There is an endlessly charming age for little girls when many dream of the most colorful, tulle-rich, sparkliest, and most elaborate dresses. Wear something else? Absolutely not Mom!
What exactly is a twirl dress? It’s the kind of dress you can really twirl in, like a circle skirt dress. It’s especially great if it’s also gathered (like with tulle, for example). To make this twirl dress practical too (for the joy of mothers and daycare teachers), it’s good to make it from jersey fabric. That way, the child can easily put it on and take it off by themselves, and there’s no need to worry about ironing or it getting wrinkled inside a coat. Not that jersey doesn’t wrinkle at all – but it usually looks just fine. And if you choose a fun pattern, no little stains will show up either – during meals or art class…
To help little girls twirl more, I’ve decided to share my twirl dress pattern in different sizes.
Pattern
The pattern is designed for jersey fabric (about 200g/m²). It is for a short-sleeve dress. The pattern includes the front piece, back piece, sleeve, and the upper part of the skirt (the skirt piece length should be adjusted according to your preference; suggestions are provided in the pattern).
The front and back pieces are cut along the fold – if you’re using a patterned fabric, follow the pattern direction and placement.
The skirt can be cut in one piece (the pattern is provided for 1/4 of the skirt) or in two pieces with side seams (if the fabric has a directional print). I also cover the cutting of the skirt in my post about sewing a child’s circle skirt.
The waistline is raised by about 2 cm so that a full belly from ice cream doesn’t show. If you prefer the skirt to start exactly at the waistline, extend the body piece.
You can download the pattern HERE!
Fabric Requirements
The pattern is designed for cotton jersey fabric (about 200g/m²). If desired, also purchase ribbing in a matching color for the neckline (you can also use it for the sleeve hems).
The fabric requirement for size 92 is is approximately 90 cm and for size 122 approximately 160cm.
Sewing Instructions
Use an overlocker or a jersey stitch on a regular machine for sewing. For finishing, use a coverstitch machine or a twin needle on a regular machine. When sewing with a regular machine, use a ballpoint needle.
• Sew the shoulder seams.
• Finish the neckline (if using a coverstitch machine + binding foot, leave one shoulder open for now).
• Attach the sleeves to the armholes.
• Sew the sleeve and side seams together.
• Attach the skirt to the bodice.
• Finish the sleeves and skirt with a 2 cm hem, using a coverstitch machine or twin needle.
Note: If you’re sewing the dress from a fabric with a directional pattern, the skirt should be cut in two pieces. Don’t forget to add seam allowance to the side seams.
This way, the skirt will have side seams, and the pattern will not be upside down on the back.
Also, check out my YouTube videos: “Sewing Jersey on a Regular Machine” and “Shirt Neckline Binding.”
Note: The example dresses shown in the pictures were made using a coverstitch machine and a binding foot. You can substitute the coverstitch hem with a twin needle stitch on a regular machine, and you can make the neckline binding from ribbing, following the instructions in the aforementioned YouTube video.
Happy Sewing!
Ruth
