Anyone ever make a princess dress themselves?

[viluvsdisney]

Hi - I've decided to make a Sleeping Beauty dress for DD4 (along with help from my mom ) Has anyone attempted the same project? Any tips on what works and what doesn't? This will be our first sewing adventure in regards to a princess!! Thanks

 

[Amaris]

I made a snow white costume for myself It turned out beautifully. It is easy to find remnents which may save you a little for this type of dress Not sure about any sewing tips though. Please post a picture if you remember, I would love to see how it turns out!

 

[Scratch42]

when she was much younger and was willing to wear a dress!LOL

I just used a basic dress pattern, scoop neck, no sleeves, long skirt. Added sequins around the neckline and waist. For the lacey part, I used a remnant from the sewing store and sewed it in on a bias around the hip area. It looked really cute and for one day was great. To finish it off, went to dollar store and bought magic wand and tiara!

They also make patterns that you can purchase and make the real mckoy!

Happy sewing!

Scratch

 

[viluvsdisney]

Hi! Thanks for your replys Scratch42, I did find a "Disney" princess dress pattern off of ebay for a couple of dollars - and your adding sequins idea is great!! I'm worried about how hard it is to sew the "stretch" fabric around the back of the bodice. My DD4 will love it either way - but this is the first time we're not buying the real deal and I want it to look "fancy" enough for her I'll take an other tips you've got!! Thanks

 

[NotUrsula]

I've made several of them over the years; I did my first Snow White when I was 16, for a high-school theatre production of a parody of the Disney version. (BTW, I later realized that Snow is the hardest of all to do; the stiff collar and slashed sleeves are a pita. There is rather a lot of piping, too.) My princess dresses are circulated through the family, some are already on their third child.

If this dress is to be worn by a child who will want to wear it frequently, or wear it at WDW, invest a little in the right fabric. You want something that will hold up to being laundered, feel comfortable for extended wear, yet look glamourous enough to please her. For a child, my recommendation is high-count cotton sateen, the sort that good bedsheets are made out of. It is rather hard to find, but the result will be worth the search. Whatever you do, stay away from rayon satin and/or rayon taffeta; they're cheap, but they cannot be laundered without losing color, and they get permanent crease-marks very easily.

Making a dress like this is an effort, especially if you are not used to making really constructed garments. To get the most wear out of it, sew it with large seam allowances and well-finished seams so that it can be let out as she grows. I recommend using hooks/eyes or loop buttons down the back, rather than a zipper, which does not adjust easily. It will be easier to adjust if you make the peplum detachable; hooking it into thread loops hidden in the seams will work nicely (velcro is good, too, but I like to stick with less visible fastenings.) Sequins are great if you want flash, but IMO, beaded satin cord along the seamlines looks nicer on this dress, and is less likely to disintegrate when washed.

Expect that making a dress will cost just as much as buying one, if not more. However, a home-made dress in a good fabric will wear much better and be a lot more comfortable than the off-the-rack nylon models.

 

[crisi]

Of course not, that's what ladies in waiting are for.

(or so thinks my three year old who still refuses to dress herself most days)....

But that isn't what you meant, was it.

 

[Memaw2Wm]

Here's the Ariel gown that was sewn by Rachel C. for my granddaughter. She's also sewing a Snow White gown for Cissy. Both are from an "easy" Simplicity pattern.

The top of the gown is a stretchy purple sequined material the lower half is "wedding gown" satin and sequins are sewn around the neckline, the waist and the hem of the over-skirt.

However, if I had this to do again I'd use lavendar/purple satin on the top and use the sequined material for the over-skirt as the sequined material is somewhat scratchy at the underarm seam.

 

[beachbumdb]

I bought a sleeveless dress out of cool cotton material for the summer. Found it on ebay - someone had it made/didnt use it.

The print was purple with each of the princess's in it.
The bodice was out of material with a larger print of the heads of
cinderella, sleeping beauty and snow white.

I sewed bridal gown quality sequins on the bodice heads of
sleeping beauty and snow white. It enhanced the colors and
added a lot of sparkle.

The princess dresses disney sells are so stiff and hot for the summer.

I would look for soft cool cotton material with a princess print
make it and embellish it with soft lace and sequins.

 

[viluvsdisney]

Memaw - the dress is beautiful - Thank you for the photo!! Something to aspire to!!

 

[NotUrsula]

"...as the sequined material is somewhat scratchy at the underarm seam."

Just FYI; when using pave-sequined fabric, it is a standard practice to put a removable fabric shield liner over the underarm seams, or if it is a lower-body garment, the crotch. On an adult costume, seams that run beneath the breasts get the same treatment as well. Not only does it make the garment more comfortable, but contact with sweat causes sequins to lose color.

 

[Memaw2Wm]

viluvsdisney -- thanks, I think it's adorable and can't wait to see the Snow White Dress. My daughter when to NYC this weekend to visit her cousin (who made the dresses) and is bringing back the dress.

Not Ursula -- didn't even think about putting a liner in the "armpit" ... that's a great idea! The bodice is lined so it's not scratchy ... unfortunately it will still rough/scratchy where the bottom of the sleeves roll under to make the hem ... so I still think using the sequined material is better for the over-skirt.

 

[NotUrsula]

Still not a problem. Get yourself some Fray-Check and run a line of it along where the sleeve casing folds over. After it dries, use a seam ripper to carefully cut off the sequins on the inside side of the casing.

I've been making costumes for over 20 yrs. now, and every costume maker I know either cuts off or covers sequins (&/or eyelash fibers) in any spot where they will be next to the skin on the wrong side of the garment. For future reference, instead of turning the fabric over for a casing, for scratchy costume fabrics it is more comfortable to sew a facing onto the sleeve end using seam binding, and also top stitch it about 1/16" from the edge. That way, the inside of the casing is smooth and you get a nice clean gather on it, too.

The OP must have a different Sleeping Beauty pattern than the current licensed pattern that Simplicity is selling. The pattern I have does not use a stretch-back bodice; it's made of the same fabric as the skirt. That bodice back is in 2 pieces with darts at the back waist, and a back zipper. That's why I suggested using hooks instead of the zipper.

 

[charabby]

and you're not an experienced sewer, I'd recommend getting a different pattern, preferably one that advertises that it's easy. You will definitely find a costume that has the look you want, but it probably will be called something generic, like princess, rather than the specific character.

I've sewn costumes for my kids since their first Halloweens and the only two that were *nightmares* were the official Disney Jessie costume and the official Disney Cinderella costume. There are way simpler patterns out there that your dd would be thrilled with and I would suggest switching patterns, if you have the licensed one.

 

[Lesley]

Hi Cheryl! The Ariel dress is beautiful!

I have everything I need to make my dd a Cinderella dress (I had intended to do it before we went to WDW last December....but didn't get it done.) I have a rather complex pattern that's beautiful....but I'm a bit afraid of it! Perhaps I need to look for a simpler one. I stocked up on princess costume patterns when they were on sale at JoAnns for $1 last year....thought I'd make her a Disney dress and maybe a Christmas gift. But I'm horrible at getting around to my "projects".

And you know....sometimes I look at the ones at WDW and go "well, $65 isn't so much when I consider that I'd pay $30 for materials and hours of aggravation!" LOL Also, if you catch the Disney Store after Halloween you can get great deals (I tend to not like their costumes though...they look cheap compared to their prices...but if you get them half price or less..well...) or look on ebay. All the patterns I've seen don't have the elastic in the back...which also makes me wonder if after all that work, she'll grow out of it faster than a bought costume. Excellent fabric suggestions, NotUrsula! If only I'd thought of that before buying fabric!

My kids are all about dress up (even my 8yo ds....pirates, knights,etc...) so its great to see a thread like this!

 

[viluvsdisney]

Hi Charabby - thanks for the tip. I guess we're on the right track - we bought 2 different Sleeping Beauty patterns from Disney. One is the "easy-to-sew" version. I was in the Disney store this past week and saw the new Hallowen costumes/dresses for the princesses, and I'm not crazy about the gold lace this year. Since we're headed to WDW for Halloween. I figured we'd (my mom and I) try to make a simple and pretty dress for DD and include her in the picking out of fabrics portion of this event Thanks again!!

 

[NotUrsula]

Even if you've bought fabric, you can still use the construction tips, LOL. That gets you more wear on a growing child. Just cut the seam allowances larger, and make use of those "lengthen or shorten here" marks. Tucks in skirts are quicker to let down than a big hem, and are easily disguised with some trim.

It helps to try thinking in terms of creative techniques. If you can find a book on theatrical costume construction, you will see a lot of sewing tips that make garments much more versatile.
In theatre work, you start with the idea that many different people will wear a costume over its lifetime, so you use techniques that make alterations easier. Another useful thing, strange as it seems, is to use pre-industrial techniques. In the days before dry-cleaning, mercerizing, and sewing machines, the only way to really wash a fancy dress was to unpick every seam and wash the pieces, then put the garment back together. To get around that, garments from the "Cinderella" era were always made in several parts, then assembled on the wearer with hooks and tapes. The sleeves, bodice, and skirt were all separate. It is still a good idea to make those dresses that way, both to allow for growth, and also to let you clean only the parts that are actually dirty.

As the Cinderella dress is so bouffant, I find that it really works well as separates. You can sew the sleeves on or make them to hook on, make the bodice as a blouse by adding some length to the bottom, put the underskirt (with an elastic waist) on over that, then tie on the overskirt, with that big poufy bow extending from the waistband. Any one section can be replaced without discarding the rest of it.

 

[NotUrsula]

For a good look at some Princess variations, (or to just buy if you decide the challenge isn't worth the trouble) take a look at this site: http://www.thecostumer.com/store/subcat.cfm?subcatID=278

I'm not affiliated with them in any way, so don't take this posting as a recommendation. I'm putting it out here because they have plain, fancy, and really fancy versions of each princess for sale, and there are good photos of them.

 

[jcemom]

NotUrsula...

Do you have any suggestions for a not-too-difficult way to make a nice dress for a younger child? My DD will be 16 months when we go to Disney and right now, at 9 months, is a bit small/petite... my other children were small also, so she'll probably stay that way.

All the patterns I've found start in larger (toddler+) sizes. Could the pattern be altered? I have some sewing experience, but am far from being an expert. My Grandma passed away several years back, and she was the only seamstress in my family. So, now I've no one to ask for advice.

I have made costumes in the past (most not perfect--though still better than many store-bought IMO). Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[Memaw2Wm]

Hey Lesley! The pattern I bought was one of two "simple" ones ... it had Ariel, Snow White and Cinderella, the other had Sleeping Beauty, Tinkerbell and Belle I think ... unfortunately it wasn't all that easy to make ... a lot of layers according to Rachel.

I bought Cissy a Minnie Mouse dress at Disney last summer and the quality is really nice ... I too think the costumes at the Disney Store are "cheap" ... in quality, not price!

The difference in quality between the Minnie dress we bought in Disney and the one available at the Disney store was incredible and the cost difference was pretty small.

I did a lot of sewing for my daughter when she was young, but after several years of buying patterns and material then never making them I've decided that sewing is no longer "my thing." But I love having hand-made costumes ... think it comes from my Mom sewing stuff for me and my sisters. One year she made us Barbie clothes ... she even sewed a suit jacket and pants for Ken to wear!

I've been trying to convince William to wear the Peter Pan costume I made for his mom twenty years ago for Halloween so I can dress his sister up as Tinkerbell. I told him I'd buy him green sweat pants to wear instead of the green tights his mom wore ... but the poor kid he wants to dress up as Scream.

I did like the idea of taking a simple dress pattern and "princessing" it up ... and using cotton sateen would certainly be cooler for a summer princess dress and would wash up easily.

 

[NotUrsula]

It would depend on which "princess" you want to make for her.

For a toddler, Jasmine would probably be easiest. Buy a 2-pc. princess bathing suit, then make some sheer sleeves to hook onto the top with snaps, and a pair of silky elastic-waist "harem" pants with some sparkly trim sewn on. (Elastic in the ankles takes care of the length.) You could do Cinderella or Belle in much the same way, by using a onesie for the base, then adding snap-on sleeves, a poufy skirt that ties on with a big back bow, and some sparkly trim.

You could also do the "before" Belle, the blue jumper with a white peter pan blouse. I happened to buy (on sale) a very similar dress for one of my nieces when she was 2, and it was a huge hit. She was sure that she was supposed to be Belle.

I think I'd steer clear of Snow or Aurora, they are more specific, and thus much more difficult to fake.

There is a bonus to using separate pieces for a dress to be worn in the parks, especially in summer. After the character meal, the bodice piece can be worn with shorts or a normal skirt for touring, and the rest of the costume can be taken off and put in a bag to avoid damage.

BTW: for good-quality sateen, try buying twin sheets instead of yard goods. They are wide, so you can get quite a lot of fabric out of them. If you have a Tuesday Morning store in your area, you can usually get high-count sateen sheets in pastels there for a very good price. (I buy all my sheets/towels at TM, they have great linens at prices you just can't beat.) Polished chintz is also good for the summer princess, and lends itself well to wider skirts, as it is a bit more stiff.