Style 2172 vintage nightgowns

Ok, so I’m not sure whether this style of nightgown is “vintage” or “classic”, but considering the pattern itself is MY vintage exactly I’m calling it vintage.

I sewed a butterfly in bias lilac on the skirt! Why? Coz I could 😀

 

It was such a great pattern I made two! The second one was of flower fairy craft fabric. I was worried a craft fabric might be a bit hot but no, surprisingly not.

• Pattern

The starring pattern. Doesn’t this envelope just look satisfyingly vintage?

• Fabric/trims/notions used

Red: cotton poplin; lilac polyester satin bias trim around the bottom edge of the bodice and for the butterfly.

Flower Fairy: Green flower fairy fabric for main section; bodice and frill in co-ordinating “apple blossom” fabric; co-ordinating green ric-rac braid around the bodice edges and along the top of the frill.

• Construction notes

The bodice didn’t come with a  facing, it’s supposed to be cut twice, sewn together round the neckline and then use as one piece for the rest of the construction. This means the entire bodice would be two layers. TOO HOT!!! So I just made up a facing. Which of course doesn’t sit as neatly. Oh well. At least it’s cooler…

The first nightie I made – the red one – was just a bit tight around the bodice and under the arms. I’m a restless sleeper so I need night-clothes that accommodate that. So for the flower fairy one I simply extended the armsyce of the bodice right under the arm another couple of cm front and back. The skirt was already pretty much the full width of the fabric so I just adjusted it to fit the wider bodice. To my surprise the whole thing worked really well and is very comfortable. Also, instead of the gathered cap-sleeve of the red one, I experimented and did more of a tab-style. Pretty much a length of fabric approx 7cm wide, sewn to the armscye top half, and hemmed narrowly. I got the idea from Handmade by Caroline, though I can’t find the exact post. I think the idea is good but in the nightie it is forever folding up from moving my arms above my head. A bit messy. The original cap sleeve works better.

Oh, and … nightie number 3 from this pattern:

For a recent trip down south to Winter (Yes that’s a place. Oh alright I know it’s a season. I went to the Southern Highlands NSW in winter. I was MAD!!!) I made myself the long-sleeved version in white flannel trimmed with soft blue flannel with white butterflies on it. I forgot to get a piccie at the time and there’s no way I’m digging it out of storage then standing round in Darwin build-up weather in full-length, long sleeved flannel while taking a photo. No no no.

Anyway I still wanted the extra width around the chest, so I simply extended the side edge of the sleeve the same amount as I extended the armscye. The shape of both armscye and sleeve were very different to normal, but to my surprise the whole thing worked and was very comfortable.

For the record, flannel nighties in Winter? FTW!!!

Here is the back view of each of the tropical nighties:

I raided my mother’s quilting stash and found some pretty butterfly fabric for the facings of the Flower Fairy nightie.

• Cost

Red:

Fabric: 2m@$5pm = $10

Lilac bias trim $3m @$2pm = $6

Thread – $2.50

Pattern – $.50 (from op-shop)

Total – $18.50

Flower fairy:

Fabric 3m @ $24pm = $72

Trim – $3

Cotton from stash – $1

Total = $76

Flannel:

Fabric 3m @ $6pm = $18

Cotton from stash – $1

Total = $19

• Last word

Such traditional nighties! I haven’t worn something so classically nightgown-y since I was a kid. But you know, in spite of the shapelessness, and the sheer indulgence of pretty, pretty, flowery, girly, naive fabrics, my fiance still thinks they’re very sexy. Go figure eh?!