It’s starting to get quite cold now in the UK (which I quite like, being British I’m not a huge fan of Summer) so today I’ve got some Grainline Lakeside Pajamas to share with you! Slightly in my defense I did make these when it was hot back in July. The fabric was some lovely hand dyed cotton khadi (which is a handspun and hand-woven cloth from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan) in lion and teal from Ray Stitch. The teal one is still in stock, but the lion is sold out.

(lol, identical poses! Different hair though, which is weird because I took the pictures on the same day!)

I got a voucher for Raystitch from my old job when I left and the Lakeside pattern and these 2 pieces of fabric were some of the things I bought. I had already bought some things and didn’t have that much money left so bought only one meter of each cotton. I really really only just managed to squeeze the pattern pieces out of 1 meter of fabric. I would definitely not recommend it!

 

I made the size 4 in the top and the bottoms. In hindsight I don’t know why I made the same size in both – I think I just thought ‘well I’ve picked my closest size so that’s that.’ I’ve actually just checked the pattern sizing again and the shorts were apparently the right size according to my measurements, but I should have made a size 2 according to my bust measurement (I have a 32″ bust, 27″ waist and 37″ hips for reference). If I made them again, though, I would definitely size up in the shorts as they are a little snug – which isn’t what you want from pajamas! You can see here they are pulling a little.

I think it would be worth sizing down in the top too, as it is quite loose. You do need some ease to be able to get the top on and off, but it does gape quite a bit at the back. I literally say this about every single one of my makes, so I really should stop being lazy and start adjusting patterns for being so narrow across the back. Anyone have any idea how I would do that?

I love the petal shapes on the back – above, though, it doesn’t sit right because it’s so gapey and because of my terrible posture! I actually try to stand up straight when I take blog photos but I usually stand with a rather arched back, hunched shoulders and my pelvis tilted back towards my bum. I keep meaning to start doing yoga to try to improve my posture but I’m lazy in exercise as well as in making fitting adjustments!

Gratuitous bum shot!

I really enjoyed (!) sewing all the bias binding, it was satisfying to see all the raw edges disappearing! The construction is clever and simple at the same time. The Boyfriend helped me pick the bias binding colours – he has a better eye for design than me! We took both pieces of fabric to my little local sewing shop (which sadly has a not very good selection of fabric but it carries a great range of notions and things) and took aaaages laying all the possible colours on each fabric to see which looked the best. I’m really, really pleased with both choices – I like the contract on the lion colour and the tonal match on the teal.

I found the shorts construction less easy to understand and I’m not 100% sure I did the binding on the side seams correctly, but the raw edges all disappeared and the shorts came together so whatever I did it sort of worked – it just maybe wasn’t quite as neat as it could have been!

I did manage to wear the lion coloured pajamas before the weather turned cold and they are really nice to sleep in. And the fabric is so buttery and soft, they’re definitely the nicest sleepwear I own. Unfortunately our flat is really cold, even when it was still warm in August when we moved so these may need to go into storage until I move somewhere newer and with central heating! It was literally like walking into an air-conditioned building coming home when it was hot outside.

Have you made your own pajamas? I think in the not too distant future I need to make myself some Carolyn Pajamas for the Winter – maybe in some lovely, snuggly brushed cotton? Also I’ve never sewn with piping and I really want to!

If not pajamas, then what are you making?

 

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