Sewing Dresses for Baby Girls and Toddlers

Susan in a dress sewn
by her grandmother,
Charlene Amidon.

Sewing Dresses for Baby Girls & Toddlers

Sometimes, sewing for baby girls is hard, because you may not find patterns that fit right. Babies can be so tiny that even doll clothes can be too small, especially preemie babies, but at least you have the option of having something your baby can wear when you sew clothes for her.

Sewing a wardrobe for your baby girl or toddler doesn't take long. The pattern pieces are so small, you can usually use fabric scraps left over from other projects. For instance, you might make yourself a dress, then make your baby girl a dress out of the left over fabric--matching Mom and Me dresses!

Susan in another dress sewn
by her grandmother,
Charlene Amidon.

Using any basic pattern, you can make a really sweet dress by adding lace (such as the eyelet lace in the cute chambray dress pictured here), ribbons, ruffles, or a cute pinafore (like the lace pinafore in the photo above). The fabric you use will make a huge difference, too.

When making baby and toddler dresses, it's best to use a solid fabric, or a fabric with a tiny stripe or pattern. Large floral patterns would be overwhelming, and not look right in a baby's outfit. You also need to make sure you are using a baby friendly fabric. Nothing scratchy or rough.

Fishing Line Hems for Little Girl Dresses

When you are sewing a dress for your baby, adding ruffles is a fun and quick way to make it look more feminine. Ruffles that won't fall flat and will stand up are easy to make. On the side of the ruffle that you will hem, add a length of nylon fishing line in the hem. Because the line comes off a round spool, it will flutter and ruffle beautifully, and give you perfect ruffles. However, these ruffles cannot be ironed, since the nylon would melt, so only use the fishing line with permanent press fabrics. For instructions on making fishing line ruffles, visit How to Make Fishing Line Hem for Curly Ruffles or watch the video below.

Making a Fishing Line Hem for Curly Ruffles

If you have a preemie baby to sew for, finding patterns is more difficult. Though doll patterns might fit, they are not designed for movements made by human babies, and may not be comfortable. Free Precious Preemie Patterns has links to many adorable and free preemie patterns you might like to use.

Alinda's Adventures' Sewing Things for Babies article has lots of good information for anyone wanting to sew a wardrobe for a baby girl, including dresses, pinafores, tutus, and more.

If you ever wondered which fabrics to choose when making baby clothes, you will want to read Best Fabrics for Baby Clothes.

Toddler Dress Patterns