Handmade Pajama Pants

It's time to announce the Miracle-Gro Giveaway winner!  There were a whopping FOUR entries into that giveaway, so there was a lot of competition.

According to random.org, our winner is....

....drumroll....

LeAnn!

She said:

We recently moved and finally have a yard with more than two hours of sunlight so we just bought a few containers and plants. I was thinking it would be nice to get a few more so this is perfect timing if I win. :)

Well, congratulations, Lucky Lady!  You won!  :)  Email me your address, and I'll get this to you as soon as I can.

In other news, Ash and I got to hang out last night!  Yay!  I {heart} Ash.  She's so silly and so fun.  I think the hubbies and all the kidlets had fun, too.

Sorry.  It's a cell phone picture.  Oh well. 

You may not know this, but Ash and I live over three hours apart from each other.  We don't get to play often. 

I tried to talk her into moving closer to me, but alas...

...she needs more convincing!

Moving right along...

Have you ever made your own pajama pants?  Oh goodness.  They are so so easy.  I haven’t bought pajamas for my family or myself in years…

You can even get fun, comfy fabric for cheapola.  I got this fabric off the clearance rack for $1.00 a yard.  That means that these bad boys cost me a whopping $2.00!  Sweet!

(wore them last night.  slept like a baby!)

Start off with a pattern for pajama pants.  You can follow the instructions that come with the pattern, or you can use mine.  Trust me.  My way is easier!  :)

I just use the pattern for the different sizes and so I can know where to cut.  Anyway, cut out your pieces.  There should just be two.  Before you cut, be sure that the design on the fabric is going in the direction you want.  Also, make sure that the right sides of the fabric are facing each other.

There are two pieces there.  I just cut them out at the same time.

With the right sides together, sew down each side of the crotch.  Serge your raw edges.  Or not.  Whatever you want to do.

Now take the bottom of one of the pieces of fabric and fold it in half widthwise to make a pant leg.

Line up the fabrics at the crotch, pin it into place, then make one big, long seam from one end to the other.  This creates the inseam, and now the fabric pieces look like pants!  Good job!  But, we’re still not finished.  Oh, yeah.  Serge that raw edge if you want to.

Now let’s work on the waistband.  We’re going to make a casing for the elastic.  Super easy.  Serge around the top of the waistband.  If you don’t have a serger, then fold the raw edge over 1/2” to the inside of the pants and stitch into place.  We don’t want a raw edge fraying at the waistband. 

Okay.  Raw edge taken care of?  Perfect.  Time for the casing.

Fold the waistline over 2” to the inside of the pants.  Pin into place.  When you get to the center of the back of the pants, leave an opening so you can add your elastic later.  I always mark this part by putting my pins in vertically so I know where to stop.  The other pins are pinned in horizontally.  Check out the pin placement in the picture to get a better idea of what I am talking about. 

Now sew around the waistband a few centimeters above the serged/hemmed edge.  Start at one of the vertical pins and sew around until you get to the other vertical pin. 

You now have an opening to thread your elastic through the casing.  Threading the elastic into the casing is easy.  Start off by cutting your elastic the size you need; which is about 2” shorter than the waist measurement.  You need this elastic to stretch and hold up your pants.

Pin a safety pin into one end of the elastic and start threading it  through the casing.  I’ve had too many safety pins open during the threading process, so I like to sew this metal belt adjuster thingamajigger to the elastic with a zig-zag stitch.  You could also use a D-Ring, or a key ring, or just go with the safety pin.

Start threading the elastic through the casing by pushing the safety pin/other object and elastic through one side of the opening until it comes out the other side.

Remove the safety pin or other object.

Sew the elastic ends together AFTER you’ve made sure the elastic hasn’t rolled. 

I sew my elastic ends together by sewing a square with an “X” in it.

Like that.

Once the elastic is sewn together, sew the opening in the waistband closed.

After the opening is sewn shut make sure the fabric of the waistband is distributed evenly.  I like to tack the elastic into place to make sure the elastic doesn’t roll.  I do this at the back, front, and sides of the waistband.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell the front from the back of these pajama pants, so I always sew on a faux drawstring to help out with that.  You can make a tube like we did with the neck strap of the nursing cover and hem the ends for your draw string.  Or, you can use some strips of tee shirt like we did for the ties of the ruched sleeve cardigan, or you can do what I did.  Pull out your trusty roll of knit ribbing and use that.

I cut a 12 inch strip of ribbing,

Serge down one side of it--be sure to taper the edges,

…and call it good.

Now sew that “drawstring” to the center seam of the front of the waistband.

Now tie it to make it look authentic!

Now all we have to do is hem these suckers and we’re finished!

These pants are for me, so, rather than measure my own inseam I just measured the length I needed with a pair of my favorite pj’s. 

Measure 2” longer so you have enough fabric for the hem.  Measure and cut.  As Handy Manny says, “measure twice; cut once.”  Good advice, mi amigo!

Now you either need to serge that raw edge, or fold it over and stitch it into place like we did with the waistband.

Measure the hem.  (mine is 1 1/2”)  Pin it into place.

Start at the inseam and sew the hem into place with a straight stitch.

Or you could use a double needle like I did.  It’s fun and gives the pants a professional finish.  Because that’s important.  When you’re sleeping.  In the dark where no one will see it…

Observe.  Double needle.

Observe double needle in sewing machine.

Follow your sewing machine’s directions for a double needle.  They’re in the manual.  You need to thread the machine with two different spools of thread.  I held my second spool on my cone threader, but most machines have an attachment for a second spool.  Mine does, but I have a cone threader that I’m always using, so I just used that.

So thread both threads the way you normally would until you get to the needle.

There should be two little thread-divider-type things on your machine.  Thread one thread through each.

Then thread the needles.

The double stitch will be on top, so be sure to turn your pajamas right side out before you start hemming.

Remember, the double needle hem is optional.  You can just go with a regular hem.  Sometimes I like to use a decorative stitch just for fun.  I know, I know….I like to walk on the wild side! :)

So, yeah!  Now you’re done and you’ve got a cheap and comfy pair of jammies!!

Sweet dreams!