“Every seam must be exactly right before Ma would let her make another, and often Laura worked several days on one short seam.”
With the so many country-style fabrics available at your local fabric shop, it’s now possible to make some beautiful prairie dresses and sunbonnets that look authentic as well as adorable. See how one seamstress took simple fabrics and simple patterns from McCalls #7220 to create a look that evokes everything we love about Little House.
Follow the pattern directions to determine the amount of fabric needed. If you make the apron as well as the dress, you’ll need additional fabric, so decide which pieces you’re going to make. Pick up the amount of fabric that you need, depending on the size of your dress.
Carefully cut out the pattern pieces according to the directions. Remember the old saying, “Measure twice, cut once.” to prevent mistakes in sewing!
The yoke dress pattern can be worn by itself with a matching bonnet as in this simple prairie girl’s outfit below.
Or pair it with a coordinating apron as shown in this adult’s version below.
Both dresses are perfect for a Little House on the Prairie-inspired day of fun or a variety of occasions.
If you’re heading to a one-room schoolhouse or Little House on the Prairie location.
If you’re having a Little House on the Prairie themed party or picnic.
These are perfect when you need a historic Halloween costume or just feel like dressing up!
Have you ever dressed up like Laura, Mary, Ma, or Pa? We’d love to see your costumes! Share them with us on our Facebook page, Twitter, or on Instagram using the hashtag #LittleHouseMoment. Need more inspiration? Follow us on Pinterest to create and connect with other pioneer spirits.
Photos by J Ray Fine Art Photography.
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I am enjoying the reruns of Little House on the Prairie years ago I was working and also raising a family and did not have much time for TV. Thank you so much for the reruns they are so good and family friendly!! I did make my daughter a prairie dress when she was young and we all loved it. Lots of fun!
I love little house on the prairie, I love the stories of the prairie days. I love the long dresses an sunbonnets. An the horses an wagons. I love the log cabins everything about the prairie days. I feel like I go back in time, like I’m actually there with them in the prairie days. That’s how much I love the prairie days. Sincerely Sheree Burleson
Oh, Sheree Burleson, I feel the same way!!!!! It is fun to see someone else in these modern days love the old ways as much as I do!!!
I love everything about those days on the prairie, I loved watching the reruns and still do. My son had bought me the whole collection DVDs of the little house on the prairie. I havent watched them cause I still watch them on tv. At least when they do happen to stop playing them on tv then I will probably watch the DVDs.😀
It was a hard time surviving then, but life was more simple and I guess more joyful then. People cared more about each other, there was more community since. Now people are trapped in a system. They seem to have no time to pay attention to values that are important. That is why I love to watch the series of Little House on the Prairie so much.
How did prairie mothers know what kind of clothes to make for their children?
Well very often clothes were made of feed sacks, if you were able to buy material, and i new an elderly woman who told me so, she also told me one time her father had been able to purchase fabric for his wife to make dresses for sunday’s, and she used to wear it under her feed sacks dress because it was so soft. Lol