Other Supplies
- 1 yard of 2” wide elastic
- paper printer
- a buddy for hemming
- basic sewing supplies
- sewing machine
- fabric shears & scissors
- needle & coordinating thread
- straight pins
- fabric marker
Notes
- Please wash, dry & iron your fabric before beginning.
- Fits Small - Medium - Large, in varying degrees of looseness.
- These pajama pants are sewn with French seams: each seam is sewn first with the fabric’s Wrong Sides together and a 3/8” allowance. The seam is then pressed flat and reversed so the fabric is Right Sides together, and a second seam is sewn 1/2” from the edge formed by the 3/8” seam. Using French seams hides the cotton’s raw edges within the double seam and protects against fraying & chafing, particularly for garments that will be washed frequently.
1. Print the Pajama Pants Top templates (pp 4-15) at 100% size. Cut out the pieces and tape them together along the outer lines as indicated by the triangular markers to create the pattern for the Pajama Top Front & Back. The template comprises the top part of the Pajamas and is open at its bottom; continue the vertical lines of the Outer Side Seam and Inseam until the Outer Side Seam is 46” long, then finish the pattern with a horizontal line for the hem.
2. Fold your fabric in half to make a rectangle 42” wide and 48” long, Right Sides together. Trace your pattern onto this double layer of fabric, extend the legs so that the Outer Seams are 46” long and cut out the pieces.
3. Sew the Front Leg pieces together along the Groin line using a French seam (see Notes above). Repeat for the Back Leg pieces
4. Pin the Front Leg pieces to the Back Leg pieces, Wrong Sides together, along the Inseams, beginning at the Groin seams and progressing down the Legs. Sew the Inseam as a continuous French seam.
5. Sew the Front Leg pieces to their corresponding Back Leg pieces along the Outer Sides with French seams.
6. Measure your waist at the point where you would like the Waistband to sit and subtract one inch; cut your elastic to this length. Sew the two short ends of the elastic together, overlapping slightly.
7. Pin the elastic to the Wrong Side of your pants’ waistline as shown. The elastic should overlap the fabric‘s edge by about 1/2” all around. Take care to distribute the fabric of the pants’ waist evenly around the length of the elastic, and use plenty of pins.
flannel - Wrong Side
8. Sew the elastic to your pants’ Waistline with a 1/4” seam allowance. Pull the elastic taught as you sew so that the fabric is not bunched as it passes through your machine, and backstitch at both ends of the Waistline seam.
9. Fold your elastic over so that the raw edge of flannel sewn onto it in Step 8 is against the Wrong Side of your pants’ upper and the elastic is wrapped in the top part of the pants. Sew the bottom edge of the elastic in place with a 1/4” seam allowance.
10. Try on your pajamas inside out and ask your buddy to put a line of pins in each leg at the length you’d like your hems to be.
11. Turn a rolled hem at the line of pins and sew it 1/4” from the hem’s top edge. Backstitch at both ends.
12. Curl up with a hot cup of cocoa, and don’t neglect to share with your hemming buddy. In fact, why not make her a pair of pajama pants as well?