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Brushed Back Satin Robe
Ankle length robe made from brushed back satin that I found at my local thrift store last year, along with the pattern (same as for the fleece robe). It was a 6-yard remnant for $14, just enough for this robe and a nightshirt. The robe has a shawl collar, cuffs and pockets that look droopy because the fabric has so much drape. I gave the robe an A-line shape, amounting to about 80 inches at the hem. Working with this fabric was like sewing in slow motion, it was so slippery, but the result is worth it. I feel very glamorous having my morning coffee while the dog licks himself at my feet.
Brushed Back Satin Nightshirt
This was squeezed out of the leftover fabric from the robe, improvising as I went along. Not enough fabric for facings or collar, or even enough for center fronts to meet. I added a band that wrapped around the neck and down the front, adding just enough to overlap and sew buttons through all layers. No buttonholes - I cheated, as it just slips over my head. The lace peeking out at the bottom is a slip I keep on my dress form.
Fleece Robe
Winter's coming and my 20 year old robe, made by my grandmother, has finally retired. The pattern is McCall's 3250 from 1988 that I found in our local thrift store, uncut, for .99 cents. It's actually a pattern for a hip length jacket and 2 skirts, but being from the 80's, everything is over sized. I modified it from the original by lengthening to my ankles and changing it from straight to a slight A-line shape for better coverage and drape. I am certainly more A-line shape than straight up and down, so the robe should be, too. The fabric is a very thick fleece that will keep me warm for many winters to come. The shawl collar is OK as is, but next time I will make it 1-2 inches wider. Cozy!
Bias nightgown
Bias cut nightgown based on the Vera Venus slip pattern, made from another find at my local thrift store - a very thin and silky black polyester that feels like sandwashed rayon (if you remember that fabric from the 90's). I'm getting really good at hemming the bias cut edge, and can now make a tiny hem about 1/8th of an inch wide.
Bias nightgown
Close up of the cups and straps. I again self-lined the cups, but this time cut the straps wider on the straight grain instead of the bias tubes used on the blue slip.
Bias Cut Slip
Bias Cut Slip courtesy of a free pattern from VeraVenus.com. I made this to wear under 2 dresses, also both blue, and happened to have this rayon bemberg on hand. I wouldn't recommend this fabric for a slip that would get a lot of wear, but I don't plan on wearing these dresses very often. The hem is finished with a bias cut band which adds a bit of weight and helps with the drape of the very lightweight fabric.
McCall No 23 Nightgown
No description or exact date given on the envelope, but obviously from the early 1930's.
Vintage Bias Nightgown Frumpy Fail
Well, I guess there is a reason why nightgown patterns aren't drafted with such a sloping diagonal seam anymore. This was made from McCall's No. 23 vintage pattern from the early 1930's. I had my doubts about the fantasy illustration on the envelope, and made this up with super cheap thrift store fabric. It will now be donated back to the same thrift store. It's droopy, frumpy and extra-wide thanks to seam lines in all the wrong places. I guess 35 inch wide fabric was the standard, which accounts for the midriff panel (ugh - what was I thinking?) and the skirt which has a seam down the front and back which I don't care for on bias cuts. No, I won't even wear this to sleep in, it makes me feel that bad.
The Ultimate Winter Nightgown
LL Bean meets Lanz of Salzburg with this flannel nightgown, brushed on both sides. 50quot long and 70quot wide at the hem, it has me covered from neck to ankle. Made from a heavy weight yarn dyed flannel sheet, made in Portugal for Costco, found new still in the package at my local thrift store for $10. Lapped button placket, bias ruffle collar, gathered to self-lined yokes. I will be ready for the frigid Ottawa nights next winter.
Flannel nightgown (2)
Bodice with lapped placket and ruffle collar. I managed to match the plaid pattern fairly well, using most of a queen size sheet and cutting each piece single layer. I had to break out my old sewing machine from the 80's to make the buttonholes manually, as my newer machine only had automated buttonholes, and the fabric was too thick for this sensitive function.
Spring nightgown 2
Another spring nightgown made from very soft and smooth blue cotton. This one has the same body and sleeves as the last one, but a one piece front yoke and lapped button placket which was easier to make. The back neckline was raised up one inch with a ruffle all around.
Blue spring nightgown
Close up of the bodice with lace detail, tiny pleats and ruffled neckline.
Frilly nightgown (1)
Maybe I've been watching too many episodes of Murdoch Mysteries, but this is my latest nightgown for spring. Made from a very soft cotton sheet that I would not use for that purpose as it is very lightweight. 50quot long, with long sleeves and ruffles everywhere. The lace on the front yoke came from a grab bag at the thrift store, and is actually labeled quothem facingquot. The package looks like it came from the 70's, with a price to match at .60. 20 tiny pleats in the front, gathers in the back, with double yokes so all seams are enclosed. I tried a new (to me) button placket that ended up being more trouble than it was worth, but looks so nice, it was almost worth it, just like the $150 gowns I saw on Neiman Marcus. I learned a new ruffling trick, too. Sewing with the longest stitch length and highest setting for the pressure foot makes the fabric gather. Much easier than the traditional way of sewing 2 rows of long stitches than pulling up the thread to gather. It's almost too pretty to wear to bed and get all wrinkled.
Frilly nightgown
Close up showing the tiny pleats, ruffles and button placket.
Summer Nightgown 2 (2)
Another nightgown using up the rest of the combed cotton sheet, inspired by an Eileen West nightgown that sells for around $90. It was more work for me since the pattern had to be adapted for this style, and I'm on my own for construction. The front has 12 tiny pleats instead of gathers like the last one, the front yoke was reworked into 2 pieces, and a button placket was added. The pleats lie flatter than the gathers. I thought I would be fancy and angle the top of the button placket to match the yoke, but I won't do that again as I did not like the results. This is the same length (45quot as the last one, but the skirt is cut a bit longer with a shorter ruffle that was pieced together from every available scrap of fabric. I was going to leave the ruffle off, but it adds a lot to the overall effect. Hopefully, there will be enough fabric for the next one to be 50quot.
Summer Nightgown 2
Close up of the bodice showing the pleats, button placket, and angled front yoke. This was first button placket of this style for me, and it came out OK, but the next one will be better. The nightgown actually fits easily over my head as is, but the buttons look nice and adds maybe a little more slimming effect than without. The front and back yokes are self-lined so all seams are enclosed.
Summer Nightgown (1)
Sleeveless nightgown made from a Calvin Klein combed cotton sheet that is so soft and lightweight, it almost feels like wearing nothing. Made from the Kwik Sew lingerie book, but I added a button placket and removed some of the ease compared to the flannel nightgown. 45quot long, about mid-calf on me.
Summer Nightgown
Close up of the bodice showing the button placket. The front and back yokes are self-lined, so all of the seams are enclosed.
Flannel nightgown (1)
Flannel nightgown made from a pattern from the Kwik Sew book quotHow to Sew Beautiful Lingeriequot from 1990. I only had a twin size sheet to work with, the equivalent of 2.5 yards of 60quot wide fabric, and used every bit of it. I was hoping for ankle length, but it is only mid-calf length on me. I planned to cut the front and back yoke on the bias, not the sleeves, but this was the only way to fit all the pieces on the fabric, and I didn't even try to match the plaid. Next time, I will reduce some of the ease from the waist down as it is quite voluminous. Wish I found this fabric/sheet at the beginning of winter as it is very soft and warm.
Flannel nightgown
Close up of the yoke, which crosses in front allowing room to slip over my head. Front and back yokes are self-lined. Next time I may make it fit closer to my neck.
Half slips
My local thrift store had some nylon tricot, perfect for making slips. There was about 4 yards of white, 2 yards of dark pink, and some turquoise that I did not buy, but now wish I had. I dyed some of the white, along with some lace trim, with coffee in a large pot on the stove. I was going to use tea, but had some coffee that had turned bitter and was going to be thrown out, so 2 birds and there you go. The lace trim on the dark pink slip was dyed with quotpink lemonadequot Kool Aid, and the blue slip and lace was dyed with quotblue raspberryquot Kool Aid.
Bias cut nightgown
This was made from a pattern, McCall's 4954, which is actually a costume pattern that I made a Halloween costume from some years ago from a very different fabric. I had been looking at vintage nightgowns online and looked through my patterns to see what I could use to create one and this was an obvious choice. This time I used about 3 yards of a very slippery, thin, silky polyester (purchased at my local thrift store for $6.00 for the piece) perfect for a nightgown. The only change I made was to cut the skirt on the bias and shorten it to about 2 inches below my knee. There was just enough fabric to self-line the bodice. There is a loose fit at the waist, clinging through the hips, but due to the bias cut, still comfortable to wear.
Bias cut slip or nightie
Thanks to some recent book gifts on fashions from the 1930's and bias cut garments, I have started to experiment with drafting some patterns cut on the bias. This was created using pattern software from Pattern Master, and was a good start, but it needs some modifications as I didn't change any default settings on the program. The top edges are finished with self-fabric bias binding, extended to make the shoulder straps. The next version will have the front seam under the bust for better shaping, and will have less ease overall for a closer fit. It's still good enough to wear to bed, and I can't complain about the cost at about $3 for a 1.5 yard remnant from the local thrift store.
Night Shirt
Night Shirt made from blouse pattern included in the book Easy Sewing the Kwik Sew Way. Many adjustments were made to the pattern including adding length and width to bottom, FBA, adding cuffs on the sleeves. Fabric is silk-like polyester jacquard, very slippery and requires lots of patience to work with.
Blue Caftan
Blue heavy rayon (I think) caftan to lounge about in. Hand embroidered at the neckline, sleeve hems and hemline
Lingerie
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