- Back to School
- Bag Month
- Board Members & Contributors
- Christmas in July
- Contests & Giveaways
- Etc…
- Fat Quarter Month
- Featured Creativity
- Featured Products & Books
- Forum News
- Hand Sewing Month
- Handmade Holidays
- Kids' Clothes Month
- Make It Wear It
- Pattern Reviews
- Polls
- Profiles
- Quilting Month
- Quilting Month II
- Scrap Buster Month
- Sew-Alongs
- Sewing Activists
- Sewing for the Home
- Sewing Machine Month
- Sewing Tips
- Spring Sewing
- Summer Sewing
- True Love
- Tutorials & Projects
- Women's Clothing Month
Blog Search
Blog Archives
Grab Our Button!
Connect With Us!
Super Simple Nightie Tutorial
Ginger from Wiener Dog Tricks shares this Super Simple Nightie Tutorial as part of our True Love series. We can’t wait to see your versions! Learn more about Ginger in her intro, and visit her new shop where you can find tutorials, kits & more. (Ginger’s offering Sew,Mama,Sew! readers a 25% discount through the end of February.)
From Ginger: This lovely little number flies together with just a few pieces and not all that much measuring.
1. Gather the Goods.
 |
 |
Nice soft cotton is wonderful for this nightie–you’ll want right around a yard and a half of fabric. In terms of extras, it’s begging for some trim and a few buttons to give it extra hoopla. |
And then get to cutting:
- Chest piece: Two strips.
Width = Your Bra Size + 1 inch
Height = 5 inches
A note about piecing fabric together: If you need to scrap pieces together for these strips, just make sure you don’t have any funky seams running up the middle of the front. That’s just not pretty. Hide your piecing in the back. I’m just saying. - Body piece: One big chunk.
Width = 1 ½ times the width of the chest piece (For example, if you use a Chest piece that’s 40 inches wide, your Body piece will be 40 + 20 = 60 inches wide.)
Height = 30 inches X Your Hoochie Girl Factor (Take your willingness to show your backside and divide it by 12.)
Just joking.
The 30” number is a decent starting place, but hold up the fabric chunk right up to your chest and see what you think. Make it longer if you’re not that kind of girl; shorter if you are. Also—it’s always easier to hem than it is to add some weird trim to cover what you don’t want showing. Just a thought. - Straps: Two little strips
Width = 1 inch
Height = 18 inches
(Throw a piece of fabric over your shoulder to get a sense of the length from the top of your shoulder blade over to the top of your, um, upper self. Again: better to start long and adjust.) - Trims
You may want a few buttons, a length of ric rac and some hem tape if you’re inclined to fancify your nightie—but they’re not strictly necessary.
2. Ruffle your Body piece.
 |
|
Take your big Body piece and baste a nice, wide stitch with loose tension down the length of the fabric–about ¼ inch from the long edge. Then run another one along next to it. Make sure you let some thread hang loose from the ends—you’re going to skrinch the fabric up with that thread. (And before you start pulling, mark the center of the fabric—this will help you eyeball whether or not the gathers are mostly even and keep you from having a wonked nightie with 1000 gathers on one side and all flat on the other.) |
 |
|
Take two threads and hold them lightly and pull so that the fabric gathers. Then skootch the gather toward the center. Keep doing this gently. (If you bust the thread you have to start over and that’s a mega-drag, so go slow here.) Gather the fabric along the full length of the body piece so that it matches the width of your chest piece. (Just keep skrinching and un-skrinching until they match.) |
3. Attach the Chest pieces.
 |
|
Start with a little handy ironing work: on one long side of each Chest piece, fold the edge over ½ inch and iron it down toward the backside of the fabric. (This will help later.) Like this… |
Now put it all together: make a sandwich with your Body piece and your two Chest pieces (right-side-facing-in-with-ironed-edges-facing-down Chest pieces = bread; ruffled-edge-up Body piece = bologna).
 |
|
If you want to add in a little ric-racy trim, now’s your moment. I’m not a big fan of perfect pinning, so I like to sneak it in as I go. Line it up like this inside your sandwich on top of the right side of the chest piece– Just lay it along the bottom stitch… |
 |
|
Your sandwich will look like this (with another chest piece hiding beneath and the ric rac hiding inside…). |
 |
|
Now sew it all together along the pinned edge with a nice, sturdy stitch. (A note about the ric rac–shoot to sew right smack down the middle of the ric rac and it’ll give you a lovely little edging.)
When you fold the chest pieces up, it’ll look like this. |
 |
|
Now lay down a little topstitch. Lovely. |
4. Add the straps.
 |
|
Before you start trying to sew up the dainty little straps, fold up the two chest pieces to meet at the top, and pin them together. |
 |
|
Now to assemble your straps: take your one-inch strips and pretend like you’re making skinny little bias tape– Fold the edges to meet in the middle, then fold the whole thing in half longways. And sew it up… |
 |
|
Your finished straps will be longer than you need them to be so that there’s room to adjust them to fit just right. |
 |
|
Time to find the center point of your nightie and attach the straps, so find the middle and pin it. |
 |
|
Measure 5 inches in both directions out from the center point to attach one end of each strap. Then measure 5 inches in from both outside edges to attach the remaining end of each strap. |
Once you’ve got it all pinned in place, run a basting stitch along that top edge to hold your straps in place. Basting stitch? Yes. We’re working with fit-as-we-go here, so baste it and try it on like a painter’s smock; this is a crucial step, because if your straps are too long or in the wrong spot, you can accidentally look like you’re wearing a feedbag with pretty strings attached. This is not the look we’re going for.
Now it’s all just adjust-it-to-fit-you-honey and some gussying up and you’re done. Figure out how long your straps should be (you’ll be trimming your strap pieces–get that chest piece to sit right up under your armpits so that you can avoid the aforementioned feedsack/pretty strings scenario.) If you need to skootch the straps a little to the left or a little to the right, get that done too.
Once you’re sure of where the straps should live, run a nice, clean topstitch close to the top edge. Good work.
 |
|
5. Sew it all up. Once you close the main back seam together, you’re just about home. So do that. Fold the thing in half (with the wrong side facing out) and sew it up. |
 |
|
6. Give it a little hem. My favorite way to do this is the old ‘The Iron It Over 1/4″ Then Fold It Over Again As You Sew’ method. You can’t beat it. |
 |
|
7. Fancy it up if you feel like it. This is a completely optional step for Nightie Overachievers. Add a couple of little buttons and some hem tape to cover your inside seams to give your little number a truly finished look. |
High five. You’re a Bona fide Nightie Maker. (Put it on your resume.)
Comment in any post this week for your chance to win one of these great prizes: Recycled Eco-Felt Bundle from Felt-o-rama; $15 gift certificate to Noah and Lilah; $15 gift certificate to The Pleated Poppy; $15 gift certificate to Sew,Mama,Sew! Take a look at the February “True Love” prize master list to see other great prizes we’ll be giving away this month.
227 Responses to “Super Simple Nightie Tutorial”
Leave a Reply
Advertising
info@sewmamasew.com
such a good illustrated tutorial and such clear instructions, thanks, can’t wait to put it on my resume
Great tutorial Ginger!
Ooooh, I LOVE it…can’t wait to make it…wouldn’t it make a nice top for summertime?! So many options and variations. Fun!
Oh, and I adore your term, “Hoochie Girl Factor”!!!
Love her blog and this cute fabric!
I want to make one! I can’t wait until my sewing machine is back from the shop.
I am so making this tonight! Great tutorial!
so sweet! thanks for sharing such a wonderful tutorial x
Completely delightful. Thanks for sharing!
Hmm… might have to try this by making the body from leftover satin from my wedding dress!
Great little pattern, and easy to understand, thanks Sharon.
I am making this for my 5 yr old daughter for summer jammies — she will looooove it!
this is so cute and easy looking – will have to give it a go for sure!
That is so cute!
Super cute!
What a fun tutorial! I need to go through my stash and see if there’s anything I can use for this.
just what I needed! Thanks,
KT
That’s way adorable, thanks!
Oh my goodness, that is adorable!!
This is just too, too cute! Can’t wait to try it!
oh! I can’t wait to make this.
Clear photos. Looks easy.
I love it. Thanks for sharing.
Oh this is so cute!!!
This is so cute. I can’t wait to try it!
This is such a great tutorial…and hilarious too!
I really like the nightie. And I laughed aloud at the “Hoochie Girl Factor”.
Really cute! I’ve added it to my list!
I love this! I was actually considering making myself a dress out of this style of pattern this summer, I will have to try your nightie first, and make sure it wouldn’t be too bulky as a dress… it looks like perfection for a nightie!
I’m so gonna try this!!
Great tutorial, thank you! My teenage girls would love these!
This is so cute! I’ll have to put it on my neverending to do list!
Ohhhh, I love it. Great tutorial!!!
If this is as much fun to make as the tutorial was to read, I’m in for a party!
Great project, I love the idea of making it from satin :0)
looks super cute and like something I could actually do. It’ll be a nice break from working on my wedding dress.
Great tutorial, very clear and the photos are helpful. A great way to try color/print combos and trim variations.
So cute! I am definitely making this!
Really cute and it looks so easy to make!
cute!
Very pretty, and yes… that does look super simple!
I think I could do that!!
i like, i like. How simple is that? Hmmm, off the find just the right fabric.
Adorable. I was just thinking I should make my own nightie for V-Day, and beyond. Perfect!
This is the most entertaining tutorial I’ve read in a long time!
What a great tutorial, can’t wait to try it!
I can’t wait to give this a try! Have to find just the right fabric, though.
super simple and super cute!
This is SO darling! I think it would be an adorable sun dress too (if longer obviously and my hoochie factor isn’t very high = ) )
Great tutorial! I can’t wait to try it.
Cute!
Ohhh, I love this! I will definitely be making one, if not a couple!
Thanks so much, this will be fun to try later in the month!
I’ll second the comment on Ginger’s writing skills. Can’t wait to read more from her – and to try making a “Hoochie” gown!
Love it I want to make one
cute! I have a maternity top i can convert. its so soft i haven’t wanted to lose it!
So cute!
Love the fabrics; thanks for sharing1
Super cute!! Even though I’m freezing I am so gonna make this!
Can’t wait to try this. I’m making my husband boxer shorts for Valentine’s, would a matching nightie for me be too cute, lame, or just stupid?
This is great. Just in time for the anniversary.
Ooh, I want to make one of these to kick off my spring sewing!
haha!! i love your instructions! i’m going to have to start following your blog…
I love this style. Thanks for the tutorial!
My daughters would love these!
Excellent tutorial Ginger!
really clear and easy to follow
a nice item I’d like to make and it made me laugh :0)
Who could ask for more!
THANKS!!!!
Thank you for the great tutorial!!
I am soooo going to make this!! Thank you!
Very cute! Thanks for the tutorial!
thanks for the tutorial! the nightie looks great. have not make ruffles before will try it out.
That is so cute and easy.
I love it! The directions are well written and funny too!
Cute nightie. I like her blog.
I can’t wait to make some of these!
Great fabric, nice simple tutorial
I love this nightie! And a very easy to understand tutorial. I’ll have to go out and get some super girlie fabric just for the occasion
this is great! i haven’t made any clothes yet, but this is simple enough to start with. thanks!
I have some Alexander Henry Yen Rose in red that I’ve been wondering how to use. I sense a Valentine’s nightie materializing…
Thanks for the inspiration!
Wow that is really cute and seems very easy. Thanks for the tutorial.
Oh, I can do that! Thank you for the tutorial.
Looks simple & beautiful, can’t wait to try it
Very interesting! I like how simple it is!
I love that this tutorial is both adorable and simple! I can’t wait to try it out!
So cute! I can just imagine all the adorable fabric combos that would make this fabulous!
Adorable chemise! Thanks for sharing the tutorial.
I really like this! I am always looking for new night wear that fits well and is just really cozy. I can totally see this from an old bed sheet… that has really made my favorite jammie pants yet and a nightie would probably be perfection!
that’s so cute! i’m going to have to gather the skills to achieve this!
Thanks, Ginger! Something simple to make with instructions easy to follow. Now, to fix the sewing machine.
Fabulous tutorial, I love the way Ginger writes/explains things
I can not wait to get this started! I want to make one for me and I know some of my girlfriends will want one too.
This nightie is really cute! Thanks for the tute.
That is the best tutorial for a nightie. Can’t wait to try it.
Can’t wait to try it!
just made mine using kokka’s girly and bitter
Super fabulous! I can’t wait to make one, or two, or three, for me.
Super cute. All my nighties are too frumpy but this would be uber cute.
What a fun tutorial!
Can’t wait to try the nightie!
Cute and simple… equals perfect!
This is fun! I will definitely be giving it a try.
I am definately going to be making one of these!
Thanks, I love the hoochie girl factor in the measurements
Oh, I lol’d at the description of the length! My Mom had made some nighties for her honeymoon and then had decided that they were maybe too short. She didn’t want my Dad to think she was “that kind of girl” so she added some ruffles to the bottom.
Thanks for the tut!
i love my nighties…going to get right on this one!!! thanks
Adding it to my to-do list
Cute! Nice and easy to customize for the pregos like me
Easy enough… might have to try this one out!
Great idea! I’m too fat for all my nighties since having a baby. I should totally make myself a new one
So cute – makes me long for warmer nights.
Great pattern – thanks.
I love this!!!!
That is adorable, I can’t wait to make one!
Looks easy! Cute stuff, thanks!
oh my, this is adorable!
Looks like the perfect summer nightie, love the rick rack detail!
Adorable. I love the ric-rac!
Cute! Would love to see a photo of it on a person/mannequin.
I love it- Now I need some vintage looking fabric and great buttons.
this nightie is just adorable! I can’t imagine making it to wear in this crazy winter weather though!
Better bookmark it for summer!
My girls are going to love this! Sew easy too (: ~Page
Very cute and looks easy too! Thank you!
Great tutorial, and funny too. I can’t wait to make myself a few!
Love the tutorial , easy to follow . And all the comments. Ginger makes it fun to sew. I am for sure going to make this, maybe try it as a dress too…in eyelet fabric?? hmmmm….
Thanks Ginger.
I love this. I want to make it right now!
I love the way you write, Ginger! Too funny! Thanks for making a fun tutorial.
Thank you for the great tutorial and pictures! It looks so simple
ah…only have linen blends! going to have to find fabric to sleep in. thanks so much!
I love your tutorial!!
This is a super sweet nightie — thanks for sharing!
Love it!!! I need to make one of these ASAP! Ginger you are too funny!! Thank you!
Very sweet. This is going on my to do list.
absolutely precious – thanks a million for this tut
I think I have a new project for my never ending list. Thanks for a great tutorial!
I am going to make this! I have some fun sheer fabric that would make it extra sexy.
fun and so easy!
What a well written tutorial….can’t wait to make my own!
Thanks for the great tutorial. I look forward to making one!
I love this! Thank you so much!
So cute — great tutorial! I can’t wait to give it a try.
I love this, and can totally be a tank top too!
This is ADORABLE! Added to the top of the queue! It’s refreshing to think about warm summer nights (and not snowy ones full of layers and sweatshirts!)
Very cute! And very do-able!
I love this pattern! I agree with others that it would make some really cute summer tops too.
Super cute–and looks like it would be really nice for warm summer nights in Florida!!
I can NOT wait to make this!! It’s so cute and what an easy tutorial to follow!! I’m still new to sewing and even I can follow it
Thanks you!!
Perfect! This is totally perfect. Thanks for the tutorial.
This is such a great quick-and-easy project! I love your blog and am so happy to see you over here at SMS!
I love tutorials. thanks so very much!!!
Great tutorial. It shows how little I can visualize stuff though until I have fabric in hand because I’m sitting here (uh, at work
) htinking that if you make the sandwich and sew that there’s no opening for your body… then we get to the end and sew up the back. Uh, yeah. See, I’ve got no visualization. Sigh. This is lovely. I’m making one–hoping to avoid the feedsack look.
i LOVE this!
So simple. What a sweet project.
I love this and I especially love that its adult sized (not that I don’t enjoy making things for my kiddos and for the house, but every once in awhile its nice to make myself something!)
Wonderful! So much more fun (and cheaper) that buying VS!
Thanks for sharing this tutorial! It looks quick and easy!
Awesome tutorial Ginger (as usual!), thanks for sharing!
Great tute — I like her sense of humor and as a lady who’s a bit larger on top than on bottom, I have hard time finding nightwear that fits right. This might just do the trick!
So cute. I love how easy it is too!
I’m going through my stash as we speak!
any chance you wanna e-mail me a revised version of this tutorial to fit a pregnant belly? it would be great to make something cute and simple like this that would be long enough to cover the baby! thanks
Wow! So easy and very adaptable for a variety of uses! Thanks!
Love this tutorial. It looks like a good one for a summer nightie
Very cute! I’d love to see what this looks like on someone!
I love the ric-rac inserted in to the seam, that’s a nice extra touch.
Wow – I liked this tutorial. Simple, sweet, to-the-point. I think I want to try the top (just because I liked the tutorial so much)!
the cutest nightie!
I absolutely love this nightie. I have to make one!
that is so simply & darling
So so cute! i think I might have to whip up one myself! Thanks for the wonderful tute.
oh this is darling! love it so much. where did you get the fabric? specifically the strawberry fabric.thank you for the awesome tutorial!
Great tutorial!! Thanks
looks like easy to make. Have to make this!
Awesome! I bet my hubby would love to see me in something other than the same T shirts I’ve been wearing for 5 years!
Very cute project and easy too!! It would be a great top over a longsleeved shirt with jeans too
Amy
Love your nightie tute! So fun, funny and practical, huh, go figure? Just thinking that the red sweats won’t be so great for Valentine’s Day sleepwear.
Clear simple tutorial, would love to give it a go!
Ooooo. Very simple and pretty! Can’t wait to adopt it for a special little girl I love.
Looks so comfy!!
I love the photos. Thank you for the tutorial. I can’t wait to make this!
cute! I wonder what it looks like on?
Love the tutorial! Especially love: Hoochie factor, skootch, and add nightie maker to my resume. totally going to make this before my cruise next week. Fabulous.
Adorable. Very helpful photos too!
Love this. can’t wait to make one!
soooo cute. Can’t wait to make one
very cute
Fabulous tutorial and wonderful sense of humor! Thanks for the inspiration and the giggles. You rock!
What a sweet little nightie. Love the tutorial.
So cute! But Valentine’s Day shouldn’t fall in winter–it’s flannel nightgown weather here…
Looks cute but how do you make it without puckering on the band? That is the problem I had with the ruffle top.
I know it’s a simple, sewn item but you can make tons of summer nighties and matching shorts. Her tutorial was one of the clearest and easily understandable I’ve ever seen. I’m a new fan!
FABULOUS!!!
thank you so much for this!
awww, so cute! I want like five
oh I love this, lots of possibilities…can’t wait to make me one!
aha! this is just what i have been searching for and did not know it until 5 minutes ago!
this is really so cute!!
This is adorable! And It could totally be given some valentines day “hootchi” factor with a bit of lace and silky material! Haha! Can’t wait to dig though my stash tomorrow and whip one up! I’m also thinking this would also make an excellent “girls night” project! Thanks for the tut!
i must make this. the nightie making section of my resume is severely lacking.
I love it. This makes me want to make this this weekend. I’ll be stopping at the fabric store on my way to work today. I’ll be teaching my daughter another sewing lesson this weekend! Thanks.
Brilliant – I had been thinking this week to make one for my eldest, so this is fantastic timing. Thank you, for sharing this!!
Love this tutorial! So simple, yet so cute!
Great tutorial, thanks!
My little girl has been badgering me for a nightie for weeks now and now I’ve finally found a great tute! You will make one 7 year old very happy, although I think we had better stay away from the hoochie mama look ;o). Your little comedy asides in the instructions gave me a giggle too! x
Oh boy! This is super simple, even more so than just a summer tank! thanks for tutorial, can’t wait to try it!
Very cute and I like your instructional style too – this would be cute over a long-sleeve tissue-weight T-shirt too
I’m not sure how cute this would be over my big chest–but it’s got nightie, top, and dress written all over it for my little girl…maybe after a few attempts for her I’ll try one for me. We’ll see, but Ginger’s instructions were HILARIOUS!!! Loved it!
cute tutorial
This would be easy to adapt into long summer nighties for my girls – thanks!
Love love love this!
These are very clear instructions for a really fun, cute nightie. Plus, she’s funny as all get out!
Wow, what an awesome tutorial! Thank you
Such a lovely nightie and great tutorial! You have a nice teaching style too
That’s super cute! I’ve added this to my ever increasing project pile!
love it!!
I want to make this now!
Might have to try this out! Thanks for the tutorial!
Cute, cute, cute!
Lovely nightie, lovely tutorial. Thanks for sharing, just can’t wait to try it!
so gorgeous & easy! now if i can make one in time for Valentine’s day!
I think these will make cute valentine gifts for my two teenage daughters. I will be staying up to make them tonight. Great tutorial, thanks
Thank you for such a gorgeous tutorial. I ended up making this as part of a 365 Day Creation challenge that I am participating in. http://365dayscreationchallenge.blogspot.com/2010/02/day-156-sweet-sleep.html
This is wonderful. I don’t need a nightie but I’m in the process of modifying the pattern to make myself a bag in the same style!
ooh, i can’t wait to make this! i’ve got an ample bosom and am not sure i can pull this off, but it looks like fun nonetheless!
Thanks for this great project! I made it with some fabric I’ve had lying around for way too long and I’m really happy with it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/21186541@N03/4385758183/
Thank you for this lovely tutorial. Our 15yo is so excited! Gonna use Rainbow Brite sheets for the first 3 matching tops (me, 15yo, and 5yo) Thanks so much!
Yay! I just made this and i love it..simply and easy to follow instructions..just my type
i am actually going to wear it as a dress tomorrow on a lunch date…it was my first clothes item ive ever sewn and there are a few mistakes but im going to wear it proud regardless 
I just happen to be looking for a quick project and this will do the trick! With the right fabric this would also make a cute little summer top. Thanks so much for the tute…
I definitely want to try to make one of these nighties with some repurposed fabric. Can someone link to a picture of someone wearing it so I can see what it looks like on?
I made this and blogged it at http://mamatomato.typepad.com/esmeandedith/2010/07/back-at-it.html
Am making this with husbands re-purposed dress shirt…flickr pics soon. I am planning on increasing the bust measurement by several inches as Nicolle suggested. I need comfort.!