A New Winter Nightgown

After two winters, my "Victorian Trading Co." nightgown decided it had fulfilled its term of service. So with a sigh I pulled out my seam ripper, salvaged my vintage buttons, and gave it a decent burial.

So now that the nights have turned chilly, I needed a replacement. This time I used Butterick 5299. Take a look at the robe and nightcap options for that pattern -- just a little disturbing! *wink* Fortunately, the nightgowns are quite nice.



I didn't really have the time or desire to put a lot of effort into this project -- I just needed something fast! It went together in an afternoon, and came out better than I expected. The fabric was a $2 per yard quilting cotton that was sitting in my stash -- I had exactly the right amount for the nightgown.

I altered several things -- the first of which was the sleeve. I prefer elastic at the wrist to give me some flexibility, so I cut two bands (the same length as the bottom of the sleeve, and double the width that I wanted). I sewed the bands to the bottom of the sleeve, sewed the sleeve together, and then turned up the band. Since I had cut it on the selvage, all I had to do was pin it over the sleeve/band seam and stitch a casing for the elastic.



Also, I tried a new sleeve technique -- sewing the bodice shoulder seam, but attaching the sleeve to the bodice before sewing the bodice side front and back together.

And lastly, I used pre-gathered eyelet trim instead of gathering my own lace or fabric. Much simpler! I had three wood-look buttons just waiting in my stash, making this a completely "stash project." I think my favorite part of this whole project is the V-neckline!



So what's the price that you pay for quick delivery? Well, I should have cut it out a size larger (but it works), and I didn't notice that it was a one-way design until I had already cut it out -- but I won't tell anyone if you won't!