Tot Tuesday: How to Make a Peasant Dress

How to Make a Peasant Dress

How to Make a Peasant Dress

I admit, I like easy sewing projects. Peasant shirts and dresses are super easy to sew because you really only need some 2 sleeves and 2 body pieces!

I also love that they are the perfect blank canvas to mix and match fun fabrics and for applique. You can ruffle them, cuff them or simply hem them. Cap sleeves, short sleeves, long sleeves, ruffled sleeves, etc.  Honestly, the possibilities are endless!

Make a plain white peasant blouse to go under a jumper or a pair of overalls. Or make a long flowing peasant dress with an empire waist for a princess costume.

Like I said when you learn how to make a peasant dress:

Peasant Dress + Possibilities = Endless

Learning how to make a peasant dress is fairly simple!

Basically you are going to end up with 4 pieces of fabric. The front and back of the dress and the sleeves. (I use the Portrait Peasant Dress pattern from YouCanMakeThis.com)

How to make a peasant dress:

1. Cut out your pattern pieces (be sure that your fabric is washed, dried and ironed). Check your pattern or tutorial for instructions on length and sizing.

2. Serge or zig zag the top and bottom edges of the sleeves and the body pieces. I made a ruffled sleeve and neckline, so I went ahead and pressed the bottom and top of my sleeves down 1 1/4 inches and the the top of the body pieces 1 1/4 inches as well. Go ahead and unfold the pressed edges for now.

3. Now you’ll want to sew one sleeve to the right side of a body piece. Right sides together. Repeat on the other side (also sewing the 2nd sleeve to the right side of the body piece).

4. Lay both sides on top of each other (right sides together) and match up the alternate sleeve with the other body piece. Sew the sleeves to the body pieces.

5. Match up body pieces and sleeves at the sides. Sew up either side to close off the body of the dress and the sleeves.

**Sorry no pic of this step. Kids woke up!**

6. Now you’ll want to fold those pressed edges back into place on the sleeves and the neckline. Because I was making ruffled edges, I first sewed a continuous line 1/2 inch from the top edge (of both the neck and the sleeves). Then I went down 1/2 inch further and sewed another line around, leaving a gap opening to insert the elastic.

7. Now grab your elastic (measure your child and add about 1 to 1 1/2 inches to the arm measurements and chest measurements to determine how much elastic you should use) and put a safety pin into your elastic to thread through the gaps in the neck area and the sleeves. It should be encased within the two lines of stitches you sewed in the previous step.

8. Grab the elastic and zig zag either end together. Then close up the gaps on the sleeves and the neckline.

9. Now it’s time for your hem. You can either serge or zig zag the edges, press to the desired hem length and top stich. OR you can add a cuff or a fun ruffle. I opted for a cuff.

If you learned how to make a peasant dress using my tutorial, I’d love to see it!

Did you enjoy learning how to make a peasant dress? Check out my Crafty Site A Southern Mom!