How to Sew Thumbhole Cuffs

There’s something so comforting about pulling your sweatshirt, sweater or cardigan sleeves down over your hands when the weather turns cold. This thumbhole hack means you can still hold your cup of tea and work the remote. You are welcome. 

In this extract from my book, Make It Simple, I’m going to show you how to add thumbhole cuffs to your Bertha cardigan, a pattern which is included in the book. It also works great for pretty much any sweatshirt, sweater or cardigan that has cuffs, including our next sewing pattern release, which is coming next week… watch this space! ;)

We also made a little video for those of you who prefer to see movement with your demos...

Fitting the Joe Pyjama Bottoms and Shorts

If you're making the Joe pyjama bottoms and shorts and want to get a great fit, then this is the post for you!

The Joe pyjamas are mega easy to fit, thanks to their straight cut and waistline cinched in with elastic or a drawstring. Hooray! As they'll be worn mostly round the house (hey, we won't judge you if you pop to the corner shop in your PJs to get some emergency sewing snacks), don't worry about making them perfect as hardly anyone will see them. The most important thing is that they're me-made, whether they're for yourself or a very lucky partner, friend or loved one. 

If you're looking for some hints and tips to fit our sister pyjama pattern, Jaimie, check out our dedicated fitting Jaimie blog post. There's a lot of crossover with the fitting tips between the two patterns, although the Jaimie pyjamas are drafted with more curve at the hips and bum, so do check out the post if you're making Jaimie.   

For more involved projects we often recommend you make a toile or wearable toile (a practice version made in cheap fabric to test the fit) but it's not necessary here. Sure, if you have your eye on some expensive and stunningly beautiful, one-of-a-kind fabric, you might want to make a practice pair in cheaper fabric so you're not devastated if they need a bit of tweaking. Otherwise, just go for it!

In this post we're going to cover:

• Choosing your size
• Lengthening or shortening the pattern pieces

Choosing your size

Using a flexible tape measure, find the circumference of the low waist. This is below the belly button, and where menswear jeans and trousers tend to sit (under the stomach). Check the tape measure is sitting level with the floor all the way round. 

Compare your low waist measurement to the body measurements chart. If it falls between sizes (for example, if it's 41in rather than 40in or 42in), it’s better to choose the larger size as you can take the pyjamas in more easily than you can let them out. 

If you're making these as a gift and don't want to spoil the surprise, see if you can sneakily find out the waist size of the recipients jeans. The Joe pyjamas come in sizes 28-46, which correspond to low waist measurements. If the recipient usually wears size 44 jeans, cut a size 44 for their PJs. Easy peasy!

If you or the person you're making them for often feels like they need a bit more room in the thigh area - our model Dan is a very keen cyclist, and therefore has quite prominent thighs - you can always go up a size from your waist size, or sew with a smaller seam allowance at the side seams to give yourself a bit more room in this area. 

Lenghtening or shortening the pattern pieces

Fabric Shopping for the Joe PJs

Have you heard the news? We have released our first ever menswear pattern - the Joe pyjama bottoms or shorts! It's a pattern you can make for someone special in your life, and it co-ordinates with our Jaimie pyjamas pattern so you can make a matching set of Jaimie and Joe pyjamas.

The best thing about making pyjamas is you can let your imagination run wild and choose any print your heart desires. Whether you are making a pair of Joe PJs for somebody who has a classic wardrobe or clothes with a sense of humour, the right fabric is waiting to be discovered.

We have been snooping around some fabric shops, looking for a bucketload of options for the Joe pyjamas to share with you. You just need to decide which style fits the recipient's character the best!

This blog post includes fabrics from our blog advertisers. We have picked these ourselves without any input from the advertisers.

This fabric was gifted by Fabrics Galore for the samples. 

We will kick off with most exciting news about the Joe pyjamas - they co-ordinate with the Jaimie PJs, which means one thing - twinning! Tilly dreamt up the Joe pyjamas so the whole family could match in handmade PJs this Christmas. 

The socially distanced shoot couldn't have been more fun - as we wanted a hugging couple, our Product Manager Nikki and her husband Dan posed in matching cats in Christmas hats Joe and Jaimie PJs bottoms. I know, it's too cute, isn't it? If you love cats in hats (and let's be honest, who doesn't), you can copy this adorable pair and use the same fabric from Fabrics Galore.

Fabrics: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

Meet the Joe Pyjamas - Our First Menswear Pattern!

We have a very exciting new release to share with you - meet the Joe pyjama bottoms and shorts, our first menswear sewing pattern! 

After the success of our Jaimie PJs, we decided to create a matching digital-only menswear pyjama pattern so you, or a loved one, can lounge at home in me-made style! They're are perfect for all manner of activities, from relaxing at home, sleeping, or pairing with a smart shirt during Zoom meetings (#2020).

This pattern is so easy to make, it's ideal for complete beginners. If you're new to sewing and want an extra guiding hand, we have a free video tutorial on how to sew pyjama bottoms from start to finish. The video shows Tilly making the Jaimie pyjama bottoms, but the steps are exactly the same for Joe - yay! 

One of the best things about the Joe PJs is you can match your me-mades with a partner, family member or friend. If you don't yet own the Jaimie pyjama bottoms and shorts, you can purchase the Jaimie and Joe PJs sewing pattern bundle at a discount and match to your heart's content. 

Is it too early to mention Christmas? Because this is a great pattern from which to whip up a load of handmade prezzies! Wacky fabric isn't obligatory but is highly encouraged.

The PJs are modelled by my (Nikki's) lovely husband Dan (that's me with him in the photo above). He was a great sport and even agreed to match with me in cats in Christmas hats fabric!

 

THE DESIGN