I have loved
my first version of the
Carolyn PJs so much that it was finally time to sew up another pair. This pattern hits all the marks for me. It's fun to sew, has very professional results, and is super practical. Originally I was going to sew up the long sleeved with pants option, but after wearing my first pair so much I realized I would like some options. So, I opted for short sleeves instead and used the extra fabric to sew up a coordinating pair of shorts. That way I have the shorts set for everyday(night) use, but I have the pants for the times when I want a bit more modesty (like when my inlaws are visiting).
I made them up in more
Cotton and Steel fabric
, but this time in a really fun
cotton lawn octopus print in teal (although they also carry a really fun
pink version as well). The great thing about this lawn is that along with being lightweight and soft, it also is not see through, which can be hard to find in lawn. Guys, it's so fun sewing with novelty prints and cotton! I am not someone who likes to use these types of fabrics for apparel sewing as I think they can often scew homemade or junior, but pajamas are the perfect excuse to use the fun, vibrant, and quirky fabrics that you couldn't pull off day to day.
I sewed up a size 8 straight out of the envelope, except that I did shorten the pants by a couple of inches (I am 5'3" so I always have to do this). Looking at the photos I probably could have taken an inch of length out of the top as well. But, I know that these fabrics are prone to shrinking and I wear / wash these so much that I think the extra length may be a good thing. As far as patternmatching goes, I only worried about it on the center front button opening and the breast pocket. It would have just been too crazy (and take too much fabric) to do it on the rest of the areas. I think it's fine since it's a busy print and the piping separates the bands giving it a natural break.
I already broke these in last night and I am a fan.
