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 templates of the pattern have been changed for a better fit.
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.
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Fabric Requirements:
Table-2
Measurements
Table-3
Elastic lengths
Table-4
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 not straight like the picture above.
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, DIY Fun: Free Peasant Dress Pattern
Pin it for later here,
Claudia
Saturday 26th of August 2023
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
Jean
Saturday 29th of July 2023
Easy, beautiful, love it
Gayle
Friday 27th of January 2023
Love the fabric. Where did you purchase?
Surayya
Friday 27th of January 2023
I bought it long back from JoAnn.
Nancy
Tuesday 28th of June 2022
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?
Surayya
Tuesday 28th of June 2022
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.
Adriana Campos
Tuesday 28th of June 2022
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!
Sarah
Saturday 15th of June 2024
@Adriana Campos, They have that pattern on here as well. It’s a pillowcase dress.