple and you can download it at the link below.
Easiest Pillowcase Dress Ever
In the original blog post for this dress pattern, it’s described as the easiest pillowcase dress ever. So if you’re a complete novice when it comes to sewing and creating dresses of your own, you might want to start here with this pattern. The original poster has included a handy chart that helps you sew the dress to fit whichever size you need. The finished product has an elastic neckline and bow ties at the shoulders.
Simple Pillowcase Dress with 2 Tie Options
This simple pillowcase dress comes with a printable pattern and can be done with any type of fabric you have lying around. You can sew the dress with either an elastic casing or a fabric tie casing. You will need approximately ¾ yard of fabric for this dress, an additional ½ yard to create a contrasting arm hole, and various other sewing supplies. The final product is lovely and you can customize this pattern however you’d like because the pattern is so simple.
Dress with Decorative Ric Rac Accents
This pillowcase dress is quite similar to the others in the post, with a little decorative twist at the bottom. At about 3 ½ to 4 inches from the bottom of the dress, this pattern includes a strip rick-rack, or you can use a strip of ribbon instead. It’s a sweet little decoration to add to this pillowcase dress, and you can customize it quite easily.
Credits: PolkaDot Chair, Tenderfeet Stitches, You Can Make This, Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom, Sew Like My Mom, LBG Studio, and Jen Leheny.