11 March 2016

Tilly's Grandad PJs


As soon as I spotted this super soft double gauze on my recent trip to Tokyo, I knew what I was going to make with it - the Carolyn pyjamas from Closet Case Patterns. While not my usual nightwear style, I'm a big fan of everything Zooey Deschanel wears in New Girl - if you haven't seen it, she wears grandad PJs like this all the time. So I snapped up the pattern as soon as it came into print.



I was in the mood for one of these kinds of makes - the kind where you have to concentrate on what you're doing, for example, to get a neat finish on the collar, as opposed to a whip-it-up-with-your-eyes-closed project that I favour at other times. But it didn't actually take that long, mainly because the loose shape meant it needed minimal fitting alterations - hurrah!

Having said that, for pyjama bottoms, these pyjama bottoms are relatively fitted - I like the shape of the booty on me. They also have a faux fly detail, and yes, pockets! Not sure I need pockets when I'm wearing PJs - maybe I'll start carrying around midnight snacks :) 

I decided to finish it off with fabric covered buttons to stay with the soft double gauze look, with the stripes going in different directions to add a bit of interest.



Whenever I mention double gauze on the blog or Instagram, I get questions about what it is - so in case you're wondering, it's a super snuggly fabric, often found in or imported from Japan. It's made from two fine layers of cotton gauze - the air trapped in between gives it an almost-squishy feel. It's soft and comfy to wear, keeping you warm in the Winter and cool in the Summer. If you haven't sewn with it before, give it a try!

The only problem is, I love the finished PJs so much and the fabric feels so delicate that I'm almost scared to wear them in case they fall apart with too much wear or accidentally get dyed in the wash. Do you ever feel like that with your handmade clothes?