DIY PILLOW CASE DRESS

Hi, friends! I am excited to share with you a precious little number that is a must have in every little girl's closet! You've likely heard of it before -- the essential pillowcase dress, also known as peasant dress. I dressed my baby girl, who's now 13, in pillow case dresses made of vintage fabrics I found at resale shops way back when, and now our Pinterest stream is full of images and instructional how-to's. For good reason - they're downright simple, feminine and leave plenty of room for your little one to play without feeling confined or uncomfortable. Not to mention they can suit most any occasion; they can be casual or dressed up with some fancy ribbon.

1. Lay pillowcase flat on table with open edge closest to you.
2. Cut off the top (closed short edge) of the pillowcase.  Determine how long you would like the dress before cutting.  Note: The cut edge will be the top of the dress.
3. Next, cut the arm holes 3-4 inches deep on each side of the pillowcase, at the cut edge.  The arm holes should be J-shaped.  See diagram above for clarification.
4. Take the top cut edges and separately fold each side 1/4” down (towards the inside of dress), and then again another 3/4″ to create a finished edge.  It may help to iron these folds to help keep them in place.
5. Stitch along the first folded edge to make a “tunnel” or casing.  Repeat this for both the front and back of dress.
6. Now, there are 2 ways to finish the pillow case dress: A:  Take 2 long ribbons and insert one into each of the tunnels you created.  They will tie at the shoulders to hold up the dress (see photo).  B: Insert 6 inch elastic strips into the tunnels you created and sew ends of the tunnel closed.  This creates a stretchy neckline and eliminates possible choking hazards of ribbons.
7. Seal off arm holes by closing with stitching on binding.  If you chose to use Option B above, leave about 10″ of excess binding on each end of the arm hold to tie together and use as dress straps.
8. You may decorate the dress anyway you like.  A little rick rack sewn across the pillowcase seam is usually a cute and easy addition!