The All In A Day Nightgown

I only own one nightgown--a vintage flannel, floral number I acquired at a long-ago clothes swap.  That nightgown is so cozy and comfy its unreal.  Due to its solitary existence in my closet and its great feeling of comfort on my body the gown sees a lot of wearing and, consequently, a lot of washing.  So much so that it is nearly transparent in large portions of the upper back and shoulders.  I've mended it a number of times.  Over the weekend it was suggested--separately by both Matt and my mother--that it might be time to retire it altogether.  There was a rip between the shoulder blades that was easily five inches long.  The surrounding fabric was wafer thin.  It didn't seem like a patch would hold back the tide much longer.  All good things must end sometime.
One of the many patches on the old nightgown.
And so I made a new floral nightgown.
This would be the first project that I started and finished in one single day.  I decided to make it, cut it out, and sewed it all up on Saturday evening.  I've never done that before.  Yay.  And it felt pretty easy--even gathering and attaching the sleeves was a snap.  Considering I'd only done it once before I was pretty pleased.  I rather like gathering, I've learned.
The night gown is the "chemise" that goes along with the pattern I used for my Little House outfit--  Mccalls M4548 Misses' Early American Costume. The fabric was something my mom gave me some months back when I raided her craft room.
The new nightgown is no where near as cozy and comfy, but I am hopeful that with proper breaking-in it will be soon enough.  My mom sent me home with a piece of flannel she found in her stash.  I plan to make a second.
A new nightgown + A lapful of critters + A cup of hot black tea =  One very happy woman.  (Photo credit to Donette Johnson)
I am not sure what I will make with the remnants of the old nightgown.  The lower portion is in pretty good shape though so I bet I will find a use for it somewhere.  I have a wool skirt I like to wear under my dresses as a sort of petticoat in the colder weather.  I am thinking maybe a flannel petticoat is just the thing.

Comments

  1. Good Job. I have a jumper I really like, it is poplin and very nice to wear in the summer, I wanted another just like it but couldn't find a pattern just like it. So I ventured onto the wild sewing side too, I took the jumper I liked, and copied it, I measured sections of it and added extra for seam allowances etc. and made a new jumper. I have never made a garment without a pattern before, this was certainly new territory, it was actually quite easy and the new jumper turned out very well. This is something I will definitely do again.

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  2. if your old nightgown is so comfy, you should use it as a pattern to make yourself an identical one.

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  3. Well, Bean and KJ, I guess great minds think alike! That IS a good idea. Its also sewing territory I've never ventured into before, but hey, I'm doing all sort of new sewing things these days....

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  4. The nightgown is really pretty well done.

    San

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  5. Thanks San and Jamie! I've been wearing it almost every night! I sure like it a lot.

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