Sew a ruffled dress for small kids

Sewing for kids – one of the favourite pastimes of all those who sew and all those who have a kid in the near vicinity. And let’s not forget those pretty fabrics perfect for kids’ frocks, making it even harder to resist the urge to sew. So, for all of those who want to urgently sew something for that kid, here is a simple frilly frock you can make very easily.

What do you need to know to sew this dress ? You need to know some basics of sewing for children, draft the pattern for an Aline frock, sew lots of ruffles easily without frustration, sew a bodice with lining inside.

Sewing pattern for the pretty ruffly frock

Step 1. Prepare the pattern

Measure the child from shoulder to the desired length of the frock. Take chest round, shoulder to shoulder measurements.

Make an A line frock pattern with your kid’s measurement.

At the waist length, cut the pattern into 2.

Now add 1/2 inch seam allowance at the bottom edge of the bodice and the top edge of the skirt.

Cut out 2 Bodice pieces (back and front) from the pattern for the ruffle dress. Do not cut the neckline from the bodices.

2 skirt pieces cut out from the pattern pieces

Cut out lining for the bodices, the same as the outer fabric.

Step 2. Prepare the bodice

Mark the neckline on the lining.

Sew the necklines of the outer fabric and the lining pieces together (rightsides to the inside) at the neckline for the front bodice. (Join only at the neckline)

Do the same for the back bodice.

Clip the seam allowance at the neckline (every 1/2 inch or so). Even more closer cuts near the corners and tips.

Important : Turn the front bodice right side out. And keep the back bodice wrong side out.

Step 3. Join the bodices together

Place the front bodice inside the back bodice, as in the picture below. Open up the lining of the back bodice and insert the front bodice inside so that the right sides of the front and back bodices are together.

Now sew all of them together – at the shoulder as well as at the sides.

Now turn the bodice rightside out. You get a completely neat bodice with the seams all tucked inside the lining.

Step 4. Join the skirt pieces

Keep the skirt pieces rightsides together and join the side. Just join one side.

Step 5. Prepare the ruffles.

Cut out ruggle pieces in the dimensions: Measure the skirt width and cut 3 times the width for each of the 3 ruffle pieces. This is the length of the ruffles. For the width, measure the waist to knee length. Minus 4 inches from this. Divide this by 2. Add one inch seam allowance. This is the width of your fabric strip for the ruffles.

Now finish one of the edges of each of the fabric strips with a narrow finish. Gather the other edge – to match the skirt width. Do this for each of the fabric strips.