I have sewn this style of tunic dress for all three of my children. For my son, I made it like a top for one of his Halloween costumes. For my daughters, this basic pattern was used to make a witch costume and a princess costume that was trimmed with ribbons.
The pattern and instructions come from an article that was published in 1894.
Dress for Children
Miss Minnie Bollermann, who has been an operator and saleswoman in New York for the past six years, has designed a simple dress for dolls, which she thinks mothers may find suitable for a small child. It is cut in four parts, but may be cut in only one piece if time counts more than the slight waste of material, as to busy mothers it sometimes does.
Directions for cutting the dress are as follows:
Measure the length from neck as desired, allowing for hem; slope slightly, and about one-fourth from upper portion cut off corner for shoulder.
Make sleeve portion as full as desired and slope same as a shoulder.
Join as shown in cut.
Turn in or face at neck (which is left perfectly square) and gather to fit.
Added gatherings are admissible.
Source: The Coconino weekly sun. (Flagstaff, Ariz.), 22 Feb. 1894.
