Pretty in Bed Linens

What kind of mother would dress her child in bed linens??? ME! And my sister, of course! Ever since I started sewing last year, I've wanted to make a pillowcase dress for the girls...they just look so easy and so cute, and I love the idea that they are flow-y enough and big enough that they can last a year or two before being outgrown.

So while visiting my sister (who didn't know how to sew), we went on a hunt for discount-priced pillowcases. We found some cute prints, but also wanted some plain white ones to embellish with pretty fabrics and trims. She asked me to teach her to sew, and we decided to make matching dresses for our girls (my twins and her almost-3 year old daughter).

There are many versions of pillowcase versions...lots of tutorials on the web (just google "pillowcase dress tutorial"), and a recent tutorial in my fave "Simply Handmade" magazine. For these ones, we started with plain white pillowcases. We decided to simply hem the armholes rather than using any binding tape, and used ribbons through the casing at the neckline and tied it for the straps. The flowers use a metal button with a shank on the back, and we attached them with a safety pin to the dress, so it can be removed for washing, and different colored flowers could also be used. (For that matter, the ribbon at the top could be changed out too.)

The three princesses will wear their new dresses to church tomorrow for Father's Day and will look lovely. Their daddies were all quite impressed with their mommies' skills and creativity...especially my brother-in-law, since when he left the house this morning, his wife didn't know how to sew!