Birthing Gown (or Night Shirt) Tutorial
**This post has been entered in Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist!** Don’t be afraid of the ‘birthing gown’ idea — this works just as well as a night shirt for those who aren’t in need of birthing gowns currently! And this is a very loose ‘pattern,’ so it can fit anyone. It’s relatively simple, so you can sew it in just about an hour. It’s flexible in design, too. Keep reading to see! 
Here’s what I have: fabric (organic bamboo velour), scissors, tape measure, and pins. That, plus a sewing machine and thread is all I need! A straight stitch is all you need to be able to do, so even if you’re a novice you can do this. Measure your body from your shoulder down to your waist along your back. This is the length of your shirt — although you may choose to make it shorter or longer as desired. Mine is only like a longish shirt because I don’t want to sit on it post- birth! Mine is 28″ long. Measure your waist in the back, and divide this number in half. This is how wide you will make the shirt. My back waist was about 22″, so I’m using 11″ as the width. Fold your fabric in half: 
Measure your length (28″ is mine) along the fold, and then the width along the other side (11″ is mine). Cut a rectangle this size. Here is my rectangle: 
Starting on the folded edge, go down about 4″ and cut a partial circle out. This is for your neck hole. Here is my neckhole: 
On the other side (opposite the fold), measure down about 6″ and cut a slight circle for the armhole. If your arms are larger, measure down 7 – 8″ as needed (6″ allows just about enough room for me). 
This is the back of your shirt! Now, cut another rectangle out of your (still folded) fabric. This does not need to be on the fold, unless you want the front to be one solid piece. Mine is not; I will be adding snaps. You could also add buttons or some sort of tie. This rectangle should be the same length, but 2 – 3″ wider so that it overlaps. If you choose to do it as one piece, add about 1″(which will be 2″ wider once unfolded). Here is my front rectangle: 
Now, take the pieces apart and lay them down, right side up. Lay the back on top of it, right side down. Cut the armholes and neckholes in the front to match the back. Here is mine laid together: 
Here’s what I have: fabric (organic bamboo velour), scissors, tape measure, and pins. That, plus a sewing machine and thread is all I need! A straight stitch is all you need to be able to do, so even if you’re a novice you can do this. Measure your body from your shoulder down to your waist along your back. This is the length of your shirt — although you may choose to make it shorter or longer as desired. Mine is only like a longish shirt because I don’t want to sit on it post- birth! Mine is 28″ long. Measure your waist in the back, and divide this number in half. This is how wide you will make the shirt. My back waist was about 22″, so I’m using 11″ as the width. Fold your fabric in half: Measure your length (28″ is mine) along the fold, and then the width along the other side (11″ is mine). Cut a rectangle this size. Here is my rectangle: Starting on the folded edge, go down about 4″ and cut a partial circle out. This is for your neck hole. Here is my neckhole: On the other side (opposite the fold), measure down about 6″ and cut a slight circle for the armhole. If your arms are larger, measure down 7 – 8″ as needed (6″ allows just about enough room for me). This is the back of your shirt! Now, cut another rectangle out of your (still folded) fabric. This does not need to be on the fold, unless you want the front to be one solid piece. Mine is not; I will be adding snaps. You could also add buttons or some sort of tie. This rectangle should be the same length, but 2 – 3″ wider so that it overlaps. If you choose to do it as one piece, add about 1″(which will be 2″ wider once unfolded). Here is my front rectangle: Now, take the pieces apart and lay them down, right side up. Lay the back on top of it, right side down. Cut the armholes and neckholes in the front to match the back. Here is mine laid together: Once this is done, set the front pieces aside. Fold the back in half again. It’s time to cut the sleeves!
Take a piece of fabric and fold it in half. Put the folded edge lined up with the top of the shirt, as shown:
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