Here's the Megan Nielsen pattern I used to sew this maternity nightie. Or rather, my new Nursing and Maternity Lingerie Set. As modeled by the teensy, tiny legged, faceless beauty who demonstrates just what this pattern is supposed to produce.

If only I looked so teensy, had such flowing locks and felt like wearing stilettos whilst getting ready for bed in my new nightie. I guess everyone experiences pregnancy in their own way, right?

Here's my final product. Made with a grey slub knit purchased from Jo-Ann's fabric store. It's a very soft, lightweight knit that really is nice to sleep in. And I know the crossover bra part will come in very handy when this baby is born and I'm using this as a nursing nightie.

From the back.

My very imperfect hem. Part of the reason I felt so inclined to go ahead and buy a serger was that sewing knits on my sewing machine was NO picnic.  I felt like I was fighting the fabric and my sewing machine's feed dogs the whole time. Not that all of this item could have been made using a serger - the elastic bands (for the neckline, arm holes and empire waist) that had to be sewed on needed to be done with a sewing machine, and that was also something I'd never done before.  Lots of stretching the elastic to meet the edges of the fabric while trying to pull and keep the seams straight, pull out pins and not bunch the fabric unnecessarily.  

Here's a view from the interior. Another tricky aspect was that even though I thought I knew what size I needed to make the bodice, I didn't take into account that part of it would be eaten up in the process of folding the fabric over to hide the elastic band. 

It gathers the way it's supposed to, but I feel like next time, I'll figure in more fabric to account for the fold-over.  I also may add a little length to the overall garment. Not a lot, just an inch or two. I also am not entirely positive I handled the whole empire waist thing correctly. I followed all the instructions, but it seems like the elastic causes the skirt below it to billow oddly. My sister-in-law, Lauren, who's a darn good seamstress, speculated that my belly needed to be bigger to fill it out and give the nightie the proper shape. Since my belly isn't getting any smaller these days, I guess I'll know soon enough if that does make a difference!

All in all, I'm proud of my first attempt with knits, and Kyle is happy to see me wearing something other than a shapeless T-shirt to sleep in.