With the completion of yet-another-long-unfinished-project in the Blueberry Waffle socks, I allowed myself a little flirt with the sewing machine, and made a pair of summer pyjamas for Julia, who is still wearing fleece and flannel in June because that is all she has that still fits. (Five-four and growing! at just a few months over thirteen!) I've had this piece of bright batik in my stash for quite a while -- about a yard and a third -- with the intention of actually making pyjamas for one or the other of the girls, so it's good to have that feeling of accomplishment as well!
This is actually two different patterns, and both free. The bottoms are Simplicity's Easy PJ Pants 0501, available in a wide range of unisex sizes. Since I wanted to make a top as well, and it's summer, I made them into shorts. These pants are even simpler than the original, since I omitted the drawstring ties at the waist.
The top is Colette's Sorbetto tank top pattern. This pattern seems to be quite popular on the web, partly I'm sure because it comes in sizes 0-18! quite a range. I omitted the front pleat simply by laying the pattern piece with the pleat stitching line on the fold of the fabric. I was a bit surprised that the cutting layout has you put each piece on the center fold of the fabric, thereby leaving great swathes of fabric unused at the selvedge edges, and so I arranged my piece of fabric with two folds, with the selvedges meeting in the middle and a fold each to the near and far edges (like a stapled staple, as it were), and got the two pattern pieces cut from 2/3 yard of fabric, instead of the 1 1/2 yards given on the pattern (!), and I still had plenty left over for the bias edging. I suppose that with the larger sizes you wouldn't be able to do this, but certainly for the smaller ones you can -- this one is a size 0.
And I only made one stupid mistake! which was cutting the bias edging less the seam allowance instead of more, at the last prospective join, so that I had to add a measly inch or so of fabric to get it long enough. Only one stupid mistake is pretty good for me, so I'm quite pleased with myself, all things considered!
Lovely material - well done, they look lovely, I am sure your daughter is happy!
Posted by: Dawn in NL | June 15, 2015 at 05:04 AM
PS, the pattern seems to have disappeared from the Simplicity website, but can also be found here
http://soldiersangels.org/assets/documents/teams/other/sewing/pajamas-pattern.pdf
Posted by: Jeanne | August 02, 2016 at 09:13 AM