I got into a sewing groove with the Kids Clothes Week Challenge and I've just kept going. I *should* be sewing Maia's purple monster costume since we've gone to the store and picked out materials for it (purple crushed velvet!) but I'm a little stumped as to how to make the spikes (zigzags) stiff enough to stick out from her body. So I'm procrastinating with a couple of smaller projects.
This one is a super comfy child's nightgown made from one of my t-shirts. It turned out pretty well, I think. Here's how I did it (since I'm sure you want to make one for your daughter as well, right?).
The t-shirt I picked out (wrinkles and all) was a fitted tee made of pale pink eyelet knit. It seemed well suited to a nightgown transformation, but I really think any t-shirt would work. This would be fun with a funky image tee.
First, I trimmed the sleeves and armpit areas to cut it down to Maia's size. If you're starting with a larger, baggier shirt, you might want to trim all the way down to the bottom to make more of an A line.
I turned the shirt inside out and pinned the sides that I just trimmed off. I sewed the sides first, angling very gently from the current seam so the transition would be seamless (ha!). Then I hemmed the sleeves. I turned the edge up just once since the knit won't unravel.
And last, I pulled in the fabric at the neckline to make some pleats in the front and the back (and make the neck Maia's size).
I sewed them on with a double line of stitches at the neckline.
That's all! Now, since I very conveniently had two of the exact same t-shirts (I think they were on clearance somewhere for some crazy low price of $2 or something), you can see the finished child's nightgown next to the original adult shirt.
Maia likes her new nightgown and it fits well.
I might make a second one, or perhaps another of the kind I sewed last year, since all she has in the pajama department are longsleeve/long pants and they won't cut it as it get's hotter.
