DIY Babydoll dress (Long sleeve, big square collar, button front, side pocket) | Sewing tutorial

DIY Babydoll dress (Long sleeve, big square collar, button front, side pocket)

Welcome or welcome back to my channel!

In today's tutorial, I'm going to share with you how I made my Babydoll dress for this season. This dress has a long and a bit puffy sleeve style, with a big square collar and button front. It also has 2 side pockets. I made it out of corduroy fabric to make it warmer for this season. But you also can make it with other type of fabrics like cotton, linen or mixed fabrics.

So I hope you can get come inspiration out of it. Let’s get started!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• 2m of corduroy fabric

• Pattern paper

• Sewing machine

• Pins

• Scissors

• Ruler

• Long stick

• Zipper

• Buttons

MAKING THE PATTERNS

Here’s the pattern for the project. To get a clear understanding of all the measurements needed for the pattern, watch the video from 0:45 to 10:18.

Remember, you can adjust these measurements to fit your own dimensions!

THE BACK BODICE PATTERN

1. Start by drawing a vertical and a horizontal line intersecting each other.

2. Draw another vertical line 2 cm next to the first one.

3. From the intersection of this second vertical line and the horizontal line, mark 9 cm up (half the desired neck size).

4. Draw a perpendicular line from this mark, 3 cm wide (neck depth for the back bodice).

5. Extend a slanted line connecting the perpendicular line to the horizontal line, marking the midpoint of this slanted line.

6. Connect this midpoint to the perpendicular line’s end, creating a curved neckline.

7. From the second vertical line, mark 17 cm up (half the shoulder size), and draw a 2.9 cm wide perpendicular line (1/10 shoulder size minus 0.5 cm).

8. Connect the end of this perpendicular line to the neckline for the shoulder line.

9. Draw another vertical line 24 cm away (1/4 bust size plus 4 cm), marking 22 cm up from the horizontal line (1/4 bust size plus 2 cm).

10. Extend the shoulder perpendicular line to intersect the bust line. Mark 1.5 cm inside from this intersection and connect it to the shoulder line’s end.

11. Divide this new line into segments and create a curved sleeve line.

12. Draw another vertical line 40 cm from the second vertical line for the back bodice length (shoulder to above the belly button).

13. Mark 21 cm up (1/4 bust size plus 1 cm) from this point, connecting it to the sleeve line to form the sideline.

14. Add 1 cm seam allowance and cut along the lines (excluding the horizontal line), using folded fabric.

THE FRONT BODICE PATTERN

1. Base it on the back bodice pattern. Move the shoulder line 2.9 cm lower by drawing a parallel line.

2. Mark 10 cm down from the first vertical line for the front neckline depth, creating a curved line to connect this point to the shoulder.

3. Adjust the sleeve line by marking 2.5 cm inside (instead of 1.5 cm for the back bodice).

4. Draw an additional horizontal line 6 cm outside for the button area (1.5 times button width).

5. Add 1 cm seam allowance and cut along the lines.

THE COLLAR PATTERN

1. To create the front bodice pattern for the main fabric, make a mark in the middle of the shoulder line and draw a straight line from that mark to the end of the pattern.

2. Make two additional marks on either side of the first one on the shoulder line.

3. Create two more lines from these marks to the end of the first one.

4. When cutting, keep the lines connected at the end to prevent the pattern from falling apart.

5. Open the shoulder area to make it wider and tape it in place.

6. Draw to finalize the new front bodice pattern for the main fabric.

THE SLEEVE PATTERN

1. Measure the total width of the sleeve lines from the bodice patterns.

2. Draw a vertical and a horizontal line intersecting each other.

3. Mark 13 cm along the horizontal line (1/5 bust size minus 3 cm).

4. Draw a slanted line from this mark to intersect the vertical line, dividing it into three equal parts.

5. At the first two parts, draw perpendicular lines 2 cm outside. At the third, mark 0.5 cm inside and draw a curved line through these marks for the sleeve line.

6. Mark 60 cm along the vertical line (shoulder to wrist), extending to 16 cm wide at the wrist. Connect this to the sleeve line for the underarm line.

7. Add 1 cm seam allowance and cut using folded fabric.

THE SKIRT PATTERN

Cut 2 rectangles in the same side width 

SEWING THE DRESS

THE BODICE PART

For the bodice, connect the front and back bodice together at the shoulders and sides.

Moving to the sleeve, finish the end by folding the fabric inside twice with 1 cm each time and sewing.

Draw a line 10 cm above the sleeve end for the elastic band position.

Cut a fabric strip 3 cm wide, which is three times the width of the elastic band.

Attach the fabric strip to the marked line and make the first seam on one side of the strip.

Fold the other side of the strip inside by 0.5 cm, then fold it over the first seam and sew the second seam to create a fabric casing.

Cut a 22 cm elastic band, slightly larger than the wrist width.

Insert it into the fabric hole, and sew the elastic ends to secure it.

Connect the sleeve's underarm seam.

At the top of the sleeve, make a loose seam and gather the fabric.

Make sure the final width of the gathered fabric matches the sleeve line of the bodice for connection later.

Then connect the sleeves to the bodice.

For the collar, connect the two pieces together along the outer edges.

Before turning the collar, make small cuts along the edge to create a smoother finish.

Press the collar with an iron for a neat look.

Connect the neckline of the collar pieces.

Then attach the collar to the bodice at the neckline.

At the front neckline, fold the fabric inside around 1 cm, then fold it again to create the button and buttonhole area.

Make sure the width of this area will be 4 cm, which is the width of the button and the buttonhole area that you want.

Cut a fabric strip 2.5 cm wide and slightly longer than the neckline.

Attach one side of the strip along the neckline and over the collar, keeping the collar sandwiched between the strip and bodice.

Fold the other side of the strip inside by 1 cm, then fold it over the first seam and sew to hide the raw edges.

Repeat this method for the button and buttonhole area.

Add a button and create a buttonhole to complete the bodice.

THE SKIRT PART

For the skirt, mark 8 cm down from the top edge of the rectangle to position the side pockets.

Attach the pocket pieces to these marks and repeat for both rectangles.

Sew the two skirt pieces together along the sides, including the pockets.

To shape the pockets, mark 14 cm down from the top of each pocket for the open area.

Then sew the remaining pocket edges together.

At the skirt’s bottom edge, draw a line 6 cm above the end.

Fold the fabric inside by 1 cm first, then fold to the drawn line and sew to finish the hem.

At the top of the skirt, make a loose seam and gather the fabric. Ensure the gathered fabric width matches the bodice's bottom edge for connection.

Make sure the gathered fabric width matches the bodice's bottom edge for connection.

Then connect the bodice part to the skirt part.

To highlight the collar, hand-sew along its edges with a contrasting thread for decoration.

DIY Babydoll dress (Long sleeve, big square collar, button front, side pocket)

And that’s a wrap on this DIY!

Here’s the final look—an adorable babydoll dress that’s both cute and cozy, making it perfect for this season.

I hope you found my step-by-step guide helpful and inspiring.

If you’re interested in making your own, give it a try and let me know how it goes!

Until then, happy sewing!