when i made my first two t-shirt nightgown (and tutorial!), the goal was to recreate Em’s favorite nightie and give her more options to choose from (slash allow us to be lazier about doing laundry). and as the temperature rose and she grew, an upsized, shorter sleeved version was required.
observe the girl in her natural habitat…
nose in a book about a ballerina mouse celebrating a birthday, perched on a chair in her pink room, the girl is cozy in her floral and purple summer nightgown.
her hair is braided before bed so it’s “curly” the next day, per her request…
and she is surrounded by (and wearing) flowers of pink and purple and red.
she displays her nightgown with pride.
i actually cut the bodice for this one quite a while ago, but didn’t finish it until a recent “finish up those UFOs” spree. i wasn’t sure the floral made sense with anything, but once i added pockets, it all tied together nicely. the floral rib knit was a sale rack camisole from old navy, and the purple shirt was a men’s deep v-neck (ALSO sale rack old navy, NOT poached from the husband, hehe).
as with the original two t-shirt nightgown, the bodice and sleeves are based on Rae’s flashback skinny tee. i preserved the existing hems on both the sleeves and skirt for quick and non-wonky knit finishes. the purple shirt is really lightweight and “vintage-y” soft. this nightgown is in constant rotation.
girl is happy.
>> FOOTNOTES >>
– here’s where you can get her white wallflowers (affiliate link).
– lovely wall art is by sarah jane wright (purchased pre-elephant obsession).
– paint color is devine water lily.
– you can get her book here (affiliate link).
skirt as top 
Such a sweet nightgown, Kristin! I love the big pocket!
E’s room is so beautiful and so comfortable! Her nighty looks like a winner…
Her nightgown looks really comfy…if I were her, I’d want to stay in it all day too!;)
I love how well it matches her natural habitat. It’s so sweet! One day I’ll follow that tutorial.
i have a question about knits. i notice the wavy hem that you mention quite frequently when i see blog or flickr photos of knits. and i really want to avoid this. i’d always really like to start sewing knits. do you happen to know how to avoid that wavy look? does it have something to do with the stretch or weight of the fabric? if so, do you know whether there are knits that are easier to sew?
wavy hems are the bane of the knit-sewers existence, and why i use factory hems most of the time! ha. i’ve experimented a bit and my best method so far is to use a double needle AND a walking foot, and that’s worked well for me pretty well. but still sometimes i get skipped stitches when sewing with a lightweight jersey.
the heavier sweatshirt/interlock knits are a good place to start, they act more like a woven when you sew them, versus a tissue knit or a rayon knit, which i think are the hardest to make look nice. i started with the oliver + s sailboat top in heavyweight interlock – you can get used to sewing with knit without having to hem, since it’s finished with facings.
i love my serger for inside seams on knits, not sure if you have one…? the nice thing about knits is they are pretty forgiving; maybe practice on sleepwear that won’t leave the house until you get comfortable? that’s pretty much what i did. 😉
thanks so much for the advice, kristin. i do have a serger but have never had much luck with it with knits. i’m pretty sure i have the same serger as you do, if i remember correctly from your ‘about’ page, maybe (?). i’ll just have to be brave and jump in… apprehensively. 🙂
ohhhhh i recognize that floral knit, don’t i?! i wish that shirt still fit lila…but it’s fun to see it again in nightgown form. it looks so comfy and perfect for her. and her room is so serene and lovely!
So sweet! She has the cutest room too.
Clover would love her room. And her night gown. And I would love to do laundry less often. ha
love it! It looks so soft and comfy! Sadie got a nightgown for her birthday (her first for some reason) and she LOVES it. I may have to whip some up for her soon!
That looks so nice and cozy……..I need to make the girls some nightgowns. I’ve thought about it, but just never done it. Thanks for the inspiration and push I needed!!
Really cute! And I love the peeks of her room. My kid keeps asking for her blue room to be turned pink and purple, so I’m keeping that wall color in mind!
What a charming gown!
Really pretty! great idea turning the FBST into a nightie.