A hospital gown is one of the simpler garments you can sew. It’s essentially a wide, knee-length rectangle with short sleeves, an open back, and ties to hold it closed. Whether you’re making one for a family member recovering at home, preparing for a hospital stay where you’d prefer your own gown, or sewing for a care facility, the whole project takes about one to two hours with a basic sewing machine.
Fabric and Materials You’ll Need
Hospital gowns are typically made from cotton, polyester, or a poly-cotton blend. For a home-sewn gown, 100% cotton or a 60/40 cotton-poly blend works well. Cotton is soft against skin, breathable, and holds up to repeated hot-water washing, which matters when hygiene is a concern. A poly-cotton blend adds wrinkle resistance and dries faster. Aim for a light to mid-weight woven fabric, similar to a quilting cotton or broadcloth. Avoid anything stiff, scratchy, or too stretchy.
For one adult gown, you’ll need roughly 3 to 3.5 yards of 44/45-inch-wide fabric. You’ll also need about 3 yards of cotton twill tape or bias tape (½ to ¾ inch wide) for the ties, plus an additional yard of bias tape or bias-cut fabric strips if you want to finish the neckline cleanly. Thread, scissors, pins, and a sewing machine round out your supplies.
Standard Dimensions for Adults
Commercial hospital gowns run about 47 to 48 inches long from shoulder to hem, which hits most adults around mid-calf. The width across the chest (laid flat, front panel only) ranges from about 23 inches for a small to 26 inches for a large. The back panels need to overlap by at least 4 to 6 inches to maintain coverage, so each back panel should be slightly wider than half the front width.
Here’s a simple sizing guide for the front panel width (laid flat):
- Small: 23 inches across the chest, 47-inch hem
- Medium: 25 inches across the chest, 50-inch hem
- Large: 26 inches across the chest, 53-inch hem
All sizes share the same 48-inch shoulder-to-hem length. If you’re sewing for someone specific, measure from their shoulder to just below the knee and add 2 inches for hemming. For width, measure around the fullest part of the chest, add 6 to 8 inches for ease of movement, and use that as your total circumference.
Cutting the Pattern Pieces
A hospital gown has three main panels: one front piece and two back pieces. The back is split down the center to create the opening.
For the front panel, cut a rectangle that matches your chosen width and length. For the two back panels, each one should be roughly 60% of the front panel’s width (so they overlap in the center by several inches) and the same length. Sleeves are simple rectangles too: about 10 inches wide and 14 to 16 inches long. When folded in half and attached at the shoulder seam, this gives a loose, short sleeve that sits just above the elbow and allows easy access for blood pressure cuffs and IV lines.
Cut a gentle curve for the neckline on the front panel, scooping down about 3 inches from the shoulder line at the center. The back neckline should be shallower, only about 1 to 1.5 inches deep, since it sits higher on the neck. You can trace the curve of an existing T-shirt neckline as a guide.
Sewing the Gown Together
Start by finishing your neckline. Pin bias tape along the raw curved edge of the front neckline, right sides together. Stitch it at a ¼-inch seam allowance, then fold the tape to the inside and press it flat. Topstitch close to the folded edge to hold it in place. This prevents fraying and keeps the neckline from irritating skin. Repeat for each back panel’s neckline edge.
Next, attach the sleeves. Lay the front panel flat, right side up. Find the center of one sleeve’s long edge and pin it to the shoulder point of the front panel, right sides together. The sleeve will extend equally toward the front and back. Stitch with a ½-inch seam allowance. Now pin and stitch a back panel to the other half of that same sleeve, matching shoulder points. Repeat on the other side with the second sleeve and second back panel.
With both sleeves connecting front and back panels, fold the gown at the shoulders so the right sides are together. Stitch from the end of each sleeve down through the underarm and along the side seam all the way to the hem. This gives you one continuous seam on each side. Clip the curve at the underarm (small snips in the seam allowance) so it lies flat when turned right-side out.
Hem all raw edges: the bottom of the gown, the sleeve openings, and the center back edges where the opening is. A simple double-fold hem works well. Fold the raw edge under ¼ inch, press, fold again ½ inch, press, and stitch close to the inner fold.
Adding Ties for the Back Closure
Ties are what hold the gown closed and keep the wearer covered. A standard back-opening gown uses two sets of ties: one pair at the neck and one pair at the waist.
Cut four strips of twill tape, each about 12 to 14 inches long. Sew one tie to the top inner corner of each back panel (at the neckline) and one tie to each back panel at waist height, roughly 18 to 20 inches down from the shoulder seam. Position the waist ties on the finished edge of each back panel so they can be reached behind the back. Reinforce each tie with a small square of stitching, since these get pulled on repeatedly.
When worn, the gown drapes open at the back. The wearer (or a helper) ties the neck pair first to keep the gown on the shoulders, then ties the waist pair to close the gap and hold everything in place. Some people find the waist knot uncomfortable when lying in bed, so leaving it loosely tied or untied while resting is common.
Wrap-Style Gown Alternative
If you’d prefer more coverage, a wrap-style gown closes at the front instead of the back. This design uses no neck tie. Instead, the front panels overlap like a bathrobe, and two waist ties hold them in place.
To make this version, reverse the layout: cut two front panels (with overlap) and one solid back panel. Attach an inner tie to the inside of the right front panel at the waist, near the side seam. The left front panel’s outer edge gets a matching tie. When putting the gown on, the wearer wraps the right panel across the body first, ties the inner tie to the left side seam, then wraps the left panel over the top and ties its outer tie to the right side seam. This creates a secure, overlapping closure that’s easier to manage independently.
Modifications Worth Considering
Snap tape is a popular alternative to fabric ties. Sew a strip of snap tape along each back edge instead of individual ties, and the gown closes with a quick press rather than fumbling with knots behind your back. Velcro strips work the same way, though they can snag in the wash and irritate skin if exposed.
If the wearer has an IV line or port, leave the shoulder seam on one or both sides open and add snaps or ties there instead of sewing it shut. This lets medical staff access the arm or chest without removing the entire gown. Commercial gowns often use this snap-shoulder design.
For warmth, you can line the gown with a second layer of flannel or sew a second gown to wear with the opening facing front while the primary gown opens in back. Two overlapping gowns eliminate the exposed-back problem entirely. You can also add a simple pocket to the front chest area by stitching a 6-by-8-inch fabric rectangle onto the gown, which is useful for holding a phone, tissues, or a heart monitor transmitter.
Prewash your fabric before cutting. Cotton shrinks noticeably in the first hot wash, and hospital gowns need to withstand frequent laundering at high temperatures. Prewashing also removes sizing chemicals that can irritate sensitive or post-surgical skin.