Pillowcase Dress Tutorial (from an actual pillowcase)

I have long admired the concept of pillowcase dresses, but I recently discovered that not all "pillowcase dress tutorials" are made from actual pillowcases. Instead they refer to the style of dress. Not here--this precious summer dress was made from a pillowcase I found at Salvation Army for (drum roll please)...69 cents!! Throw in some ribbon that was given to me on a baby gift and you have yourself a dress for under one dollar! Holy thrifting, batman!

I mostly followed this tutorial. But here's the gist of what I did.

You'll need:

1 pillowcase

Scissors

Sewing machine

Ruler

Ribbon (I just dug to find some, but you'll need about 84" for both border and neckline)

Step 1) Decide how long you want your dress to be. Mine (for my 6 month old) is seventeen inches long. You don't have to worry about width since we'll be using the width of the pillowcase.

Step 2) Measure 17" up from the hemmed (open) end of the pillowcase and cut off the top (the sewed edge). You should now have two rectangles that are hemmed on one end and attached by the sides.

Step 3) Cut your arm holes. Fold your fabric in half lengthwise so that when you cut your arm holes they will be identical on both sides. They should be shaped like a "J". I made mine 1.5" wide (into the fabric) and 3" long. They could stand to be a bit bigger, but it works because you can adjust the neckline via your ribbon.

Step 4) Hem your arm holes by folding in 1/4" and sewing a seam.

Step 5) Hem your neckline. Fold over 1/4" and sew. Then fold again over 1" and sew, creating a casing.

Step 6) Dig in your gift wrapping supplies and find some ribbon. Attach a safety pin to one end and use that to help guide it through the casing. You can create a bow on both shoulders by using two pieces of ribbon (one for each side) or you can do like I did and use one long piece that ties on just one shoulder (very classy).

Step 7) Seal the edges of the ribbon so that they don't fray by holding them near an open flame (candle or gas stove). It melts the edge so that it seals.

Step 7) Use the same ribbon from up top to create a little border by sewing it around the bottom edge of your dress. I just turned over the very end and sewed it so that the end wouldn't fray.

DONE! Honestly, it took me about 30 minutes to make. I used the leftover fabric to make a pillowcase style shirt and it took me about 5 minutes! Note to self: keep your eyes peeled for cheap cute pillowcases at thrift stores! Great first time sewing project! Cutest $1 dress EVER! Doesn't it just shout Easter?!