Easy Peasant Dress in 5 Steps ( Sewing Project)
Peasant dresses are outfits of the bygone era, that never go out of fashion. There won’t be a single person who hasn’t had a peasant dress from little girls to grown-ups at some point in her life.
Peasant dresses are loved by all little girls. They are roomy and comfortable to wear. The elastic along the neckline gives the dress the perfect shape it needs. The fact that they are easy for on and off, make it one of the desired outfits for babies too.
This easy peasant dress pattern does not require extensive sewing, no gathering is required and the lack of zippers or buttons makes it extremely easy to sew.
There are options to sew it with short or long sleeves, which makes it all-weather wear.
Here I have simplified the DIY peasant dress sewing project and made it in just 5 steps. There are templates and instructions to sew it from 6 months to 6 years in age.
If you would like to see my popular free patterns, click on the pictures below:
Easy Peasant Dress in 5 Steps
**** The tutorial has been edited to include a full template.*****
Materials Required:
Cotton fabric in a desired print for the bodice- requirement specified in the table below.
Cotton fabric in a coordinating color for the sleeve- requirement specified in the table below ( optionally you may use the same fabric as the dress body).
3/8-inch elastic- requirement specified in the table below.
Sewing Notions.
Trims like ricrac, pompoms, or lace (optional).
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Pattern Notes:
All the fabrics used here are 44 inches in width.
The fabrics shown here are only for illustration purposes and as such may vary from the original.
The seam allowance is 3/8 -inch unless otherwise specified.
I suggest you read the entire pattern once before starting to get a general idea.
All seams are to be pressed flat
All seams are to be finished by zig-zag or serger
Approximate Finished Lengths
Table-1
*The finished length is from shoulder to hem. Please note that this is a vintage length dress and will hit at the knee. Adjust the length accordingly if needed.
- Pinch to zoom for mobile users.
Fabric Requirements:
Table-2
Elastic lengths
Table-3
Step-1: Cutting the Bodice and Sleeve Pieces.
* The bodice template has been edited and as such the side edges of the bodice pieces would be slanting and the lower edge curved and not straight like the picture above.
Next, cut your sleeve pieces on the fold.
Step- 2: Attaching and Finishing the Sleeves
Let’s finish the sleeve edges.
You may opt to insert the elastic as directed below or skip over to step-3 if you wish to have a no- elastic sleeve. * Note that few pictures below are for illustration purposes.
If you prefer a long sleeve, you can attach the elastic in the middle of the sleeve. First, do the lower hem of the sleeve as shown above.
Step- 3: Finishing the Neckline
Let’s do the elastic casing along the neckline.
Step-4: Sewing the Side Seams
Step- 5: Finishing the Hemline
Find the webstory on the post here, 5 Steps to Your New Peasant Dress
Pin it for later here,
Adorable! I had a dress like that when I was a kid… my Mom made it for me. However, there were no sleeves and the neckline was gathered by a long strap in the front and back, which became the shoulder straps when tied and laced.
Thank you for sharing your love with us!
@Adriana Campos,
They have that pattern on here as well. It’s a pillowcase dress.
It seems if I add 8″ to the sleeve then it’ll be much longer than a “short” sleeve (2-3yo size). Is that right? Or is 8″ the total length?
The total length of the sleeve piece is 8- inches. It is raglan-type sleeve and the upper edge of the sleeve extends a bit to the shoulder.
Love the fabric. Where did you purchase?
I bought it long back from JoAnn.
Easy, beautiful, love it
I just found this and I live the simplicity of the pattern. Can not wait to make it. Making a Little Red Riding Hood costume and this peasant dress should work perfect. Thank you
Thanks so much for this cutie!
I don’t see the pattern pieces for long sleeves
The pattern has been updated with full body templates and sleeves.
So if I wanted to make the longer sleeve, but wanted to put elastic at the bottom of the longer sleeve how would I determine the length of the elastic in that case?
If you would like to add elastic at the bottom of the long sleeve, make it 2 inches shorter.
Hi I would like to find out how to use this pattern to make a dress for my 8 year daughter
Hi, I would love to download the template, but haven’t been successful. I did sign up with my email. Advice?
Please enter your email address and click the Subscribe button in the blue box provided under the “materials required section” to download the template. Kindly wait 2–3 minutes for the download window to appear after subscribing.