Sew A Girls Summer Dress - Free Pattern And Tutorial

This tutorial and free pdf pattern will show you how you can make a cute, comfy, and slightly sophisticated little girls summer dress out of woven fabric. It is complete with a ruffled bodice, elasticized side panels, and DIY button bows! I currently have the free pdf pattern available in Size 2T, but I hope to be adding more sizes soon… everything is a learning process, including grading patterns accurately!

I would consider the difficulty level of this dress to be intermediate. This tutorial assumes that you know some garment sewing essentials, such as sewing gathers, buttonholes, and a curved hem. But I do also link to tutorials on how to do those things if you’re an adventurous beginner!

Supplies And Materials

Sewing machine with zig zag stitch
Basic sewing supplies
Serger optional
Woven fabric such as quilting cotton, linen, old sheet, etc (a little less than 2 meters/yards for Size 2T)
1/2-inch elastic (about 50 inches for Size 2T)
Fusible interfacing (I use this)

Prepare the pattern

Download the free Girls Summer Dress pdf pattern below, then print, tape and cut it out. There are 4 rows of 3 pages, so the first row is 1,2,3, the second is 4,5,6, and so on.

All the pattern pieces are included in the pdf, but I’ve also included a cut chart for rectangular pieces, so you don’t need to print them if you prefer to measure and cut. This dress features an a-line, gathered skirt, but I’ve also included a rectangular version in the cut chart. This is because, although I do think the a-line shape is the nicest, a rectangular skirt only looks slightly different, and it’s easier to hem and takes a little less fabric. So it’s up to you which you choose!

Prepare your fabric

Wash, dry, and iron. Always prepare your fabric in the same way that the finished garment will be laundered. This prevents shrinkage on your final product!

Cut out your pattern pieces

Cut everything out, making sure to notch the front bodice waist in the center, as well as the skirt front and back waists at the center. Also notch the centers of the ruffles (they will line up with the shoulder seams) and the centers of the side panels (they will line up to the skirt side seams).

Cut out 2 strips of interfacing 1 1/2 inches wide and 7 inches long.

Cut out 10 x 4 3/4-inch lengths of 1/2-inch elastic.

Iron interfacing onto back bodice pieces

Iron the interfacing onto the wrong side of one set of the back bodice pieces, 1/2-inch from the edges.

there are 2 back bodice pieces laying on a table with interfacing ironed on to the button placket area

Iron ruffles and side panels

Iron the ruffles and side panels wrong sides together.

This picture shows where the notches should be.

there are 4 pieces of fabric folded and ironed in half, with a hand holding one of them

Sew bodice fronts and backs together

Lay the bodice right side up, and the bodice back pieces on top, right sides together. Sew the shoulders together with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Then trim the seam allowances to 1/4-inch and iron them to either the front or back.

Repeat on the other set. Iron the seams the opposite way that you did on the first set. The set with the interfacing will be your main bodice and the other set will be the bodice lining.

there are 2 sets of bodice pieces laying on a table, with red dotted lines indicating where to stitch

Gather ruffles

If you have never sewn gathers, you can check out my full tutorial on gathering here.

Sew two lines of gathering stitches (longest straight stitch, needle tension low, no backstitching), 3/8 and 5/8-inch from the raw edge.

Attach ruffles to main bodice

Match up the notches on the ruffle pieces to the shoulder seams, right sides together and raw edges lined up. Pull on the bobbin tails to gather the ruffles to fit the bodice and pin in place.

there is a bodice with ruffles pinned to it

Then sew them in place, a little less than 1/2-inch from the raw edge.

there is a bodice with ruffles pinned to it at the sewing machine being sewn

Remove your gathering stitches by cutting the bobbin threads in the center and pulling on the ends, then pulling the visible threads on the front away (more details on this in the gathering tutorial I mentioned above).

Sew casings for elastic on side panels and insert elastic

Sew lines across the side panel, starting a little more than 1/2-inch from the folded edge (about 1/16-inch more than 1/2-inch). Sew five lines in all, evenly spaced from the first.

there is a side panel being sewn, with red dotted lines indicating where to sew lines to make elastic casings

Then thread your 1/2-inch elastic through, pinning in place as you go.

there is a side panel with elastic threaded into some of the casings

And sew them all in place, on both sides. Then repeat on the other panel.

there is a side panel with elastic in the casings, being sewn with red dotted lines indicating where to sew

Sew side panels to front of main bodice

Pin the side panels to the front of the main bodice, lining up the raw edges. Then sew in place, a little less than 1/2-inch from the raw edge.

there is a bodice laying on a table with side panels pinned on top and red dotted lines indicating where to stitch

Sew lining to bodice along neckline

Lay the main bodice right side up and lay the bodice lining on top, right sides together. Pin along the neckline, taking care to line up the shoulders perfectly. Sew in place with a 1/2-inch seam allowance.

there are 2 sets of bodices pinned together with red dotted lines indicating to stitch around the neckline

Understitch the neckline

I forgot to get a picture of this step! But trim the seam that you just sewed to 1/4-inch, clip the curves, and understitch the seam allowance to the lining, starting and stopping 3/4-inch from the edge. If you don’t know how to do an understitch, then check out this tutorial.

Sew along the back button placket

This one’s easy! Sew the main and lining pieces together along the button placket. Then trim the seam allowances to 1/4-inch and clip the corners to reduce bulk.

there are 2 sets of bodices with red lines indicating to stitch the button placket

Sew bodice lining to main bodice along sides

And now you can finally sew the lining and main bodices together along the sides to where the notches are. Then trim the seam allowances to 1/4-inch, including where you haven’t sewn yet.

there are 2 sets of bodice pieces with red dotted lines indicating to stitch the sides up to the notches

Turn right side out and iron

The easiest way to do this is to put your hand through the bottom of the front bodice and pull the backs through until everything is right side out.

Then you can finally iron everything nicely, including ironing the seam allowances along the back in by 1/4-inch.

Sew side panels to back of main bodice

Trim the remaining seam allowance on your side panels by 1/4-inch. Then line the raw edge up with the folded raw edge of the main back bodice, as seen in the picture below. You will need to keep the lining side of the back bodice out of the way. Use several pins to keep everything in place.

In the next step you will be sewing along the dotted line, but from the other side.

there is a side panel pinned to the bodice back with a red dotted line indicating where to stitch

Flip the bodice over and sew “in the ditch” of the ruffle and main front bodice. You will be sewing over the pins that are on the underside, so go slowly. If you’re nervous, you can handcrank as you go over the pins.

there is a bodice being sewn at the sewing machine

Sew side pieces to back of bodice lining

Now you just need to close up the opening on the lining side. The seam allowance will already be ironed in. Now the absolute best thing would be to use a slip stitch to close up the opening, and that’s what I would recommend. But because I was feeling pressed for time, I just sewed close to the edge with my sewing machine, with the lining side up, trying to sew directly on top of the line of stitching that I sewed in the previous step. It turned out nice, and it is on the back. But I’d still recommend the slip stitch if you’ve got the time 🙂

there is a bodice being sewn at the sewing machine with a red dotted line indicating where to stitch

Baste ruffles into place

Simply sew the ruffles in place along the dotted lines. Make sure to stretch the elastic as you do this though, otherwise the stitching will prevent it from stretching.

there is a bodice laying on a table with red dotted lines indicating where to baste ruffles

Make buttonholes

If you don’t know how to sew buttonholes, you can check out this tutorial here.

Mark out your buttonholes. They need to be 1 1/8-inch long. The buttonholes should be 3/8-inch from the placket edge, 5/8-inch from the top, and 1-inch from the bottom.

If you have a buttonhole foot, measure where the button would sit in it to be 1 inch. It will automatically add the 1/8-inch for ease.

there is a bodice back with red lines indicating where to mark buttonholes

Optional: Add placket to back piece of skirt

This step isn’t necessary, but I just really like plackets in skirts because they make the dress easier to take on and off. If you don’t know how to add a placket to a skirt, check out this tutorial. The button placket has a 1-inch overlap, so the finished placket needs to be that wide.

Sew side seams of skirt

Sew the front and back of the skirt together, right sides together, with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Finish the seams with a serger or zig zag stitch. Then iron the seams to either the front or back.

Gather top of skirt

Sew two lines of gathering stitches, 3/8 and 5/8-inch from the top edge.

Attach skirt to bodice

Turn the skirt inside out, bodice right side out and upside down, and slide the bodice inside of the skirt, like in the picture below. Line up the notches and side seams, with raw edges all aligned. Pull on the bobbin tails of the gathering stitches to gather the skirt to the size of the bodice. Use several pins to keep everything in place.

(There are some more pictures further down for if you added a placket to the skirt.)

there is a skirt inside out on the floor with a bodice right side out above it

Then sew it in place with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Be aware of where the elasticized side panels are and stretch them fully as you sew over them. Otherwise the stitching will rip once the panels are stretched later.

Then remove your gathering stitches and finish the seam with a serger or zig zag stitch.

These next two pictures are just for if you added a placket in the skirt:

On the side where the placket is folded (the buttonhole side), the gathers should go to the edge of the bodice, with the placket extending. Then sew the gathers on normally, ignoring the extended placket part for now.

there is a bodice with a skirt with a placket pinned to it

Then fold the placket around the bodice and sew in place. Then you can finish your seam and when you pull everything to the right side, the seam allowance will be neatly tucked in.

there is a bodice with a skirt placket folded around it and a red dotted line indicating where to stitch

Hem the skirt

If you’ve never sewn a curved hem, then I would recommend to check out my tutorial here.

Sew a line of ease stitching 1/4-inch from the raw edge. I went from side seam to side seam so that the sections would be smaller.

Then fold to the wrong side along the line of stitching and iron.

there is a skirt with the raw edge folded in

Pull on the bobbin tails to gather slightly.

there is a skirt with the raw edge folded in and gathered slightly along the fold

Then fold in by 1 inch and iron, using plenty of pins and adjusting the ease stitches as you go.

there is a skirt with the hem folded in twice and pinned and ironed

And stitch along the edge.

the skirt hem is being sewn at the sewing machine

Sew the button bows

Use a 1/4-inch seam allowance to sew the bows, leaving a 1 1/4-inch opening. Clip the corners and turn to the right side with the help of your scissors. You can sew the openings closed, but they will eventually be in the knotted part, so I didn’t.

there are button bow pieces laying on a table with lines indicating where to stitch

Look at those… I’m kind of struck by just how much of a perfectionist I’m not! The top one is the hair bow.

there are 3 button bow pieces and one hair bow piece laying on a table

Attach bows to bodice

First, mark where the centers of the bows will be on the bodice (I use a pencil and stick it through the buttonhole to get the right placement).

Then mark 1/4-inch lines in the centers of the bows in the following way:

there are 3 button bow pieces with red lines indicating where to mark the centers

Then lay the centers of the bows over the spots you marked on the bodice and sew along the lines you marked on the bows. The bows will be laying vertically and the stitching will be going horizontally.

the button bows are being sewn on at the sewing machine

They will look like this when you’re done:

Then tie little knots… and that’s how easy it is to make some adorable little button bows for your girls summer dress!

All done!

Aww, wasn’t that worth it?!

I would love to know if you make this little girls summer dress. And please let me know if you have any questions or have issues with the pattern at all! I’m new to pattern making so I really value any constructive criticism 🙂

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Sew A Girls Summer Dress – Free Pattern And Tutorial