DIY Vintage Linen Dress with Apron for Girls

This beautiful vintage linen dress pattern combines a linen dress, lace, and an apron. Easy to follow step by step instructions, and video tutorial walks you through how to make this vintage dress and apron. This dress set would make the perfect Christmas or Easter outfit. 

Vintage Linen Dress and Apron Tutorial

Vintage Linen Dress and Apron

One thing I love about sewing “from scratch”, is being able to customize your vision in many ways. Having little girls has really inspired me to create dresses that relate to my love for history, vintage clothing, and ways of living.

With this dress pattern and tutorial, you will be able to follow my step by step instructions, while allowing you the ability to customize this sun dress and apron to fit your child’s personal style. Use the same methods of piecing and sewing, while using whatever fabrics and materials you want to create your own vintage linen dress and apron.

Tips for Making A Vintage Linen Dress and Apron

• Customize this dress by using a variety of fabrics. Change the sleeve length, or leave it sleeveless to accommodate for alternative seasons.
• For a thinner sun dress, use a cotton fabric to create your liner. I used fleece to create a “winter friendly” dress.
• If you are using a dress or shirt for your child’s measurements, make sure you use AT LEAST one size bigger. In my video tutorial, I used a size 7 shirt to create a 5t dress. The shirt or dress you use will be hemmed already, so you have to account for additional fabric for your hems.
• Follow my step by step tutorial guide over my video tutorial. My step by step tutorial guide was created after the dress was made. I wrote out the steps I wish I would’ve done while making this linen dress and apron. I also marked in the guide, the changes that I made different from the video tutorial. Follow along to both for best results.
• Use a zigzag stitch to hem your edges and create a more secure attachment.
• When creating a gathering stitch, make sure you set your stitch length AND tension as high as they can go. On my machine, my stitch length goes to 5 and my tension goes to 9. Every machine is going to be different.

Supplies and Tools Needed

• Sewing machine
• Fabric (I purchased mine from Hobby Lobby: linen fabric for dress and burlap jute for apron). See sizing chart for amount of fabric needed. I purchased 2 yards of each, and have plenty left over.
• Color coordinating thread (I used white for both top and bottom threads.)
• Sewing Scissors
• Pins
• Iron

Step by Step Tutorial Guide (Linen Dress)

1. Create your pattern for the dress. Use an old shirt or dress as a pattern, make sure it is at least one size bigger. If you are creating a pattern from scratch, using the size chart below as a guide.

2. Cut out your dress pieces and lining. Make sure you have matching sized lining pieces for the dresses bodice and skirt (4 pieces total for lining.) You do not need lining for the sleeves or apron. You will need 2 pieces for the bodice of the dress, 2 skirt pieces, 2 sleeve pieces.

CREATING AN EVEN NECKLINE TIP: Once you have your square piece cut out for the bodice, use a medium sized bowl and place it at the top of the square. Make sure the side edges of the bowl are even with the edges of the square. Trace around the half circle, creating an easy even neckline.

3. Cut and sew the lining, and hem each piece.

1. Iron and sew the lining to each of the dress’s pieces. (1 front bodice piece, 1 back bodice piece, 1 front skirt piece, 1 back skirt piece)
2. Hem the bodice necklines (different from video tutorial) – add lace to the hem of the front piece. Iron the crease of the hem you want, and pin it to make it easier. This is a great way to ensure your hem looks nice, and is even all the way around.
3. Hem the bottom of the sleeves with lace (optional). I like to hem my sleeves before sewing the sleeve sides together, and attaching the sleeves to the bodice.
4. Hem the bottom of both skirt pieces.

4. Sew the front and back bodice shoulder pieces and sleeves (different from video tutorial).

1. Pin and sew the shoulder pieces of the bodice together. Keep the dress bodice pieces open, with the lining facing up.
2. Open up the sleeve, and pin the large round edge to the open bodice arm holes. Do this by pinching the bodice sleeve opening to the large round sleeve, making sure the “good sides” of the material are touching.
3. Once you have attached the top of the sleeve to the bodice pieces, fold your sleeve so the “good sides” of the sleeve are touching. Sew a zigzag stitch up the edge of the sleeve to the bodice. If you use a straight stitch, make sure you start and end with a front and back stitch (starting to sew, sewing backwards (should have a button), then sewing forwards again).

You can sew the sleeve on how I did in the video tutorial, however, I like the flat sewing more than the 3D sewing. You can also add lace to the bodice / sleeve pieces like I did in the video. This is totally optional.

5. Sew one skirt side. Just as you pinched the nice sides of the sleeve and bodice together, do the same with one side of the skirt. Again, use a zigzag stitch for stronger attachment.

6. Sew a gathering stitch on the top of the skirt.

ABOUT A GATHERING STITCH: A gathering stitch is a stitch that is meant to help you “ruffle” or “gather” material to bunch it up. You do NOT front and back stitch, as the stitch is meant to be removed once a straight stitch has been sewn over the gathering stitch. Pull the long strings coming out of both sides of the stitch to create a ruffle. You want your ruffled skirt to become the width of the bodice.

Choose the longest stitch length your machine can be set to. This may look like a zigzag or straight stitch with long dashed lines, or bumping up the stitch length on your machine to the highest setting. Whatever your machines options are, you want your stitches to be “as far apart as possible”, and your tension to be high. The tension is usually presented on the machine in a moveable wheel. My tension can set up to 9, and my stitch length to 5. These settings will create a natural gather or “ruffle”, and will allow you to pull your fabric along the thread to “ruffle” it more.

1. Set your stitch length and tension as high as they can go (read above for more details).
2. Create a gathering stitch. Make sure you have a long front and end thread tail.
3. Hold the tread tails, and pull your fabric towards the middle to create ruffles. Make sure the skirt ruffles to the width of your bodice.

7. Sew a straight stitch inside of your gathering stitch. Once your skirt is ruffled, and it matches the width of the bodice, sew a straight stitch (make sure you back stitch at the beginning and end) inside or as close to your gathering stitch as possible.

8. Sew the front skirt piece to the front of the bodice. Once again, you will pinch the bottom of the bodice and top of the gathered skirt (“good side to good side”) and sew a straight stitch across. Don’t forget to do a back stitch at the beginning and end.

9. Sew the back skirt piece to the back of the bodice. Repeat the same steps you did for attaching and sewing the front skirt to the front bodice.

10. Sew the last side piece of the skirt. You can sew your skirt together before attaching it to the front and back bodice pieces, it is totally up to you. Make sure you think about the amount of the fabric that will have to fit underneath your needle. Do whatever works best for you and your machine.

Step by Step Tutorial Guide (Apron)

1. Create your pattern for the apron. Use the size chart above as a guide. I angled by bodice down creating the widest point at the top. Fold your bodice pieces in half to make sure everything lines up and is even. You will need 2 apron bodice pieces (I angled my pieces in), 2 apron skirt pieces, and 4 apron tie pieces.

I did not measure the tie pieces for the apron, but try to make them long enough to create a nice “bow”. Use the first piece you cut out as a guide for the other three. Make sure it is thick enough to fold in half, and is able to turn inside out fairly easily. My tie pieces estimate measurements was 4 inches wide by 30 inches long.

CREATING AN EVEN NECKLINE TIP: Once you have your square piece cut out for the bodice, use a medium sized bowl and place it at the top of the square. Make sure the side edges of the bowl are even with the edges of the square. Trace around the half circle, creating an easy even neckline.

2. Iron and hem each piece. Using an iron, fold over the edges of your apron bodice and skirt pieces to create a nice seamless line. I did not make my bodice pieces big enough to hem big folds. A typical hem is usually 1/4 inch folded, then 1/4 inch folded again.

1. Hem the neckline of the bodice pieces all the way around. You do not have to hem the bottom of the bodice pieces and the top of the skirt, since those will be sewn together.
2. Hem all the way around the skirt.
3. Fold each of your tie pieces in half. Use a zigzag stitch to sew up the open side. Turn each piece inside out, and hem all the way around.

3. Sew the bodice shoulder pieces. Sew the top shoulder pieces of the front and back bodice together. Again, a zigzag stitch will provide a more secure attachment.

4. Create a gathering stitch for the top of both skirt pieces. Follow instructions 6, 7, and 8 above in the linen dress guide. You will be creating a gathering stitch to “bundle” the apron fabric to the width of the bodice. Sew the front skirt piece to the bodice, and repeat for the back. Make sure you DON’T sew the sides together on the bodice OR the skirt.

5. Sew on the tie pieces. Sew the end of each tie piece to the back hem on the inside of the bodice. Try to follow the stitch you already created in the bodice. Make sure you front and back stitch to ensure the tie piece will stay. You will sew a tie piece on the inside hem on both sides of the front and back bodice pieces.

YOU ARE FINISHED! Tie the apron overtop of the linen dress, and your vintage linen dress with apron is complete!

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