sewing projects

even a pillowcase dress feels hot

P1010027

It’s hot here. Aren’t most of us going to be saying that this week? Just in time for a heatwave, I made these pillowcase dresses for the girls. They were so easy I couldn’t stand it. Emma’s was first–I love the fabric of this pillowcase, but sometimes I chuckle when I see her in it because it has such a ‘housedress’ look to it. And Mary literally stood beside the sewing machine while I pounded out one for her.
P1010028

(the heat makes her grumpy–just like her mom.)
These dresses have elastic at the neckline and bias tape binding around the arm holes which then becomes the ties at the shoulders. There’s a fantastically(is that a word?)  simple tutorial here.

In other news…..I have picked six names out of the hat for the fabric giveaway from the birthday post. Instead of choosing which fabrics everyone will get, I’m going to let it be first come first serve with with six winners….leave me a comment to let me know which of the three fabrics you’d like. There are two pieces of each available–retro orange flowers, small red/orange print, and blue birds/horses/flowers. Leave a comment so that others can see what’s available. I’ll send you an email to get your mailing address:
the six winners are:
BLAIR
GKGIRL
EIREANN
ALICIA A.
MICHELLE
KRISTA

Stay cool everyone. We can be found here:
(and for the record, she wouldn’t even go past her waist at the beginning of the summer)
P1010035

P1010027

It’s hot here. Aren’t most of us going to be saying that this week? Just in time for a heatwave, I made these pillowcase dresses for the girls. They were so easy I couldn’t stand it. Emma’s was first–I love the fabric of this pillowcase, but sometimes I chuckle when I see her in it because it has such a ‘housedress’ look to it. And Mary literally stood beside the sewing machine while I pounded out one for her.
P1010028

(the heat makes her grumpy–just like her mom.)
These dresses have elastic at the neckline and bias tape binding around the arm holes which then becomes the ties at the shoulders. There’s a fantastically(is that a word?)  simple tutorial here.

In other news…..I have picked six names out of the hat for the fabric giveaway from the birthday post. Instead of choosing which fabrics everyone will get, I’m going to let it be first come first serve with with six winners….leave me a comment to let me know which of the three fabrics you’d like. There are two pieces of each available–retro orange flowers, small red/orange print, and blue birds/horses/flowers. Leave a comment so that others can see what’s available. I’ll send you an email to get your mailing address:
the six winners are:
BLAIR
GKGIRL
EIREANN
ALICIA A.
MICHELLE
KRISTA

Stay cool everyone. We can be found here:
(and for the record, she wouldn’t even go past her waist at the beginning of the summer)
P1010035

39 comments on “even a pillowcase dress feels hot”

  1. What a great idea. I might even try it and my sewing skills are virtually non-existent. My little girl is so into dresses right now that this would be a good way to make a few play ones. Must find some pillowcases.

  2. The dresses are darling! You’re going to hate us Portlanders, but the weather has been in the mid-to-upper 70s lately, a nice respite from the scorching weather. Have a fantastically wonderful week!

  3. The dresses turned out so cute!! have some pillow cases I would like to use for dresses, but I’m afraid I will screw up something. Keep cool today! If you are in the midwest it won’t be easy today.

  4. I saw that tutorial a while back. Those are the cutest thing! I want one, but I’m positive it would not look as cute on me as it does on your little girlies. I’m afraid I would have a major house-dress thing going on 🙂

  5. Too cool, thanks for picking my name! We must have been in some sort of birthday groove, hmmm? I would love the blue birds/horses/flowers. Thanks again! And I hope you had a lovely birthday.

  6. Yipee! So we each get to choose one piece, right? I like the blue bird/horse flower one too.

    THANK YOU!!! (I’ve already used a lot of the fabric you sent me in our swap.)

  7. Oooo so exciting! Any will do, thank you so much! I love the botom one best, but really, they’re all lovely. If I have to pick, I don’t think the middle one is claimed yet? Yippee, happy Monday!

  8. I love the pillow case dresses, and I really, really love the dramatic pose that your littlest one is striking! So very Scarlett O’Hara….

  9. oh molly. i am in looooove with these dresses, thank you so much for the link! must make these now! those girls are pretty stinkin’ cute, and look at her jump! way to go!!

  10. So cute!I think I have a few vintage pillowcases just crying out for this treatment.Just on question what do you do with the envelope flap at the open end?

  11. I really won, yahoo, I never win anything!!! OK, so I think I missed the 3rd swatch, the blue with the horses, but I’d love the 1st fabric too, orange one.

    You girls look adorable in those pillowcase dresses. I was looking at a pink, yellow floral one this weekend, thinking of a skirt for Emma.

  12. Love the dresses. Love how Mary is doing the “oh – its so hot I can’t stand it swoon complete with hand gesture!” Ya’ll will get used to the heat by next summer I bet. I thought I might die the first summer I moved to Texas but I’m still here.

  13. enjoy the pool for me, too! lol. i’m with your daughter…and you. heat makes me not a happy camper. heat + hunger + tired makes jenn a scary, scary girl. 🙂

    love those dresses!!

    .♥.

  14. The dresses are too sweet! I hear ya about the heat! AH! We’re melting down here.I loved the pool shot of the brave girl. 😎

  15. Wow those dresses are so cool! I will have to check that tutorial out – I love things that are simple (I’m not so good with complicated patterns!). Thanks for the inspiration 🙂

  16. adorable pillowcase dresses! i have a few pillowcases “saved” for them when my daughter gets a little bigger (she’s only 21 months now).

  17. Lovely dresses! I was viewing this post with my son Max (4), and his comment was how nice it was that your two girls each has a sister. Followed by “…and I want one too!” Hmmm!

  18. heeeeeeeee….i am so excited to have wonsomething…woohoo…and i’ll take whichever,since i know i am late anyway,and i loved them all:)

    thanks againand those pillowcase dressesare to die for:)

  19. The girls look so great in their dresses! M is still loving the one I made for her- they are so nice and cool. There is something so great about really washed in cotton. Very cute!

  20. oh, hurrah!

    thank you!

    I’d love the tiny red-orange print, if there is any left.

    I never win anything, so this is SWEET! I’ll email you my address. xo.

  21. the dresses are adorable. I keep saying I’m going to make one for my daughter and put it off another day. Ironically, I just bought that very same piloow case (the one with the colored flowers)at my local thrift store with the intention of making it into a dress. Thank you for the added inspiration.

  22. Oh my goodness…that pillowcase takes me back! My parents had that set with the big flowers…they had it in a blue background too!Very cute! Thanks for sharing the idea, I might just try this for my girls.

  23. This is a wonderful site. I am making the pillowcase dresses for my Grandaughters. I just love reading all of the sewing and other ideas and seeing the pictures of the girls modeling.

  24. The dresses are adorable! My parents had a sheet set that was identical to the dress on the left (yellow). I would have never thought then about using it for a dress, but I love it! I have 6 girls–thanks for the ideas!

  25. Could you *please* repost the directions for your pillowcase dress? I’ve looked everywhere for a pattern that clearly spelled out how to sew the binding around the arm holes all the way up as the ties too. Thank you!!!

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