I needed a quick chemise for a costume several years ago and had a very busy schedule. So in the middle of the night, I had a brainstorm…
PS: Click on the full picture of the costume to see the chemise.
Step 1: Take a large or extra-large men’s white t-shirt. It is knit, not cotton or linen so not very authentic, but oh-so-comfy and quick.
Step 2: Cut a wide neckline and a slash in the front.
Step 3: Sew a channel for a drawstring. I just folded over about 3/4" and stitched. The knit fabric is stretchy and since you are going to gather anyway, any bobbles will be hidden. You could also use wide seam binding to create the channel
Step 4: I then sewed some lace to the inside of the neck and sleeves, just peeking over the edge. I only had short lengths of leftover lace, so I must have used 3-4 different kinds of white lace…hey, it’s a costume.
Step 5: Thread a ribbon through the channel, gather, and tie. For the sleeves I cut a hole on the inside of the sleeve hem on each side of the underarm seam and threaded elastic, safety pinned it and voila! puffy sleeves.
I absolutely need to do this! A chemise is the final necessary piece of my colonial costume (the one in my profile photo was borrowed) and I’ve been putting it off. I was told it is easy, but this is even easier! I’ll still have to make an authentic one, but this will work for various purposes.
