The sleeves of my dreams

Sleepwear with statement sleeves? Yes please!

Several years ago I discovered the fun of sewing my own sleepwear and I find it extremely rewarding. It's the part of my wardrobe that I wear 30% of the time, and the first thing I see in the mirror when I get up. Once I started looking at sleepwear as a serious part of my wardrobe it made sense to incorporate my favourite colours, prints and style elements and create a comfortable and pretty nighttime collection. And bonus: it's a nice way to try new silhouettes, like in this case a t-shirt dress.

Ottobre 5/2018

The pattern is from Ottobre magazine 5/2018 and comes in a dress and sweatshirt version.

The fabric is a beefy cotton double knit. I used the wider stripes for the bodice and sleeves and the smaller stripes for the cuffs and the bands. I made size 48 and lengthened the bodice (5 cm/2 inches) as Ottobre patterns are drafted for a height of 168 cm/5'6'' and I'm 173 cm / 5'8''. Next time I'll go down a size as the shoulders are a bit roomy.

I love the sleeves. There's a little shoulder dart and the pleats start just above the elbow. Of course the cuffs keep all that extra fabric in place, much appreciated when brushing teeth or making breakfast. The overall style is a bit too sporty for my taste for daytime wear, although with a few changes like a v-neck it might work as a sweater. I couldn't be happier with the colour, it's a perfect match with the kimono style robe that I made in 2018.

Simplicity 1563

I'm not as brave this time so a few barefoot bedtime shots will have to do!

Show those sleeves!

Now I'm off to organise a birthday party for my creative photographer, aka mr Foxgloves.

Happy weekend!

A Concord tee nightgown

Do you know the feeling? A to-sew list as long as your arm and not knowing where to start?

After finishing my butterfly dress we got an unexpectedly warm and sunny September and I enjoyed every minute of it. Fall sewing seemed so far away! Planning wasn't helped by the fact that my favourite fabric sellers were struggling with our weird summer as well. During the cold and rainy months of June, July and most of August fabric sales dropped dramatically and sellers got stuck with way too much stock. So instead of bringing their autumn fabric collection after the holidays they prolonged the summer sale. Long story short, I ended up buying summer fabrics in October.

One of those fabrics was a very soft viscose jersey. Just perfect for sleepwear! I had just tossed a very cozy nightgown and wanted to make something similar. When you're not inspired to sew anything seasonal sewing loungewear is always an option!

 I started with the pattern pieces of the Cashmerette Concord t-shirt as I knew the fit was just right at the shoulders and bust.

I used the traced pattern pieces of  this v-neck shirt. I cut the front and back bodice at 11 cm below the armscye and drafted an A-line skirt of 65 cm long and approximately 75 cm width at the hem. The sleeves were lengthened by 12 cm. 

The bodice of the nightie is self lined and instead of a neckband I used pink lingerie elastic to get a pretty finish. 

Hand basted to check the fit before adding the lining

The simple design element added to this nightgown consists of two ties at center front, one on the inside and one the outside, sandwiched in while sewing the empire waist seam.

When tied they immediately take the v-neck into va-va-voom territory!

Just as well this last picture is a bit blurry. No need to embarrass the internet ;)

Good night!