How to Sew a Cinderella Mice Dress

You can learn to make a gown fit for a ball.

The Disney animated film "Cinderella," like many of the fairytale princess movies, is well-known for its iconic imagery. Some of the most recognizable images in the film feature Cinderella's rags-to-riches transformations, which occur in the form of costume changes. Along with the traditional blue ball gown created by Cinderella's fairy godmother, one of the best loved costumes is the fancy pink dress made for her by the mice.

Things You'll Need

• Dress form
• Cotton T-shirt
• Pins
• Markers
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• Dark pink dress fabric
• Thread
• Home sewing machine
• Iron and ironing board
• White dress fabric
• Light pink dress fabric
• Zipper

Instructions

Dress Bodice

1. Put a plain cotton T-shirt onto a dress form that is adjusted to your size. Fit the T-shirt to the dress form by pinning any excess fabric at the side seams. Pin the rest of the T-shirt to the dress form to hold it in place.

2. Draw a vertical line along the center front and center back of the T-shirt. Draw a horizontal line at the waist. Cut the T-shirt along the waistline, then cut off the sleeves.

3. Draw a horizontal line across the top of the T-shirt, several inches above the bust. This will be the neckline, so make sure that you are comfortable with the depth. Mimic this line at the back of the T-shirt. Cut along both necklines.

4. Cut the excess fabric off the side seams, or cut the shirt apart at the side seams if there is no excess fabric. Cut the shirt up the front and back center lines, so that you have two front and two back pieces. Discard one front and one back piece.

5. Pin the front and back bodice pieces to a double layer of your dark pink fabric. Cut around the pattern pieces, adding 1/2 inch extra to all sides.

6. Discard the pattern pieces. Pin each of the front pieces to each of the back pieces at the side edges. Pin the front pieces to each other at the center front edges. Sew 1/2 inch away from the edges, then iron the seam allowances flat.

7. Have a friend help you take your measurements. Measure the distance all the way around your shoulders, chest and back at neckline level. Measure loosely, so that you can move your arms a little and add 1 1/2 inches.

8. Cut a rectangle from your white fabric that is 5 inches wide and as long as the measurement you took in Step 7. Fold the rectangle in half along the width, so that it is 2 1/2 inches wide. Sew it together along the long edges, 1/2 inch away from the edges. Turn the rectangle right side out.

9. Fold the top edge of the bodice under 1/2 inch and sew it down. Pin the white rectangle to the top of the bodice, matching the raw edges of the rectangle to the center back edges of the bodice. Also match the center of the rectangle to the center front of the bodice.

10. Put the bodice on to test the fit of the neckline. Make sure that the white rectangle fits over your shoulders, then pin the rest of the rectangle to the top edge of the bodice.

11. Sew the white rectangle to the top edge of the bodice along the pinned areas.

Dress Skirt

1. Measure the distance between your waist and the middle of your shins, then add 1 inch. This will be the length of the pink part of the skirt. Also double the waist measurement to use as the width of the skirt.

2. Cut a rectangle of dark pink fabric, using the measurements from Step 1. Gather the waist edge of the rectangle and pin it to the waist of the bodice, adjusting the fit. Sew 1/2 inch away from the edges.

3. Cut a rectangle of white fabric that is as long as the distance between the middle of your shins and the floor and double the width you used for the pink part of the skirt. This rectangle will be the skirt flounce.

4. Fold one long edge of the flounce under 1/4 inch, then another 1/2 inch. Pin and sew it in place. Gather the other long edge and pin it to the bottom edge of the pink part of the skirt. Sew the flounce to the skirt 1/2 inch away from the edges.

5. Pin the center back edge of the skirt together stopping 7 inches from the waist. Sew the pinned area together 1/2 inch away from the edges. Fold the remaining center back edges of the whole dress under 1/2 inch, then sew a zipper to the edges.

Sash Details

1. Make a 2 inch wide tube of light pink fabric, using the same method you used to make the white bodice neckline, that is as long as your waist measurement. Wrap the tube around the waist of the dress, starting at the front, then pin it to the back of the Cinderella mice dress beside the zipper.

2. Turn the raw edges under and sew the tube to the dress, hiding the stitches in the original zipper stitching lines.

3. Make two more tubes of light pink fabric in this size. Tuck one short end of each tube under the waistband at the side seams and tack them to the dress with a few hand stitches. Tack the other short ends of the tubes to the center front of the neckline. Use the reference pictures in the Resources section to determine the correct placement.

4. Mark the places where you would like to add bows along the flounce seam of the skirt using pins. Consult the reference pictures to see the bow placement.

5. Make another tube of light pink fabric that is 4 inches wide and 1 1/2 times as long as the width of your skirt at the flounce seam. Sew the tube to the skirt at the center back and at your markings, draping the excess length between the markings.

Bow Details

1. Determine the size of the bows you would like to attach to the bottom and bodice of your Cinderella dress. Cut rectangles in that length and double the width plus 1/2 inch on all sides using the light pink fabric.

2. Fold each rectangle in half along the width. Sew two edges of each rectangle together 1/2 inch away from the edges. Turn the rectangles right side out through the last open edge.

3. Fold the remaining raw edges of each rectangle under 1/2 inch and top-stitch the edges closed. Use these pieces for the body of the bows.

4. Make bands for the bows. Cut small squares that are 2 inches wide and 2 inches long, then fold two opposing edges under 1/2 inch. Wrap these bands around the center of each bow so that the bows have the correct shape. Hand-stitch the bands closed.

5. Tack the bows to the dress at your flounce markings and the center front bodice neckline using hand stitches.

Tips & Warnings

• You can create a petticoat for your dress using the same skirt directions, simply adding an elastic waistband to the top of the skirt. Make the petticoat slightly shorter than the length of the skirt.

References

• "Authentic Victorian Dressmaking Techniques"; Kristina Harris; 1998.
• "Chic & Simple Sewing"; Christine Haynes; 2009.

Resources

• Magical Screencaps: Pink Dress Scene
• Truly Victorian Hoop Era Pattern Catalog