today I'm going to teach my daughter how to make a pillowcase dress for the dress a girl charity
the dress a girl charity distributes dresses free of charge throughout the world
believing that every girl deserves a dignity about owning at least one dress
we utilize their instructions for making appropriate pillowcase style dress
the materials you need, the armhole pattern
sizing guide and label from the dress a girl website
100 percent cotton fabric or pillowcase double fold wide bias tape,
elastic, fusible web and sewing notions
use the sizing guide to determine the size dress you will be making
lay out your fabric. make a small cut and one end and tear
this is a good way to check if your fabric is nice and square
fold the torn edges together check the selvedge edges to see if they line up
the savage edge is the finished edge measure the length
use in the sizing guide and cut with a rotary cutter
and straight edge
pin the selvage edge making sure the right sides are together
stitch the seam using 3/8" seam allowance
press the seam open
using a seam gauge fold up the hem one-inch and press
fold up the hem another inch and press
pin or clip the hem and stitch close to the folded edge
at this point you can add cute trim if desired make sure you back stitch
every time you end a row of stitching to keep everything nice and secure
lay arm hole pattern on the fabric and trace
reinforce stitch the seam below the armhole to keep the seam from coming apart once the armhole is cut
make a small cut on the fold side to mark the center of the arm hole
open and press the rest to the side seam
make the front and back casings this is a fabric tube
that the elastic will pass through one quarter inch on the edge
then fold down another one inch and press. you can us a pounding block to
help heat set the folds
pin or clip the casing
and stitch close to the top edge and again close to the fold edge
measure the elastic using the sizing guide
mark the end and the center of the piece. Cut the end only
use a safety pin to insert the elastic secure the elastic to the casing edge
continue to feed the elastic through the casing
until you see the mark sew the elastic to the casing and cut
cut the bias tape to the appropriate length
finish the end by placing a small piece a feasible web
inside the bias and press fusible web is like glue when heated with an iron
finish with pinking shears
now it's time to add the bias tape to the armholes
with the center of the bias tape marked line this up the center the armhole
pin or clip in the place bias tape has two sides
one wider than the other the wider side goes on the
inside of the garment
stitch making sure to secure the bias at the top of each casing
add the dress a girl label
the label on the outside shows others that the recipient
of your dress is under the care of an organization check for loose threads and
Press out the armhole bias
and we're done
what we learned. once you master sewing a pillowcase dress, you can probably finish in an hour or two
be sure to pick up the right sized bias tape
there are lots of options to choose from
not all fabric is nice and square. you need to check every piece
after lining up the top torn edges, if the selvage edges
do not line up like this example use a straight edge to create a usable
rectangle of fabric
although you can use a pillow case I found it difficult to find appropriate ones
that's why use fabric be sure to choose a child appropriate fabric
nothing see-through you can't go wrong with nature inspired prints and colors
these are my new favorite tools. the clover wonder clips
wonder clips they come in a 50 count package and you can use then in place of pins
the dress a girl labels can be ordered from their website
or you can print your own at home
dress a girl is just one option for donating your complete dresses. check the web for other
charitable organizations or local missions
this is the second year I've made dresses. I used the dress a girl label
but send them directly to a church in New York City that does extensive
mission work in Africa
remember, you don't have to be an expert
just give it a try get out there and DIY
you did a really good job today mom, thanks