PJ's Sewaholic Style

More sewing for my 'mini me' (don't tell her but I really wanted any excuse to make this pattern ... sssh).  It is winter here in NZ and there is nothing better than a warm pair of PJ's to hang around the house in.

I really love the piping feature of this pattern - I just think it adds a touch of class to the simple PJ.  Hey and who doesn't want to look their best when they go to bed!

I made the piping myself (using my new piping foot for my machine).  The only thing doing this is there is quite a bit of unused fabric.

This was really, really easy to do - in my opinion it was far easier to make piping than bias tape! I used a lemon yellow poplin from Spotlight.  The flannelette I also got from Spotlight, who by the way have a huge selection.

These PJs are really easy to make, with lots of straight line stitching.  The only fiddly bit is threading the elastic and tie through the waist band casing.

The legs have a decent amount of length on them.  I had to cut a good 2" off the bottom before hemming - these are a size 12.

Excuse the night photos, but I wanted to get some photos before she worn them to bed!

Sewn Square One Dress

After the sleeves had to go, my Sewn Square One Dress is now ready for it's big reveal!

Sorry but it's such a hard colour to photograph.  I made it with a fine pin-stripe cotton that I picked up for a steel at just $4m about 8 months ago.  I just had to wear the white top, because it is so damn cold not to.  FYI: I wouldn't style it like this to wear out in public!

I have to show you a close up of the pockets - they are quite possibly my favourite part of the dress.  The top of the pocket finished just at my waist and runs along the seam line of the side panel - I think they give great proportion to the dress.  The small pleats make them incredibly comfy without adding a bulge to the dress.

As you can also see from this photo I cut the side front panels on the horizontal grain to give the dress a bit of interest - given the fabric is a bit on the boring side.  I must remember to wear one of my good bra's with this dress so my boobs sit in the princess seam as they are meant to!  I'm really happy with the fitting of the dress, now that I've taken the sleeves off. 

After taking a Craftsy course with Sunni Standing on Mastering Zipper Techniques I inserted my first zip using Wash Away Wonder Tape.  It was so much easier to get exact positioning of the zip before taking it to the machine.  Yep pins work but you know, you can get some movement!

And here's the real fun part - the inside of the dress ......

Don't you just love it?  I picked this up off Trade Me (NZ's eBay equivalent) for a steel earlier in the year and was going to make some summer boxers, but couldn't resist lining this dress with it.  I've tacked the neck and arm facings to the lining with a nice little catch-stitch.

I made my usual adjustments to get my hips into the dress.  The top of the dress is a size small and the bottom a medium.  I did have to add a 1/2" to the should seams to lower the bust and arm pit, which now fit better.  As a result of that I had to true up the transition in sizes around my waist and hips - but that was pretty easy.

This is my second project as part of Indie Pattern Month.  The pattern is the Go Anywhere Dress by Sewn Square One and is available HERE.  I would definitely make this pattern again - maybe a tunic that ends at the bottom of the pockets???

As a tribute to the recent Sweet Bloggers Award, a slice of home made fudge ... mmmmmmmmm