Ghostie with the Mostie

Happy Thursday, everyone!  I would just like to say, "How about those leaves!!"  I absolutely love the fall with all the bright colors and this year God is showing out in the Volunteer State.  With fall, comes one of our favorite holidays, Halloween. Who doesn't love candy and pretend??  I would hate to know.  Here are my little ghosties dressed up in the spook-ta-cu-lor pillowcase dress and matching ghostie t-shirt.  (Here is a little secret. Don't tell my son, but he asked me to make a t-shirt for him once he saw sissy's dress.  At his age, I know it isn't going to be long before mom-made isn't going to be quite so cool, so, of course, I said, "Absolutely!"  You see the matching dress, Lindsey, our resident American girl doll is wearing.  It was easy!

I will share my pics and tutorial because I am a cheap skate and cannot pay the price for matching clothes for cutie pie and her doll.  Now, you can do the same without breaking the bank!  You can make these dresses if I can.  I am no seamstress maven.  (I will share a secret.  This is the first time I ever tried zigzagging with the sewing machine.  So you can absolutely do this, too!

Here's what you need for the pillowcase dress:
1 pillowcase
1 spool zebra 3/4 inch wide ribbon (I got mine at Wal Mart)
Black cotton fabric or fleece for the eyes and mouth
Zebra fabric (Creative Cuts sells it at Wal Mart but I am sure Joann's or Hobby Lobby will have it.)

First, you cut the closed end of the pillow off. When you cut, both ends will be open.  I used an old pillowcase that I found in the closet.  If you have one around the house, it will save you money.

 Just hold it up to your model to see how much you need to cut off.
I made sure to place it above the shoulders since that is where it will be tied and remember you will use at least 1" for the tube through which the ribbon will run.  If you hem under the unfinished edges !/4" remember it will be that much shorter. However you will add the fabric to the bottom, so don't forget that when judging how long you want the pillowcase at this point.  I prefer it right at knee length, but that's just me.  Do what works best for you. (I cut off the bottom where the thick part is at the opening, just because I wanted it to look like a dress not a hacked up pillowcase.)

     Next, just mark where you want the arm holes to go.  I just mark one side.  Fold it in half lengthwise and cute the holes at the same time to save time and keep the arm holes uniform.  Remember, the tube for the straps/ribbons will be used here.  So when you measure your child's arm to see how big you need to cut, add an inch for the ribbon tube or 1 1/4" if you hem the unfinished edges of the tube.  After you, cut the desired arm hole, hem the semi-circular area so that it won't unravel after washing your dress.


 Here's how it looks with the arm holes cut out.  Now you want to iron and sew a 1" tube at the top.  One tube will run across the front and one will run across the back. I used a metal ruler to measure and then just ironed on top of it.  Pin the sections to be sewn and then just sew a straight stitch along each edge to form the tubes that hold the ribbon or fabric ties.  I apologize the poor

quality of the pics.  The lighting is not the best and my camera is cheap.  I hope you can see them well enough.
I sew the straight line as close to the edge as possible since the ribbon I chose was 7/8" wide and the tube is only 1" wide.

 Now, just run the ribbons through the front and the back.  Make sure to leave plenty of ribbon on the ends so that you can tie pretty bows and have some play room.  Next came the fun part, modeling the dress.

Then you just free hand an eye.  Fold your fabric and cut so that you have two identically shaped eyes and draw and cut an oval for the mouth.  I made the mouth and eyes around the same size, about 3 inches and it worked just fine.  Make them however large or small you prefer.

Cutie Pie thought I was finished, but now it was time to sew on the face and add the trim fabric at the bottom. I pinned the eyes and mouth on well because this was the first time I have ever use the zigzag stitch on my sewing machine.  I know I am a big chicken when it comes to trying new things!  Next you just want to zigzag all around the eyes and the mouth.

Next, you just add the zebra trim.  Just lay your fabric and dress right sides together. Pin it together.  Sew a straight stitch.  Unpin and then hem the bottom of the zebra fabric.  Viola! You are finished and ready to make a matching dress for her favorite doll.

The matching doll dress and the hair bows will be my next posts.  Please follow my blog to see more!  I would love to hear your comments and thoughts about your own Halloween projects.  Don't forget to follow my blog! Have a blessed day.
Courtney C.

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ghostie pillowcase dress