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Little Girl/ Baby Doll Night Gown Tutorial

Sewing Skills needed Shirring
Materials:
t-shirt (prewash your t-shirts) or light weight knit fabric
1/4" Elastic 
Ribbon
Elastic Thread
sewing machine and sewing notions


Step 1: Cutting Layout- cut the night gown shape using the template.
Step 2: Finish the edges of the collar and armholes with a serger or a zig zag stitch on your sewing machine. Choose a thread the same color as your ribbon. If you pull the edge slightly under the foot as you satin stitch, zig zag or finish the edges it will give you a lettuce hem or edge. Try this technique with a scrap piece of fabric first.
Step 3: Pin, right sides together the front and back shoulder pieces. Sew only one shoulder together. Finish the seam with a serger or a zig zag stitch on your sewing machine. If you are making the Baby doll version you don't have to finish all of the seams.








Shirring:
Prepare the sewing machine for shirring. Wind the bobbin by hand with elastic thread, check the tension of your machine and thread the upper thread of the machine normally. (Test on a scrap
piece of fabric.)





Step 4: Shirr the collar of the nightgown twice 1/2” then 5/8” away from the edge. For the Baby Doll version only shirr once.
Take out the elastic bobbin and set up the sewing machine to sew normally.






Step 5: Pin the open shoulder side, right sides together. Sew the shoulder side closed. Finish seam, when finishing the seams over the elastic threads I use three techniques knot the elastic thread together, sew over the elastic threads and zig zag stitch over them. This way they will stay secured and locked in place.



Step 6: Shirr the arm wholes of the nighty twice 1/2” then 5/8” away from the edge. 
Only shirr once for the baby doll version.
Shirring: Prepare the sewing machine for shirring. Wind the bobbin by hand with elastic thread, check the tension of your machine and thread the upper thread of the machine normally. Take out the elastic bobbin and set up the sewing machine to sew normally.


Step 7: Sew the sides of the nightgown together using a 1/2” seam allowance, finish the side seams with a serger or a zig zag stitch on your sewing machine.








Step 8: Make a cute ribbon bow and sew it to the front the nightgown.











Step 9: To make the bottom sides gather up, first flip the nighty inside out. Along the seam place a strip of 1/4” elastic over the seam (leave excess elastic behind the pressure foot, under the presser foot stretch the elastic 100% as you sew a wide zigzag stitch. Stop short of the bottom of the night gown and clip excess elastic. Hand sew a small bow over the gather on either side.
These are fun to make for sleepovers and fun summer nights.
Happy Sewing!

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