Look at what I made! 4th of July pillowcase dress edition

I wanted to make the girls new 4th of July dresses.  For some reason, I get very Pinteresty around the 4th of July.  Yes, I'm planning on making Pinteresty an adverb.

I have two little ladies.  One wears a 18-24 mo and the other is a 5-6.  I don't normally make a habit of dressing them alike but on occasion... It's just too cute to not do!

Since pillowcase dresses are the most ridiculously easy thing on the face of the planet, I figured I'd show you how I did it.  French seams and all.  Sounds scary but they're not in the slightest.  Trust.

First, let's gather our materials.  You'll need a pillowcase and some ribbon and thread but since I'm making mine from scratch, I needed: (all of these fabrics are a cotton and a minimum of 40" wide.  I'm using the entire width of fabric.)

-3/4 yard for the main body (red)*

-1/4 yard for the edge (blue)*

-2-3 inch strip for your lip (white)*

-matching thread

-ribbon

If you just grabbed a pillowcase, meet me at Step 13.

* All measurements are flexible.  Keep reading to find out why.

You'll need to measure your littles but to be perfectly honest, I know a standard pillowcase will fit my older girl (5-6T) so I will measure them later.

If you have a larger child or you need to be more exact than I'm being, let me know.

First let's make the pillowcase.  I'm using the "hot dog" method I was taught a lifetime ago.  You're gonna love this!  

Step 1:  I've pre-washed and pressed all the fabrics already because I don't like the sizing straight from the store and no one likes wrinkly fabric.  Just saying.

Step 2:  Get your lip fabric and press it in half the long way with the WRONG sides together.  I made my lip fabric 2 1/2 inches wide.  Think about how much you want to see.  I wanted to see 1" in the end but you may want more or less.  To figure out the lip:  (final desired width x 2) + 1/2" = cut width of lip fabric.  In my case: (1" x 2) + 1/2" = 2 1/2" 

It's hard to see in my pictures but the finished side is the side my iron is touching.

Step 3:  Lay your edge fabric with the RIGHT side up on your table.  Again, think about how much you want to see.  I wanted to see 4" in the end but you may want more or less.  To figure out the edge:  (final desired width x 2) + 1/2" = cut width of edge fabric.  In my case: (4" x 2) + 1/2" = 8 1/2"

Step 4:  Lay your lip on top of the edge fabric.  Align the raw edges like in the picture. 

See?

Step 5:  Lay your main fabric over the lip/edge combo with the RIGHT side of the fabric touching the lip.  You should be looking at the WRONG side of the fabric when you're done.

I put some pins in at this point.  You may not need to but if you do... Make sure the pointy end is pointing towards the raw edge.  This matters.

The whole thing looks like this so far:

Your fabrics may have not been the exact same size.  Who cares... We're trimming later.

It's not that interesting yet.  Sad face.

Step 6: Carefully pick up the dangling end of the body fabric and roll it up towards the pins.  Be a little tight about it and don't get it too close to the pinned edge.  

Step 7:  Grab the free end of the edge fabric and wrap it around the entire thing.  Align the raw edges.  Add more pins. 

Look at the tube we made!

Step 8:  Now, let's sew!  Sew a 1/4" seam down the raw edge.  That's all.  Just one seam.

Step 9:  Let's pull the red fabric out of the tube.  Carefully, as there's still pins in there.  If you put them in properly, you can get them out without a problem.  If not, I'm sorry to hear that.  They're stuck.

Once it's turned inside out, you've can press it flat.  

Step 10:  This is optional.  I like to topstitch down the lip.  You can leave it dangling but I stitch it down.  Sometimes with a decorative stitch.  Sometimes, a straight stitch.  This is entirely up to you.

Step 11:  Let's fold the pillowcase in half with the WRONG sides together and square up the edges.  This is where you'll chop off and make things even.

Sew a 1/4" seam down the edge.  If I we're making a true pillowcase to put a pillow in, I'd sew it down the long side and across the red side but I'm not going to here.  Here we're making a dress.  I'd end up chopping off the short side anyway so why bother sewing it in the first place?

If I were making a pillowcase and not a dress, I would have sewn this across the bottom edge too...

Step 12:  Now, turn it inside out and press the tube.  Sew a 5/8" seam in the same place.  This will encapsulate the seam and you'll have no raw edges in your dress.  No unraveling.  French seams!  Voila!

So that's a long way to get to your pillowcase.  Now, on to the dress!  

Step 13: Measure your little from the neckline to the shins and add 1".  That's your length.  Cut the dress from the edge up.  

Step 14:  Turn the tube inside put again and fold the dress in half.

Step 15:  Measure 2" in from the top and 5" down the side.  Connect them with a backwards "J" and cut them out.  

Step 16:  Open the armhole and fold over the raw edge 1/4" once and then again.  Stitch it down.  Repeat for the other arm. 

Step 17:  If you joined us with a already made pillowcase, cut the top off so there's a place for your little's head.  Otherwise, fold the top edge of the neckline down 1/4" and press.  Fold over again, 1" to make a pocket for the ribbon.  Stitch it in place and repeat on the other side.  Sadly, I didn't take a picture of this step.  I apologize but you can kind of see it here.

Step 18:  Cut a length of ribbon and I attached a safety pin to make feeding it in the pocket you've just created easier.  

Voila!  Happy 4th of July!

I'm nominated for Mother of the Year!

Let me first say this.  I was blessed with two good eaters.  My kids have varied palates and will try just about anything. 

Next, let me say that the Little One is not quite 2.  She toddles and though she's been walking for quite a while... she's terribly clumsy, as all babies are.  She and a window sill had a falling out.  Yikes!  It left quite the bruise.

As it looks today: 

Fast forward to last week, I'm snacking.  The Little One's not terribly interested in her Goldfish and rather interested in my almonds.  I can't imagine she's going to like them.  I mean look at what I'm eating!

Nope, I'm wrong.  She loves them.  She eats a few and I try to put them away.  Cue the dying wildebeest noises.  She eats a few more and I try to put them away.  Cue the straight out screaming.  So fine, eat them.  See if I care.  

It's only the next day when her digestive track is revisiting the almonds that I immediately regret the decision to let her eat as many Wasabi and Soy Sauce Almonds as her heart desired.  Her poor, poor little butt.

It's red and rashy.  We've definitely moved past the Aquaphor and straight to the Aqua-Lox**.  She's cracked and bleeding and the poor, poor thing.  Sadly, she's taken to screaming wildly whenever she gets a diaper change these days and I can't blame her.  It's got to hurt.  I stopped using the traditional wipes and went straight to the cold, wet cloths.  The problem is that we're not always home for nice cold, wet cloths... sometimes we go to Target and I have wipes.

Off to Target.  It's Target so it could be for anything but I notice that the Little One is due for a change as soon as we get to the store.  Off we go to the family restroom.  Family restrooms seem to be where interesting things happen for the Little One and I.  Maybe I should just stay out of them?  

I'm changing her fiery little butt and she's hollering.  I mean wailing and screaming.  She's breaking my heart in a million pieces and I'm trying to go as fast as I can.  I clean her up, slather her with more Aqua-Lox, which I'm just carrying with me now and get a fresh diaper on her.  She's still screaming but between breaths, I hear a knock.

"Ma'am...Ma'am... is everything alright in there?!?!"

More screaming.  Louder knocking and I hug the Little One and tell her it's alright and start working on calming her down.  

What I wouldn't give for a freakin' binky right now!  Maybe a glass of wine.

"It's alright."

"Are you sure?!?"

I get her calmed down and back in the cart.  I open the door to go shopping and out comes red-faced, whimpering the Little One with a nasty bruise on her cheek and her mother.

You know me... I'm the one getting the side eye from a few people at Target.

**Aqua-Lox.  The magical cure all for diaper rash.  Aquaphor mixed with Maalox.  Any mom will tell you that it's the bee's knees.

That and that. Maybe more still.

I'm feeling sort of like checking out. Falling off the grid and *gasp* deactivating my accounts.

I want to read a book that I can't get enough of.  It's been awhile since I stumbled onto one of those.

I think this salted caramel trend might be my favorite thing ever.

 
It's never good when Pinterest tells you that you've already pinned something and you didn't realize it.

I accidentally gave the Big One a caffeinated drink from Starbucks.  Oops.

I need new sneakers. 

I wonder if Aqua-Lox would work on my razor burn, downstairs edition.

I had to chase the dog around the backyard this morning.  She wouldn't come in.  I made a barricade to block her.  It was a scene from Les Miserables in my yard.

Don't drink the starch.

They say blogs are supposed to be about one topic, be it weight loss or parenting or organizing your life.  I don't do that.  I dump my brain's contents out and let you sort through the mess.  

I'm sorry about that.  Well, no, I'm not.

I got up this morning and my wrist is still bothering me.  I always hit the gym in the morning so I put an ACE bandage around my wrist for a little extra support.  I got a few "What happened?" and honestly, I wasn't ashamed to tell them. 

I over quilted last weekend. 

Hi, I'm Dena and a quilter.  Actually, I'm one step away from hoarder-level status fabric and pattern whore.  I've been quilting for about 10 years.  I went through this phase where if it sounded interesting, I'd take a class.  

Cake Decorating... fun... gained 8 pounds in a month... had to quit.

Bikram Yoga... too expensive... threw up behind a dumpster more than once... had to quit.

Skiing... too much traffic and let's get real, I was born on the beach.  This downhill nonsense is scary when you're old enough to realize that you can break bones.

 

Quilting.  Cue the heavens opening up and rays of sunshine casting their gloriousness upon my face!  

That took and I quickly began my love of a great hobby.  Fast forward years later and some friends and I are making a regular habit of going on Quilting Retreats.  Capital Q and Capital R.  Ha ha ha, you say but I think there's no better way to unwind than to get out of cell phone range, take my makeup off, change into some yoga pants, get my headphones on, feel the rhythmic drum of my machine running and quilt until I pass out.  It's better than sex... wait... um... strike that but it's definitely up there.  Really, it might just depend on the day.

Sadly, though, for reasons beyond the scope of this post, our retreats have been getting less frequent (life, babies, people not quilting anymore) and I needed some new blood.  Luckily, my friend, Katie, planned one at the right time.  I didn't know anyone going but I'm not exactly the shy type.  I loaded my iPod and quilted... and quilted... and quilted.

Not really.  Quilting is the act of sewing together (preferably with a fabulous pattern) three layers.  A top, a back and batting, which is the stuff that keeps you warm.  I like to quilt but I LOVE to make the design-y tops.  Not sure if it's the architect in me but I love bringing color and texture together and seeing what I can make.  And if it keep you warm... that's love. Real squishy love.  Fuck this rom-com, fairy tale ending love... a quilt is love.

I sewed for hours.  I broke for meals and sewed for more hours.  Here's some of my finished work from that weekend:

How about staring at this view all weekend.  See, now you get me.

This was a mystery quilt.  I just had the binding left to do.

This was my foray into Homespuns.  It was an experiment with a fabric I don't work with often.  I won't be repeating.

This is an original design.  I paper pieced it because that's a technique I love.  There could have been more contrast between the colors but you live and learn.

This is a One Block Wonder.  It's all constructed from a single fabric.  Crazy, right?

Another original work of mine.  I was testing the pattern.  There's still some more to finish.

A quick little quilt for Sarah.  She loves this book.

A table runner kit I bought.  I forgot I even had it.  Told you I was entering hoarder levels.

Our workspace.

Found this in the room.  Not sure, where your quat is.

But wait, then a few weeks later, there's a spot opening up at our usual place and though it's 100% last minute, 4 of us are able to go.  One ducks out quickly which leaves this huge area for 3 ladies... and we sew and we sew.  Here's some of my finished work from that weekend:

Adding the applique from the previous retreat.  I'm sure this is where I overdid the wrist.

Finished the top.

Another kit I forgot I'd had.  It looked much better than the original picture on the kit.

Extra fabric from the first pigeon quilt means that baby sister gets her own.  No sharing required.

A Christmas table runner.

 

So I sewed with abandon and didn't want to come home yet.  (Even though, I have a kick-ass husband who let's me ditch town for a few days twice in a month!)  See, the next best thing is making new friends.  From that first retreat, I walked away with some new lovely ladies in my life and who doesn't need new lovely ladies?  All interesting and all inspiring.  

At the second retreat, we had a guild next door and the ladies invited us to eat with them.  They were a rowdy bunch and I liked them immediately.  They talked about quilts and books and traveling and all sorts of stuff.  Of course, I was angling to invite myself to more retreats.  

They make their own starch and maybe were taking a shot of it too...  *devil grin*   Maybe I should start making my own starch too.  Seems like a great way to go through life.