Infant Burial Gowns Sewing instructions There are two different styles of gowns; one closes in the back, and the other closes in the front. We encourage you to use your own talents and creativity as to how to embellish, or not, the gowns that you make. The gowns should be made out of a soft fabric; we have used Swiss Batiste for ours though any fine fabric will work. Color is fine but we recommended you use pastel and simple prints that have a quiet peaceful feeling to them. Materials 1lb cross front: 16 ½ “ (aprox. ½ yard) 2 ½ lb Back closing Gown: 19” (1/2 yards +1”) 4 lb Crossing Front: 22” (1/2 yard + 4”) 5‐6lb Back closing Gown: 24” (1/2 yard + 6 “) mini piping 1lb Cross Front: 28” (3/4 + 1”) 2 ½ lb Back Closing Gown: ½ yard 4 lb Crossing Front: 1 ½ yards 5‐6lb Back Closing Gown: 25” Thread Buttons, Velcro, or snaps for back closing gowns ½ yard small ribbon for inside ties on front closing gowns ¾ yard larger ribbon for outside ties on front closing gowns Getting Started After printing off the pattern of your choice have it increased in size 154%. We had each pattern reduced 46% at Kinko’s. If you want to try to make smaller gowns, have them enlarged a lesser amount. Instead of cutting your original you may want to trace the pattern onto freezer paper or mid weight Pellon. If you are making several copies for groups we recommend using Pellon, it will lay flat and not rip. Layout and cutting Lay pattern pieces on the fabric according to the instructions on each pattern piece. Remember to lay them on the length of the fabric not across the fabric. Cut and mark tie placement for front closing gowns. If you are going to do embrodery, embroder the areas first before constructing. For convienience if you are doing needle work around the neck area, draw the neck curve on the fabric but cut out as a square to allow fabric to fit in a hoop and then cut out neck when you have finished the embrodery. If you are putting in tucks, cut a square larger than the front piece, sew in the pleats and then place the pattern on top to cut. Below are instructions for constructing each type of gown. There is also a power point file that has the instructions and photos (Infant Burial Gowns PP) Construction for Back Opening Gowns Cut a 1” wide strip of light weight fusible (iron on) interfacing. Press interfacing onto the space marked lap line to fabric edge (center back) With right sides together, lay each back section onto the front at the shoulder seam. Sew shoulder seam, finish off by surging, or zigzag stitch. Take mini piping and lay with edge of piping on the edge of the neck (right sides together), and end of sleeves. Surge or zigzag along the edge Clip the rounded area of the neck so the piping will turn easily Turn under piping so the edge has a finished look Press over lap line to the inside of the gown. Sew right along the edge of the piping to keep the piping from flipping back. Place the front and back sides right sides together and sew from the underside of the sleeve down under the arm and to the bottom of the dress. Finish off the bottom by either using the piping method, or tuning up ½ ‐1 “ of the bottom Space buttons, Velcro, or snaps evenly down the back of the gown. The gown will clothes Construction for Front Crossing Gowns With right sides together, lay each front section onto the back at the shoulder seam. Sew shoulder seam, finish off by surging, or zigzag stitch. Take mini piping and lay with edge of piping on the edge of the edge that runs from the bottom left, around the neck, and back down the other side to the bottom. Also place piping around the sleeves. Before sewing, slid in half of the small ribbon at the tie mark on the right side of the gown between the piping and the fabric with the tie lying to the inside over the fabric. On the left side of the gown slide in half of the wider ribbon in the same manner. Surge or zigzag along the edge Clip the rounded area of the neck so the piping will turn easily Turn under piping so the edge has a finished look Sew right along the edge of the piping to keep the piping from flipping back. Flip the fronts over to the back so that right sides lay together pin from end of sleeve to bottom of gown. Place the remaining small ribbon between the front and back on the left side at the mark and the remaining larger ribbon between the front and back on the right. Sew from the underside of the sleeve down under the arm and to the bottom of the dress. Finish off edge. Finish off the bottom by either using the piping method, or tuning up 1‐2 “ of the bottom