Nothing nicer than a new pair of pyjamas

We all like to have a new pair of comfy pyjamas, with the nights starting to draw in and the weather becoming cooler, it is time to make pyjamas. You can purchase a pattern for nightwear or you can draw up one of your own. In this tutorial, we draw up one of our own step by step. Croft Mill Fabrics have a nice selection of jersey, cotton and flannel for all ages. It washes nicely and feels lovely and soft. Flannel or winceyette as it is also called does shrink quite a bit so do remember to wash all your fabrics before you cut. This avoids disappointment when they shrink to being too small after the first wash. See more on these fabrics in our blog snuggle up for Christmas. A big thank you to our two cute and cuddly models, Joey and Macie, you are both stars.

Drawing up a pattern from existing trousers.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• Paper to cut your pattern out on. I used a roll of white paper but wide brown paper or even very cheap vilene or gardeners fleece works well.
• A pair of loose-fitting trousers that fit well.
• Pen and marker.
• Ruler and tape measure.
• Scissors.

Making your pattern

You may use this method to make adult and children's trousers, take your time drawing up the pattern, it will be worth it in the end.

Materials needed for the pants and top.

• Jersey fabric for the top.
• Flannel, cotton or jersey fabric for the pants.
• Thread to match.
• Ribbing or jersey contrast for the neck and the pant leg bottom hem.
• Elastic for the pants waist band.
• Sewing Machine, pins, scissors.

Making your pants pattern from an exsisting pants.

Step 1: Choose a pair of loose fitting trousers to use as your pattern template.

Step 2: Turn the pants inside out.

Step 3: Place one pant leg into the other.

Step 4: Flatten it and you will see that the top side of the pants has a short side and a slightly longer side. The short side is the front of your pants and the longer side is the back. Flatten it so that the longer of the two sections is flat on your paper.

Start drawing your pattern

Step 5: Trace around the pants, making sure to trace the waist as stretched out as possible if it has elastic or drawstring. Make minor fit adjustments, such as making the legs wider or longer. Pyjama pants have loose fitting legs but not too wide that they catch on things.

Step 6: Using you ruler or tape measure, mark dots around the out line for the sewing seam allowance. Remember, if you are tracing a stretchy fabric trousers and plan to make a cotton pyjama pants, you will not have the same give in the fabric so adding the right seam allowance is important.

 

Step 7: Join your dots and draw around the pattern with a marker pen, mark it as the back and also who it belongs to " John's Pants".

Step 8: You should now turn the pants the other way and draw around the shorter side, this is the front. Repeat the steps as per the back.

Pants Complete, Now the top..

Step 9:  Now you have a front and back pants pattern, cut them out in preparation.

Step 10: Use a loose fitting T-Shirt for your pyjama top pattern. Most tops are made with jersey fabrics and so have a bit of stretch for those of us who move a lot in our sleep.

Get your top ready for tracing

Step 11: Fold your top in half, lay it on your paper. Note that the front is lower at the neckline than the back. You need to remember to cut the neckline lower when cutting out the fabric as we are only going to draw around it once. We are going to mark the lower neckline on the pattern.

Step 12: Lift the t-shirt and slip the sleeves carefully into the bodice. Place as straight as you can onto your paper. Draw around the shape.

Step 13: Using your ruler or tape measure add the seam allowance all the way around.

Step 14: Draw in the lower neckline using the shirt as a guide. Trace your pattern with a marker and mark the long side from neck to waist to be cut on a fold.

Drawing the sleeve

Step 15: Open the t-shirt and lay it flat on your paper, draw around the sleeve, add some on for the hem turn over. You will now just have three sides.

Step 16: Fold the sleeve once again into the bodice and draw the shoulder outline. Add your seam allowance to the underarm and shoulder seam. The sleeve will be cut on a fold.

Cutting out your patterns

Step 17: Draw the lines around your sleeve and mark the fold line.

Before you cut your fabric, check the patterns on the fabric. If you have chosen fabric that is patterned, make sure you cut your pieces all lying the same way.

Step 18: Cut your top pieces out on jersey fabric as per your pattern pieces. 1 Back cut on a fold, 1 Front cut as the back, but cut the neckline is on the lower neckline. Lastly cut two sleeves, both on a fold. Set aside for later. For your pants, you can use jersey, flannel or cotton. Place the pattern onto your fabric and cut two back pieces and two front pieces.

Cutting out and sewing your pyjama pants

Step 19: Lay the pant pattern onto your fabric, take care if it is patterned and cut 2 fronts and two back pieces out.

Step 20: Place one front section right side to right side onto one back section and pin the edge from the crotch to the hem.

Step  21: Sew the seam and overlock or zigzag the edge. Do the same for the other leg.

Step 22: Pin the side seam and sew that in the same manner. Repeat with the second leg. You should now have two pant legs sewn.

Sewing the two pant legs together

Step 23: Turn one leg right side out and put it into the other leg so that you have a right side facing a right side. The crotch lengths should match, so you should have the front of one leg matched against the front of the other.

Step 24: Pin the two together, making sure you have the seams meeting in the middle. Sew this seam and edge it with an overlock stitch or zigzag.

Sewing the waistband

Step 25: When measuring the elastic for the waist, you need to make it smaller, so that it can stretch to the waists actual size and hold the pants up. I usually take off  6 to 8 cm but it all depends on the stretchiness of the elastic you will be using.  The elastic width depends on the waistband of the pants that you used as a pattern template. It should be the same width as that. Cut your elastic approx 1cm longer than you need to overlap when you sew it together in a circle. I use a zigzag stitch to sew the elastic together, and I sew two rows to make this join strong.

Step 26: Divide the elastic into four parts by folding it in half and marking with pins. Then fold in half so that the pins meet in the middle, mark with pins. You now need to have your pants inside out. Pin a section of the elastic to each seam. Your waistband should now be divided into four and have the elastic pinned to it as per the picture.

Sewing the elastic waistband

Step 27:  Sew along the edge of the pants and the elastic using a zigzag stitch length 2.5, width 4.

Step 28: Fold the top over so the elastic is against the top edge. Sew along the zigzag edge using a straight stitch length 2.5 and stretching it as you go.

Finishing the waistband off

Step 29: To prevent the elastic from turning over stitch a line of straight stitching on the front and back seam.

Step 30: Measure your trim against the pants leg, it should be smaller than the leg. The amount it should be smaller by varies for all trims. You can use a double knit which has a lot of stretch or a jersey which is tighter. Take a piece of the trim fabric and see how it stretches across the leg. Cut to size but make it twice as deep as the trim you require ( this is because we are going to fold it in half) adding 1cm for the join.

Sew the trim for the pants

Step 31: Sew the trim sections together using a zigzag or overlock stitch. Fold in half to give you a clean bottom edge.  Place a pin where you have the join and then place one opposite it.

Step 32: Turn the trousers to be right side out. Put the trim sections over the leg so that its edges match up with the pants leg edges. Pin the trim to the seams, this will pull the pants leg in. You will gently stretch it to match when you sew it. Use an overlock stitch or a zigzag to sew the edges together.

Start putting your t-shirt together

Step 33: Once you have sewn the trim on flip them out and you have a perfect pair of pyjama pants...

Step 34: To complete your t-shirt you need the pieces you cut out earlier and a strip of trim for the neckline. The trim should once again be double the width as you are going to sew it and fold it in the same manner as we did the leg trim for the pants. Measure the stretch in your trim and cut it smaller than the neck as you will stretch it as you sew. This will give you a nice flat neckline.

 Sewing a bit of matching colour on the t-shirt

Step 35:  I decided to sew a strip of fabric that matched the pants across the chest of the t-shirt to give it a bit of colour. Cut a strip of fabric to go across the front of the shirt. Cut it a bit wider as you need to iron the edges under so that you have no raw edges showing. Pin it to the front at the desired position and top stitch using stitch length 3 along the edges.

Start sewing the t-shirt together

Step 36:   Place the back and front pieces right side to right side and pin at the shoulders. Sew the top together at the shoulder seams and overlock or zigzag the edges. To make the neck trim, sew the trim together using a zigzag or overlock stitch. Fold it in half, place a pin in the join seam and then place one opposite to half the neck trim. Put the pins together and place two other pins in the other edges dividing it into 4.  Put the neck edge shoulder seams together and place pins in the front neck half and the back neck half, the neck of the t-shirt is now divided into 4. Pin the trim to the right side of the t-shirt matching the trim seam to the back centre seam. You will stretch the trim to match the t-shirt neckline as you sew.

Sewing the neck trim

Step 37: Using a zigzag or overlock stitch sew the edges of the neck and trim, gently stretching the trim as you go. When done, flip it out and check that it is even and you have not caught fabric in the stitching,

Step38: Now sew the hems for the bottom of the shirt and the sleeves. You do not need to overlock jersey as it does not fray. Turn the hem over on the back and front bottom and on the sleeve and press gently with a warm, not hot iron. Sew a straight stitch to hem it, use stitch length 2, do not pull as you sew.

Hemming the top

Step 39: The t-shirt pieces should look like this, all hemmed.

Step 40: Open your t-shirt and carefully pin the sleeves to the sleeve openings. You may need to stretch it a bit to fit exactly. Sew them together using a straight stitch, trim the seam once sewn to about 6mm and then zigzag or overlock the seam to neatened and add strength.

Finishing off

Step 41: Place the top flat with right sides together, pin the sides making sure you match the hems and the underarm seam. Sew a straight seam, trim excess back and overlock or zigzag,

Step 42: Your top is nearly done, take a length of thread and a hand sewing needle and put a few stitches in the sleeve seam at the edge of the sleeve to stop it from sticking out and chaffing.

It is now done, you have a nice new pyjama pants and top.

 

Easy to make for the family, great as gifts.

Winceyette / Flannel for all ages, super soft and snuggly.

Fabulous new jersey fabrics to match with your flannel fabric.

Visit our other blogs or spend some time browsing our website and Pinterest boards. We have wonderful fabrics and a lot of great sewing articles.