Nightgown for the Many.

This is the nightgown that these instructions are about. There are quite a few variations and twists that can be done. You can make it knee length or waist length and add pajamas. The sleeves can be lengthened. Lace can be added. Decorations of many variety can be added.
What I mean to say, is that you can make it to your own personality. That is what I find so good about this pattern. Also, it whips up in a few hours. My granddaughter told her father that I had made a nightgown for her "in five minutes".
This is a cap sleeve.
I combined two fabrics. These fabrics are from Ghana and they make their fabrics only 36" wide.
What I am saying that there are endless variations. You never need to get bored with the pattern.

MAKING YOUR OWN NIGHTGOWN FAST

You will need for a ankle length short sleeve nightgown:
4 yards of 45" fabric, woven or knit
3 yards of 3/8" elastic
1 spool of matching thread

Measure the Bust and measure the upper Arm.
Bust measurement needs be half again as large.
(44" bust add 22" to it and that is the total measurement of 66")
Upper arm needs to half again as well ( 13" pus 7" for the total of 20").
The pattern of the nightgown measures 33" this is 1/2 of the total fabric.
The sleeve pattern measures 10".
Use tissue paper for the pattern.

1. Sew the sleeve angles to the body of the nightgown*.
*If you are using knit fabric, use a very small zig zag stitch, that way the tread won't break
when stretched.
Mark the length of the arm measurement with a marking pen.
2. Sew the sleeve and the body of the nightgown.
Sew a channel for the elastic on the sleeve and the neckline.
Use a safety pin to thread the elastic and then sew securely the marked elastic.
The neckline needs to be measured to get the right measure.
Measure across the chest and then measure from front to back.
Mark the elastic and thread through the top, sew the elastic at the mark.
3. Sew the hem.
4. Tack the elastic on the neck line at the sleeve and body of the nightgown. Use a small, tight zig zag stitch. This secures the gathering into one area.

Now you have a nightgown to wear tonight!



This nightgown is a knit and I put a self fabric ruffle on the hem.
I lengthened the sleeve and used the a zig zag stitch which held the corded elastic and then pulled the elastic to the right length and added the lace.
Mostly I use knit fabrics but for this tutorial, I used woven fabric.
Pajamas with mid-length sleeves and calf length pajamas.
Pajamas with short sleeves and elastic around the waist and lace added.

Wishes Do Come True

I have wanted a power sewing machine since Design School. I had no idea that I would ever get one. But a friend of mine (whose mother sewed for the movie industry) had this machine and even though there was a sentimental need to keep it, the desire for more room in his studio won out. It weighs a lot but my son helped by going with me and loading it onto the truck and then bringing it into my house.
It was taken apart to make it lighter. Now my project for this week is to put it together and then christen it by sewing something and getting used to the speed. It will take the long seams so fast that I will have to keep my out of the way.
Just remember, if you have a desire and you hold it lightly......maybe you'll get it!

Misses Matchie-Match

Right now, I am getting a kick as well as a great deal of pleasure making pajamas and nightgowns for the "little misses" in my life.
These are knee length pajamas that I made for Lucy and Annie. And the background is Big Sur. Since the cabins are situated in very tall and plentiful Redwood trees, the light is toned down. But looking out the window, I could see these darlings right away. The color jumps out to the eye.
The cousins approved!
The pattern is one that works with big as well as small bodies. I am working on a tutorial for it. Also, it is super easy, as well as light on the wallet.

Lucy's Want List

1. See Roderick's Rules
2. Get more Barbies
3. Liberty coming to our house
4. Going to Paris
5. eating Mcdonald's pancakes
6. Have a Jumpy Water House on my birthday
7. Kasey coming to our house or going to there house tomorrow
8. Invite Liberty to movie night and maybe a sleepover
9. You getting that beautiful house on the way to school
10. See Annie!

I don't remember being able to define what I would want at eight years. I hope that Lucy gets everything good. She is a darling!

I Hope That This Will be a Teenage Dream

This is for a young girl just becoming a "Teenager" (she is my Great grand niece). Her birthday is this Friday. The fabric was given to me and it is an Acrylic with silver metallic threads. I used a top gathered piece which layers over the body of the skirt and underneath there is a skirt of silver lame'. My camera will not pick up the beauty of the lame'. I put in a pocket instead of a zipper and I think that that makes it more interesting. To finish the edges, I used black gros grain.
One of the things I experienced was how heat sensitive that the fabric is. Initially, as I was ironing out the wrinkles, I practically melted the fabric. The iron was on the "silk" setting. Fortunately it was at the beginning of the cut!
This is a close up of the fabric. I like the fabric. My main concern is, will she?

New Photographer on the Scene

This is Penelope. Annie, my great niece took this photo. Penelope looks a little cautious but she is holding her ground. I thought it was a very fine photo, capturing the beauty as well as the caution of Penelope.
Annie is 10 years old and has been handling her Mother's camera since she was three. Oh course there is a lot of experimentation that goes on, which is a fine teaching aid. But she does a lot of good solid work.
I think that this is terrific! I am going to hire her for future work.

And Beauty Surrounds You

My Darling Niece and her daughter, Sweet Annie, came down over the weekend. We have been busy every moment. Not a minute was spared. We lived and breathed the "rare" air of art and artistry.
Here they are out on the portico at the Getty Villa in Malibu. This magnificent museum was built to show the intense interest that J. Paul Getty had for early art. Art that has survived from the the countries and cities that abounded in the Mediterranean going back to prehistoric up to the fall of Rome. All of the flooring, up to the ceilings were accurate to the times. Every item used in the buildings reflected those times.
There is a wonderful amphitheater that we sat in and basked in the sun. There were people at the bottom of the amphitheater (where the actors would be) and their voices carried all the way up. This is a sculpture of a toddler satyr playing with a "drama" mask. Looking through the eye socket of the mask you could see his face. On his back side is a very short beginnings of a tail. Charming doesn't cover the wonderfulness of the statue. But my brain is still in overload. The magnificence of the Getty Villa has to be seen.
This is one of the "Wishing Ponds". The water is ever circulating. It comes over the edge to cross to the opposite side and slowly slides down the wall.
This is a Roman garden with a reflecting pool that is about 100 feet long. The statue is another satyr but this one is a youth. There is a portico that surrounds the pool. The floor of the portico is a replica of one in ancient Rome. All of stones for the floor mosaic are a duplicate the original floor. Every turn of a path or new room entered, held something new to inspect and enjoy.
A day later went went to the Tim Burton exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This time all of the children went.
This is how we entered. It was a beautifully constructed exhibit. The visitor got to see how Tim Burton started and carried forth his ideas of whimsy. That word, whimsy, is really too light a word to use with a Tim Burton work. However, since the subject matter is not representational, I cannot find a better word. The children shivered and enjoyed it all.
My Darling Niece put make up on Annie and Lucy similar to the Burton characters. They loved feeling a part of the show.
These ever changing air balloons were at the end of the show.
Somehow my darling Hollis felt out of sync with the girls but I think he enjoyed the show most.

It was a very special visit.

Visiting Museums is very thrilling and inspiring to me and I now get back to reality and use what inspired me.