Newborn Gown Tutorial and Link to Matching Mommy Hospital Gown

So, I don't enjoy wearing hospital gowns...not that anyone does.  I just wore the standard gown the whole time I was in the hospital with the Bear, but I really didn't feel good about how I looked when the family came to meet him, or in our first pictures together (my hair was also nasty, which is why I got it cut this time around).  Anyway, my SIL (who is due 3 days before me) sent me this link http://www.craftycupboard.net/2011/11/hospital-gown-tutorial.html and we went fabric shopping together, and it was all kinds of fun.  I've already made one gown for after I get a shower; planning to make a second one to wear home, because it will be more comfy than ill-fitting maternity pants.

Then I found out that Bitty Bear was a girl (yay, one of each!), and I thought it would be fun to make her some matching gowns--yes, I am going to be that Mom ( I made a matching necktie t-shirt for the gowns that I just made, so the Bear can match us when he comes to the hospital to meet baby sister...Hubby says the fabric for our coming home gowns is too girly for the Bear, though). I thought one of those newborn wrap shirts with a skirt added would be perfect, but I couldn't find any patterns I liked on the interwebs, so I designed my own.  Here is a tutorial in case you want to make one for your little girl.

Materials:
1 newborn size wrap t-shirt (or larger size if desired)
1 yard of desired fabric print
coordinating ribbon (I'd make sure to have at least half a yard, just in case)
coordinating thread
white thread
iron/board
needles
scissors
pinking shears
rotary cutter (optional, but useful)
straight pins
tailor's chalk
large fabric ruler
sewing machine (optional, but useful)

1. Hem the selvage sides of the fabric (no need to cut off selvage as it won't show) with ~1/4" seam and finish the inside edge. I like to iron my hems before sewing.  Pink the edge you will use for the top of the skirt.
   
2. Cut fabric to desired length--you will use the full yard for the width of the skirt, but you probably won't want all the length.  I tried to make my gown ~24" from shoulder to hem, so I pinned it where I wanted it on the t-shirt, and then added a 2" seam allowance and marked that for cutting.  (That leaves enough fabric for me to try making a short skirt for a onesie when she is older, so she can still match the Bear).  I ironed and sewed a 1" doubled over hem to give the bottom of the skirt some weight.
   
3. Make a gathering stitch along the pinked edge, gathering it to just slightly wider than the part of the t-shirt you want to sew it to.  I choose to have mine reach from one set of snaps to the other without overlap to make fastening the snaps easier.
   
4. Using the white thread, sew the gathered edge at the desired height on the t-shirt.  Don't worry about your stitches being pretty, as they will be hidden; just make the gathers as even as possible and try to keep the skirt in a straight line.  I found it helpful to draw a chalk line on the t-shirt where I wanted the skirt to go, and to pin the skirt at the edges and in the center.  I chose to attach the skirt half-way between the top and bottom snaps.
   
5.  Cover your seam and your pinked edge with coordinating ribbon trim--you'll want to make sure your stitches are even this time. You'll want to sew both the top and bottom edges of the ribbon.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. I sewed a little bow to a beanie to go with it. All done!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   I plan to crochet some scratch mittens, booties, leg warmers, and a cardigan in coordinating shades of purple.  That way, diaper changes are easy, and so is adjusting the outfit depending on her body temp (it will be July, but the Bear had trouble staying warm for the first 48 hours when he was born in August).
   
   

   

   The Bear's matching shirt

   

   Bitty Bear's homecoming gown--Hubby says this fabric is too girly for the Bear.

   
   
   Keep it Kute!