A Busy Mom's Blog: DIY Hospital Maternity Gown

Designer hospital gowns are all the rage and I know why. After having my first baby, I look back on the ugly gown I wore in many of the pictures and wish that I had something a little cuter in my baby's first pictures. My nurse at the hospital I had Elsie in wouldn't unhook the IV to let me change into my nursing PJ's the morning after she was born. Since I had a C-Section, I needed the IV to stay in for 24 hours, so I was stuck in the hideous gown all day.

Approaching Evelyn's arrival, I decided that wasn't going to happen again. Since they were selling online for around $50, spending this on a gown I planned on wearing for 24 hours wasn't going to happen. Therefore, I figured I had two options: 1. cut the straps on my nursing gowns and sew in Velcro or 2. break out my sewing machine that hadn't been touched in 5 years to make myself one.

Since I didn't want to ruin the pajamas I lived in for 3 months following Elsie's arrival, I started searching blogs for a pattern I could do. Now, prior to making this, the only sewing I had done aside from a 6th grade Home Economics class, was quilting, which involves very simple sewing. So, this pattern had to be easy and quick since I needed to make it in between my 13 month old's naps.

Enter this blog...She has a pattern for a hospital gown that seemed super easy and it was a free printable. The nurses at the hospital I had Evelyn in raved about the gown. Many told me to start selling them. One nurse walked me down the hallway announcing to all the new moms that I had made the gown I was wearing.

The pride of making this gown and actually following a pattern inspired a year of learning how to sew many different things. I have done curtains, ruffles, shirts, bloomers, dresses, baby bibs, etc. Now, a year later, my sister-in-law is due in a few weeks and I broke out the pattern to make her one. Having a year of sewing under my belt, I added a few embellishments, finished edges and completed the gown in about an hour (last year it took about 5). Since its a maternity gown, I did follow the suggestion to make it bigger by cutting 2 right backs. I also added a ribbon at empire-waist height so that it flattered my not so beautiful new mommy body. I added a button hole on the left back to pull the ribbon from the right back through so that it stayed closed. This fit me perfectly and I'm sure will for my sister-in-law.