How cute is this fabric?! I spotted it at Purl Soho here in the city and just knew I had to make a pair of pajama pants for my mom who loves Brambly Hedge. Have you heard of Brambly Hedge? It’s a collection of stories first published in the early 1980s in the UK centered around the lives of little mice. It’s cute!

So that brings me back to this fabric, which isn’t actually based on Brambly Hedge. :) The above photo doesn’t really reflect the colors of this print, but the next photo does. It’s a Japanese cotton called “Nursery-Versery” and it’s designed by Heather Ross for Kokka (love her stuff!). I feel like pajama pants give you an opportunity to use prints you wouldn’t usually use on other garments.

And here they are, the grand reveal! The light in my apartment is the pits (and we had an overcast weekend to boot), but at least you get an idea. I used my pj pattern of choice – Kwik Sew 3602 – which you can see in my earlier “Pajama Party!” post.

When I first saw this mouse print I thought they were a bunch of different scenes, but there are actually just four (two that repeat on each row). Did you notice the chairs made of spools of thread? Hehe! Although I have to say, my favorite scene might be the little mouse holding the radish. I call him Milton Fitzwilly III (name credit goes to a friend of mine ).

Anyway…clearly the fabric cuteness is distracting me. Back to the pj’s! There’s actually not much more to say than what was said in my “Pajama Party!” post. This time around I shortened the legs 1″ to accommodate a shorter height.

When I first made this pattern in a class at Sew L.A. we were told we didn’t need to pre-shrink the fabric since the fit was loose, so I never did. This time, however, I decided to put the fabric in the washer/dryer because I’ve found after a wash my other pajama pants shrink to the point where they become a bit short on me. Not pretty, I tell ya!

Even though I pre-shrunk the fabric, I still made the legs an inch longer than my mom’s inseam measurement (that’s how you figure out what length you want your pants, if you’re just starting out!). I probably didn’t need to do that, but she can always roll the pants up a bit.

The waistband is done in the same way as my last pair of pj’s – elastic AND ribbon in the casing. The satin ribbon is also from Purl Soho. For more discussion about how I did this, read my previous post.

The pant legs are finished with French seams for a clean look. For the crotch seam I used a reinforced straight stitch and serged the edges. Yay for no-fray seams!

I’m so glad to have these done just in time for Christmas. It’ll be my last creation of 2012, even though I do have the fit of my tailored coat muslin just where I want it. For an update on that, I’m afraid I’ll have to wait until after the new year when things settle down a bit. Until then, I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2013! And thanks so much for reading along, folks. :)

The print is so sweet. I scooped it up the second I saw it because the black cat reminds me of the little girl’s cat! I figured she’d get a kick out of that. The fabric is a sturdy cotton, which works perfectly for a bag and whatever Care Bears or Rainbow Brite dolls she’ll carry in it (or whatever the kiddies are into these days ;)).

There are six pleats at the top, just below the band, and I added extra pleats at the bottom. I had fun placing the band pieces in such a way that the cats look like they’re popping up from the seam! Another slight variation I did this time around was use a decorative stitch at the top rather than a straight stitch.

Look, I even inadvertently created “Cyclops Kitty” with one of the pleats. See her there, the orange one in the center?! The black cat, on the other hand, is peaking out of the side seam, which I think is cute. :)

Here’s a peak inside the bag. I used leftover chambray from my 1920s Tulip Kimono – don’t you love when you use up your scraps? Totally justifies keeping them around all this time! Originally I thought of going with a fish print for the lining with the idea the cats on the inside band would be amused by the swimming fishies below. In the end, I thought it would get a bit too busy for all that and remembered this chambray at the bottom of my scrap pile.

The inside includes a large pocket for holding Play-Doh…or a smart phone (yikes!). I used the same decorative stitch on the pocket as the outside band – that’s called tying it all together, people! :)

Oh, and I’ve named this miniature version of Kwik Sew 3749 the “Darla” bag. I’ve also made an even smaller version that I’ve called the “Daisy Dimple” bag, reserved for the littlest of little rascals! Bonus points if you know where these two names come from, although I did just give it away, didn’t I?

And that’s all she wrote! A great bag pattern that you and every other woman in your family will love again and again. No, seriously, if you don’t want to make this pattern again and again and again then don’t show it to any female you know. ;)

I hope you’re off to a great week, world!

I actually have a finished sewing project to share, finally! It’s all a bit exciting around here, I tell ya. I woke up this morning ready to photograph my pajama bottoms…and then the camera battery needed to be charged.

• Pattern: Kwik Sew 3602, size XS
• Fabric: 1 1/2 yards of plaid flannel cotton from Sew L.A.
• Extras: Elastic waistband and red ribbon waist ties
• Paired with: Renfrew Top from Sewaholic Patterns
• What I’m reading: Karen asked us to share our current read. Mine is Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig. Makes for good reading on the subway :)

These were made as part of Karen’s “Pyjama Party Sew-Along”! This is officially the first sew-along I’ve finished on time, but there’s a catch. Both of these pj’s are UFOs. Oh well, what matters is they’re done! The first pair I’m sharing is made of fabric I bought at the end of 2009. It was the end of the bolt so there was only 1 1/2 yards left, but the pattern calls for more than that. I made it work! I really wanted a pair of plaid pajamas so there you have it.

In 2009, I took a beginner class at Sew L.A. called “Pajamarama” with this pattern – the first garment I ever completed! I remember everyone in class was thrilled that we all had something we could actually wear. Ah, the memories. I still have that pair of pj’s, a bunch of sleeping owls on a navy background. The pattern calls for an elastic waist, and the only problem with that for me is I never know which side is the front when I put them on. I’ve since made pairs with waist ties, but I found that it’s pretty annoying to have to untie them and for them to instantly lose their shape once you do that.

So what’s the solution? Put in elastic and a waist tie! I put in 2 buttonholes in the front first and then folded the top of the pajamas to create the casing. From there, I inserted elastic through an opening at the back using a safety pin. I remember using a bodkin in class, but I find that bodkins are a pain! The elastic slips out too easily. I stitched the ends of the elastic together (just like Karen did), closed up the casing in back and then inserted the red ribbon through the buttonholes. Easy!

I started sewing this pair in 2010 and had all but these last few steps (plus hemming the legs) completed. We’ve had a very mild winter this year, but even now in late April it’s nice to have a pair of flannel pj’s to stay warm and cozy at the end of a long work day!

Karen’s sew-along also helped me FINALLY alter the pajamas I made for my sister as a Christmas present….Christmas 2009. I know, I know, I’m terrible. They were way too big, so in 2010 I took them in with pins. And then they sat there. And sat some more. Then they made their way in my move back to the Big Apple, and (eventually) enough was enough. I not only took them in, but I exchanged the waist tie for an elastic/waist tie combo. So much better! Isn’t the animal print cute? It’s from Kokka and I bought it at Sew L.A.

That’s about it! I desperately want to get back into sewing, but I find it hard to do. Mostly because I’m tired after a day of work and because I like to hang out with friends and such. I’m also a perfectionist. I just need to start going for it. I have a few dresses I’d like to make for the upcoming New York summer and some work events. I’ve got to get motivated – I haven’t bought anything at stores for awhile now and I’m getting so tired of what I’m wearing. I hope to blog more, as I miss being part of this great online sewing community. :)

Thank you, Dr. Karen, for starting me on the path to sewing recovery!

Whoa, bright day / bright photo

The two little pockets are handy for little items, though admittedly I don’t stick things like a whisk in it when I remember to use it for cooking. Sometimes I think an apron like this would also be useful for those times I eat pasta and the tomato sauce always seems to find a way to my shirt (even if just a little speck, gah, clumsy!).

In other news…

• I finally put a project up on BurdaStyle – my trousers from the last post. I wore them to Cirque du Soleil last weekend – it’s always satisfying to wear something you just finished, don’t you think? And, thanks to the Sew Weekly ladies for the special mention in the weekly newsletter! It was a fun surprise when I opened the email :)

• The Colette Sencha Blouse:  hmmm, though I’ve seen pretty versions, I’m not so sure about this pattern on me after making a muslin of view 3 (the one with the keyhole opening). Maybe I’ll feel better about it after lowering the neckline, as I’ve seen others do because of the “choking” feel. I tend to prefer v-necks or scoop necks, basically anything that’s not a turtleneck (ick!), but I thought the keyhole version would be a nice option for me. Rather than dwell on something that I’m feeling so-so about, I’ve put this blouse to the side for now.