Every few years I sew myself a couple of new sets of pyjamas.  I have worked out over time that my favourite style of winter pyjama is flannelette pants with a long sleeved tee.

And in the interests of keeping this blog real – as you can tell, these photos are taken when I got up in the morning after a night’s sleep in the pyjamas (and no, clearly I don’t wear a bra to bed. As I said, keeping things real).

I decided to give a new pattern a try for the pyjama pants this year. I used Butterick 6296, which has pockets and an interesting curved back yoke.

I had a bit of trouble deciding what size to sew. In the end I sewed size 14. I also removed a couple of inches from the length of the main leg pieces. Looking at these photos it seems as though the centre back seam is pulling or giving me a bit of a wedgie, but the pants don’t feel that way in wearing. It could be my proportionally larger tummy pulling the fabric forward.

The flannelette for both pairs of pants comes from Spotlight. I have seen the fox one on lots of social media this year – it’s obviously been very popular. I originally bought enough of the foxy print to sew a pyjama top as well, but Clare has decided that she needs it instead and I remembered that as much as I like the idea of a pyjama shirt/pants combination, I prefer a tee!

From the pattern website: Very loose-fitting top has collar, forward shoulder seams, pockets, and stitched hems. B: Pocket bands. Straight-leg shorts and pants (below waist) have elasticized waistband, side-front pockets, and yoke back. Sleeves A, B and hems C, D: Bands. Purchased piping.

As I have come to expect with any pattern designed by Liesl Gibson, the pattern was well designed with nice details and drafting.  I used a strip of mustard knit from the tee scraps to detail the pocket openings and cuffs of the dandelion print pants as flat piping; the foxy print pants have a strip of coordinating linen used as flat piping as well.  The topstitching details were done in contrasting threads.

The mustard tee is a Deer and Doe Plantain. I’ve used this pattern a number of times, cutting across size lines to get the fit I prefer. It’s sewn on the overlocker, with a zig zag stitch used for hems and to secure the neck band.

The apricot/orange tee is a Sewaholic Renfrew tee, also cut across size lines for fit. It was sewn on the overlocker with grey thread, and I used grey thread for twin needling around the neckline as well. That was all in an effort to make it more of a “set” with the pants.

This top is so fast to sew – using bands to finish the sleeves and hem is really quick and means that nearly everything can be done on the overlocker. I shortened the sleeves a bit by taking a fold out of the pattern piece before cutting, but these are still a fraction on the long side. I just turn up the cuffs.

I recently treated myself to a new (shop bought) dressing gown that coordinates very nicely with both sets of pyjamas, so am now feeling very swish. My last lot of winter sleepwear lasted about three years. Let’s see how this lot goes!

This dress was entirely inspired by this Instagram post by Susan Young.

It took only a minute or so after leaving that comment for me to pop over to the MIY Collection website and buy the Wisewood dress pattern.  And here’s my version!

The description from the website is as follows:  Possibly the most flattering and comfortable dress you’ll ever wear! Big claims, but this pattern can deliver. Cowl necks are easy to wear and this pattern includes 2 cowl options – a standard depth cowl that you could probably wear without the need for a vest underneath or a dramatic deeper version that falls into lots of luxurious folds and drapes. 

The pattern includes 2 different ways to finish the deeper cowl: simply left to drape through the whole of the dress front, or with the bottom part stitched out to give a more fitted dress below the waist which emphasises the beautiful drape of the cowl neck (like the short sleeved grey version in the pictures). See more versions on this Pinterest board. 

Both dress and top versions are included in the pattern and the instructions will walk you through inserting sleeves or how to add a beautifully professional finish to the sleeveless version as well as the different ways of finishing the cowl. 

8 sizes are included in the pattern ranging from bust size 80cm to 111cm (31.5″ to 44″) and hip size 88cm to 119cm (34.5″ to 47″). This pattern is sized based on body measurements not dress sizes and includes full details of finished garment measurements for each size to make sure you get the right size first time. 

This pattern is designed for stretch knit fabrics and works in a wide range of knits from single jersey to ponte roma. A fabric with some viscose content will drape the best.

I rather like cowl necklines, and since it’s winter, I wanted a dress with long sleeves.  What really drew me to the dress on Instagram was that the skirt fullness had been drawn in with a small stitched down pleat to one side.  I felt that this would work better for my shape than leaving the dress unstitched, and I definitely didn’t want to stitch it all down through the centre front to make it fitted over my middle.

It’s hard to see in the photo because of the busy nature of the fabric, but if you look carefully at the left side of the photo (the wearer’s right) there is a fold to one side that has been stitched down for a couple of inches. It releases into the bodice above and the skirt below. I worked out where to put it by putting on the otherwise finished dress, then playing with it and pinning it until I had something that I was happy with.

The back neckline is finished with a strip of folded fabric sewn to it right sides together like a facing, then turned to the inside and stitched in place. It sits neatly and securely. The self facing of the cowl is folded backward enclosing the edge of the back neckline when stitching the shoulder seams and you end up with a nicely finished neckline all around.  I also like the fit across my shoulders. Now I’m trying to remember what size I sewed…possibly the size for a 40 inch bust.

This is the version with the deep cowl, and accordingly it is best worn with a camisole underneath.  I like the fullness through the body, yet that small pleat contains it well without the need for making the skirt fitted, which is one of the pattern suggestions.  My taller friend Rachel tried this on when we were last at Sewjourn, and for her shape the dress would look best with the skirt more fitted.  This pattern allows you to easily play with the skirt to end up with what works best for you.

And the fabric? It’s a brushed poly knit from Lincraft, of all places. I find that nowadays Lincraft tends to have fabric that is way overpriced for what it is. But every now and then you come across a gem, like this one. I loved the colours and the print, and it actually feels really luscious. I hadn’t come across “brushed poly” before – but a quick google search tells me that it is a buttery soft fabric perfect for leggings, pants, tops, and dresses. Brushed on both sides, great stretch, drape, and excellent recovery! I think that’s all pretty accurate – and I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on some more of it. The only thing I want to know more about is its breathability for warmer weather garments. I know that modern fibre technologies lead to sometimes surprising results, so I’ll research it further at some stage. In the interim, I am enjoying wearing this winter dress. Many thanks to Susan for the inspiration!

Being a person who sometimes gets sucked onto the latest pattern bandwagon, when the True Bias Lodo dress came out, I thought that maybe I’d give it a try.  Even though it was winter here in Australia.  Hey, how about I sewed a winter version to wear as a layering piece?

The pattern is super straight forward. Front, back, neckline facing, armhole facings. The website describes it as follows:  The Lodo pattern is an elevated take on a basic t-shirt dress. It has a straight fit through the waist and hips and a slightly tapered hem to create a subtle cocoon shape. It has a flattering deep V neck at center front and an extended cap sleeve. Both the neckline and armholes are finished with a woven facing for stability and structure. View A has a hem that hits at mid calf with a slit at center back for moveability. View B’s hem hits a couple of inches above the knee. Suggested Dress Fabrics: Medium weight stable knit fabric with an approximate 25% stretch such as ponte, cotton interlock, and lightweight scuba. Suggested Facing Fabrics: 1/2 yd of medium weight woven fabric such as quilting cotton and linen.

After looking at the pattern pieces and many photos of the pattern I decided to sew view B, the above knee version.  The centre back seam allowed me to do a small sway back alteration.  I shortened the pattern pieces an inch or so by taking a fold about half way down, knowing that the designer was quite a few inches taller than me.  This was mistake number one.  The finished dress was more tunic length than dress length – any shorter and it would have been unwearable.  The finished length now didn’t match my mental vision for this garment – I should have left it alone.

The fabric is a divine wool jacquard that was a gift from a delightful and generous friend. Snuggly and warm for winter! Facings were cut from a printed quilting cotton. This dress is sewn entirely on the sewing machine. The facings give a very next finish, even though you don’t see them used a great deal in knit dresses.

But there is a mistake number two. Unfortunately after these photos and one wear this dress ended up in the regular wash cycle – and it’s wool. Yes, it shrunk enough to be skin tight and unwearable, even as a top. Expletive expletive expletive….

On our first visit to Thailand I bought rather a lot of fabric.  One of the lengths that I bought was specifically woven for Thai Fisherman’s pants.  My husband quite likes wearing loose trousers – he’s one of those bearded guys you see on holidays in hippy clothes 😉 – so this fabric purchase was especially for him.

I used Burda Style’s pattern for Thai Fisherman’s Pants. There are plenty of tutorials around for sewing this style, but I always prefer to use a pattern. I’m just not freestyle by nature!  They describe this pattern as follows: These easy and comfortable lounge pants are incredibly versatile and the perfect beginner project. It only consists of a few pattern pieces and is quickly sewn together. Makes great sleeping pants as well! Download the pattern and follow the instructions to make the fishermen’s pants and you will be good to go in a couple of hours.

I’m not really a massive fan of Burda’s pdf patterns, but they are well priced. This was very easy to sew, and I did all the construction on the overlocker. The fabric is a fairly open weave and frayed very quickly. It needed that overlocking!

That back view above really shows how crookedly my husband stands! As you probably know, the great thing about this style of pants is the size adjustability. The front is folded over then tied to secure, with the rest of the waistband then folding over the ties.

This was almost a zero-waste pattern – there were only tiny scraps of fabric left over after cutting out, so the pre-cut length of fabric was spot on!  If you like relaxed, loose and adjustable clothing, it’s worth giving the Thai Fisherman’s Pants style a try.

(The cotton voile shirt was also bought in Chiang Mai – I didn’t make it).

About a year ago I attended Melbourne’s first restash event.  It’s a get-together where you take fabric, patterns, and any other sewing supplies that you no longer require, put them onto long tables, then take home things that other people have brought along!  I think that I came home with less than I took (which was my aim).  Both McCalls 7125 and the fabric that I used to sew it up came from Restash.  My thanks to the donors!

This style really is my jam for summer tops. Loose and cool, V-neckline, shoulder coverage, nothing tight.

The fabric appears to be a viscose twill. It drapes nicely and feels lovely and soft against the skin. The pattern used up quite a bit of fabric – I had to do pattern tetris to fit all the pieces onto the fabric that I had, so wasn’t able to match all the motifs quite as well as I would have liked.

From the McCalls website:  Very loose-fitting, pullover tops have bias neck facing, V-neckline, fullness forming drape, shaped hemline, wrong side shows and narrow hem. A, B: Racerback straps. B:Front lace overlay and purchased trim. C, D: Short dolman sleeves. C: Contrast panel. D: Double-layered.

I sewed view C, the single layered version with cut on dolman sleeve.  I’d like to give the double layered version a go too though – I think it would be perfect for semi-sheer, floaty fabrics.

I think that this is a pattern that would be easy to overlook, but it is really a terrific everyday casual style.  I assume that sewed size Medium, which is a 12-14.  As you can see from the photos, the front is quite a bit shorter than the back, so you might want to take that into account when sewing it up.  Construction wise, it was very straight forward.

The last time that I sewed Simplicity 1198 I said that there would be a second time, but I would make the neckline smaller.  There was, and I did!

To remind you about this pattern: Misses’ V-neck knit top has sleeve variations, optional contrasting yoke and panel with asymmetric hemlines. The scoop neck knit top has sleeve options and a beautifully draped hemline.

Although the neckline is WAY better, and the fabric is a luscious bamboo cotton spandex (from Rathdowne Fabrics) I still didn’t get this quite right.

The colour is fabulous, and the overall style okay, but the sleeves are not the length that I prefer and they’re also too loose. Also, all that I do is stare at the bulge emphasised by the elastic waist of my jeans underneath.

This top (and the previous version) now live in the wardrobe of my taller and slimmer cousin Sally. They look fabulous on her, but weren’t quite right on me. It’s often hard to get that combination of fabric and pattern perfect. I think for this to work on me it needs to be in a print and the fibre possibly needs to be a poly ity or a dry knit. It needs drape, but not any cling for me to be happy. Ah well, this top still had a happy ending.