Friday, May 4, 2012

These Are the Cats Pajamas

LITERALLY.


They are also, in my opinion, the absolutely ugliest shade of beige for my skin, which is the only reason why this SPECATULAR (yes, you read that right; it's not a typo) fabric from my stash didn't get turned into yet another whimsical print dress. But I really, really, really like the cats playing all over it, so I had to turn it into something that I could wear and enjoy, but nobody else would see me wearing and enjoying -- hence pajamas. Only I just defeated the purpose of nobody seeing this fabric next to my skin by posting photos on teh interwebs, but I never claimed to always make sense.

I'm so happy that there's a cat back on my back.

When I first caught a whiff of Karen's Pyjama Party here in the sewing blogiverse, I ignored it because I like sewing frosting, and everyday-pajamas-that-nobody-is-going-to-see definitely fall into the cake category. Also, I thought all my pajamas were fine. Then, right as everyone started posting their super cute pj's and I started feeling a tiny bit of envy, my two favorite pairs of pajama pants ripped. Large, unsightly holes in extremely awkward places, or else I would show you. And it's no wonder, too, as these well-loved flannel pieces are, ahem, the same ones I've been wearing since college. Which, if you know that my first students are now old enough to be getting engaged to each other, is seriously kind of gross, although I promise I do laundry regularly. So then I figured that this was a sign that I need to get off the frosting train (what's next? pants?!??) and make some new pajamas.

Is this not the best thrift store sheet find ever?! I swear I did not pose Walnut there.
Okay, now that the awkward confessions are over, let's talk about the actual making of these. The bottoms are traced off of the less horrendously ripped pair (which I'll also confess that I patched up, as the hole wasn't that bad), then put together following Karen's instructions. I French seamed everything (these pajamas have some long-lived predecessors to live up to!) and even got to keep the hem of the sheets as the hem of my pants. Unfortunately, the previous owners of these sheets (of course they're thrifted; whose blog do you think you're reading?) seem to have used this queen-size flat sheet as a paint drop cloth (why would you ever do such a thing to such awesome sheets?!), so I had to cut carefully to not only place cats strategically, but to avoid paint droplets. Thankfully, they also seem to have been fairly good painters, as the drops are mostly small and near edges.

Check out my beautiful French seams!

So I usually just wear old free t-shirts instead of actual pajama tops, but then I was inspired by Leah's matched set and totally copied her and used the Sorbetto pattern to make a matching tank top, minus the pleat. I ended up having to lower the armscye considerably and take in the sides near the bottom (and the bust dart could stand to be lowered too), but all in all pretty decent for a free pattern. The seams are also French, making this my very first outfit (if it can be called such) with absolutely no exposed raw edges!! And now I can also finally join the ranks of people who have made up Sorbettos, albeit not in a wear-out-in-public form.

Summary:
Fabric: Some kind of poly-cotton blend sheet, I'm guess it would translate to about almost two yards of a 45" wide material. I've had these sheets for quite some time, but couldn't bring myself to use them because of the color, nor have I wanted to give them away/donate them because cats!!! Thankfully, they're well-loved sheets, which means they are scrumptiously soft and thin and airy.
Notions: 3/4" elastic, bias tape
Techniques used: French seams, making pants!!! I'm surprised I didn't manage to sew the legs together or something. 
Hours: about three...so easy!
Will you make this again? Now that I know how awesome matched pj's are, yes! Also I still have enough sheet to make about four more sets, so...
Total cost: $3 (a dollar each for the fabric, the elastic, and the bias tape)
Final thoughts: I'm pretty giddy about these. I really wish they weren't such a hideous color, or else I would totally make a Sorbetto dress out of this fabric. What do you think, can I get away with it, or should I just make enough sets of cats pajamas to last for the rest of my life?

Can you tell how excited I am?

I decided Walnut had to join in on the jumping on the bed fun.

This might be the best picture I have ever posted on my blog.

Also, thanks to all of you who provided opinions about the stripe layout for my Horrockses/Horcruxes dress; I really appreciate your taking the time to vote and write out your thoughts. I realized I didn't have enough fabric to cut on the bias to make chevrons anyway (something you'd think I would've checked before offering it as an option, but I have lots of striped fabric waiting to be chevron-ed, so if you voted for that, I'll get to one eventually!), so I decided to go with the vertical stripes. Pictures to come post-wedding!

I'm too late for the party, but here's me and my current bedtime reading anyway: East of Eden, by John Steinbeck, one of my favorite novels ever. I'm rereading it for book club, and I can't wait to discuss it! Book club also means spending the night with Shayna, so there was extra incentive to make new pajamas (especially since she was with me when I got these sheets!)

32 comments:

  1. These are some of the best pajamas I've seen!

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  2. Cute! I bet you could over-dye a fabric like that with Rit dye should you come across something in a weird beige again. I buy the liquid Rit and use it in my washer (just make sure you bleach it out after you dye).

    Can't wait to see your striped dress!

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  3. Those are great!
    Mary in Thailand

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  4. OH MY GOD FLYING WALNUT. i can't stop laughing.

    those pjs are purrfect.

    you know someone had to.

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  5. Those are seriously awesome!!!

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  6. Awesome PJs and bahahha at Walnut and u jumping, best photo on the internet!!!!!! I too do not think my skin tone suits beige. Damn asian skin :)

    I love the fun cat print on the fabric. Walnut makes me want to adopt a cat!

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  7. ooh, pretty! those cat's are fantastic! so a dress would be a lot of fun!!
    wouldn't it be possible to color the sheets so the "hideous color" (which is not that hideous actually, although I understand the skintone/color problem :P) is a little less offensive to the skin? because you would rock the cats in any other color for sure!

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  8. I have the same problem with beige -- but let me support the plan for dying the sheets and rocking a cat dress!!! If there were a way to magically make a set of those appear in my local thrift store, I would. In a heartbeat. :D

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  9. Most awesome PJs ever! So cute, and a great way to use a fabric that you like, but wouldn't want to wear in public.

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  10. Unbelievably perfect.

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  11. If you are going to dye the fabric (which is such a brilliant idea I wish I had thought of it), please don't use RIT. Have a look at Dharma Trading's website, they have some dyes that you can just throw in the wash with the fabric. They have iDye poly and iDye cotton. A far superior product to RIT.

    I did have one brilliant idea though, those are simple line drawings of cats, couldn't you trace them off, enlarge or reduce them and then make a stencil and then print your own fabric? Just thinkin....

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  12. The pjs are adorable! Definitely the cat's pajamas!

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  13. Walnut looks crazy adorable in midair, I think if you made a separate blog dedicated to him flying we'd all read it.

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  14. That is the cutest fabric ever!

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  15. Wow I love these they are super cute, I adore the print! XxxX http://thesecondhandrose.blogspot.co.uk/

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  16. OMG. LOVE the flying Walnut! Love the Walnut post on the fabric. That fabric is A-MAZING! ok, now I have cat pyjama envy ...teehee

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  17. holy moly these are amazing pj's. I didnt join in the pj party but like you am definitely getting pyjama envy

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  18. Super cute! The black trim pulls the beige away from your skin tone. You can wear any color you want just so long as there is a color you CAN wear next to your skin. If you had put a wide band or yoke of black (Or what ever color the cats are done in) around the neck line, that fabric would have rocked as a dress. I can't wear beige either but I have a couple of Victorian dress done in beige and I put white next to my face and they work.

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  19. Squee! Those are so, so, so cute! Definitely the cats pyjamas! I wish I had known of the pajama party - a pair for me is top of me to-do list, as my sets of (way older than I want to admit to) are also dyeing.

    I have the perfect solution to your 'colour is awful on you' problem - time to add dyeing to the list of things you do! I bet that would look adorable in raspberry pink.

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    1. Also, how long did it take for Walnut to start talking to you again after the bed stunt?

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  20. OMG! Those (and your cat) are too cute! Love the sheets, now Jammie's!

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  21. I absolutely love them!! And I don't particularly like cats, I'm more of a dog person, but I love them anyway.

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  22. these are wonderful and i am pretty sure that photo of walnut is the most awesomest cat pic ever. :-)

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  23. OMG. I think I am in love with your PJs and your adventurous kitty. But seriously, the cat fabric is AMAZING. I love how you've positioned the cats on the front and back of the sorbetto - it's so delightful to look at these, I giggled with joy when I saw the first picture!

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  24. Love your pajamas - they are just gorgeous!

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  25. AHHHHH FLYING WALNUT! Cadfael would not be down with this, I can tell you that right now. I love these, LOVE them. I want to copy you copying me! How meta is that? I'm on it.

    strugglesewsastraightseam.wordpress.com

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  26. These pajamas...are...AWESOME!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!

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  27. Aww... these PJs are soooo cute!

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  28. Gorgeous, and definitely make a dress! I think the beige is fine but you could always put some brighter coordinating bias around the neck and arm holes to create a break between the beige and your skin. Maybe a black bias with paw prints on would be fun!

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  29. Those are pretty awesome! Oh my word though, those pictures with Walnut were absolutely hysterical! I'm sitting here in class, laughing like crazy! Everyone probably thinks I'm going insane! Seriously though I'm so glad I found your blog the other day! I have laughed so much reading your posts!

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  30. That's a great cat print; I like how the drawings are kind of painterly. I don't think the background colour is terrible - but I definitely know the feeling of too-similar-to-skin-colour (pale pink shoes are a big no for me)!

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