Mandy’s Simple Fleece Robe Tutorial

For this project, you will need:

free pattern

Mandy’s Robe Pattern PDF

½ yard fleece

sewing machine (optional)

rotary cutter and mat (optional)

fabric shears, pinking shears (optional), small sharp scissors

needle and matching thread

pins

Here are the supplies you will need.

This pattern is adapted from a basic dress and widened and lengthened and changed around into a robe, Feel free to use this pattern however you wish, just don’t say it was from your own design, please!

If you regularly sew for your doll, you won’t even need these instructions. They are mainly for beginner sewers and I overly explain everything!

If you don’t have a sewing machine, don’t worry- you can make this project entirely with hand sewing.

Fold your fleece and place the pattern on the fold where marked and cut it out. I like to use my smallest, sharpest scissors for the underarm seams, as the fleece can be thick and tough to cut through neatly with regular sewing shears.

Your cut fabric should look like this.

pattern all cut out

Cut one strip measuring 1 1/4” x 25” long for the binding of the robe. Also, for the belt, cut one strip measuring ½” x 12”. Now it’s time to sew!

Fold your material in half, matching underarms and hems and pin in place.

pinned in place

For this tutorial, I used green thread to show up better against the pink fleece. Obviously, match your fabric and thread when you make this yourself!

Sew seams in place, backstitching at the beginning and end of the seam. You should now have a robe that looks like this. Trim or pink your seam allowances and clip the underarm seams for easier turning. Now turn the robe right side out. Finger press your seams open (don’t use an iron- it will scorch the fleece!).

trimmed up seam allowances

Take the binding piece and sew the two long ends together, trimming your seam allowance close. With right sides together, pin your binding strip against the front of the robe, starting at the center back of the robe, When going around corners, round off the binding to give a nice curve. Pin until you have the whole binding pinned and ready to go.

binding pinned to the outside of robe

Stitch the binding on, again, rounding at all corners and edges. Trim your seam allowances slightly, nipping off where you rounded the corners, You want to leave enough seam allowance left to sew the next step.

trim your seams just a bit!

Thread your hand sewing needle. Beginning again at the back, whipstitch the binding edge onto the cut seam allowance, catching the seam allowance in the middle. It is easier to look at the picture. It is VERY easy to do. Whipstitch all the way around the robe until the entire binding strip is attached.

whipstitch binding to seam allowances

finished whipstitching

Flip the robe over and finger press your seam,. See how you have a nice little finished binding? Isn’t that great?

almost done!

Try your robe on your doll. This pattern has longer sleeves, so adjust as you need until you like the look of the sleeves, just cutting off bits of the sleeve until you’re at the desired length.

first try looks too long…

so we snip a little off…

now it’s just right!

Tie the little belt around the waist and you’re all done! Admire your handiwork!

When you make this yourself and use matching thread, the inside looks nice and neat, like this:

almost invisible stitching

Now use that extra fleece and make a robe for a friend!