I have rather an absurd amount of me-made clothing these days… so much that even things I really like are only getting worn one a month! So instead, I thought I’d spend a little time on my lounging-at-home clothing and pjs.
Right now, my home clothes are an odd assortment of colours and fabrics – often things I’ve made out of fabric I don’t love, or things that have been worn half to death! In the immortal words of Robert Munsch, “Ugly, ugly, very ugly!” My goal is to use some of my stash fabric to make things I wouldn’t mind being seen in by neighbours or family. (What a high bar, right? :P) I tend to only sleep in a tank top or jersey nightdress, but I also wear hoodies, leggings and long pants to lounge around the house.
This is totally nitpicking here… but what bothers me about my pjs (now that I’ve started thinking about it) is that things don’t match. Case in point, this hoodie and ponte pjs pants I sewed up in December:
Is anything wrong with them? No. Do they match? NO! I dream of feeling more put-together than this. (Right now I’m wearing this same hoodie over a faded red/purple/yellow tank-dress. It is not cute.) The waistband on these pants is also messed up, so I need to recut and resew it…
So here’s my plan:
- Throw out anything old, stretched out, ugly or uncomfortable.
- Lay out my existing lounge clothes (2x scuba leggings, 3x hoodies, 3x ponte pants) and figure out what tank tops they need to make them feel like a coordinating set. Check my stash and local sales for the right fabrics.
- Use stash fabric to sew up some Mission Maxi tank tops and tank dresses for actually sleeping in!
You can see I’ve really got two colour stories here: blue and pink. That’s pretty much what my whole wardrobe looks like!
I’ve got some questions I’m hoping you can help me with, though:
- The royal blue stripe and pink floral on black are quite stretchy ponte, like the floral pants above. Do you think the fabric would work as a tank dress, or not?
- I’d like to put shelf-bras in the tank tops, but I can’t decide what kind of elastic to use. Would FOE work and be comfy, or should I buy the lingerie elastic that is fuzzy on one side?
Thanks! And tell me, what are your pjs like? Do you have any favourite patterns or styles?
Crafting A Rainbow 
Flannel! How can you not consider flannel? I love my flannel jammies. And I love the colors of your hoodie and pants together, even if they don’t technically match. I also have a mismash of at home clothes and was thinking of doing the same thing- very inspiring! a shelf bra with FOE would be very comfy.
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If only they made stretch flannel! 😉 I own some flannel pjs, but I always pick knits to wear instead….
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Hmm….if they’re that stretchy, I would be a little concerned about the straps growing on a tank dress. Though if you’re putting a shelf bra in, you could probably stabilize it with elastic or something.
I also like my pjs to coordinate! I’ve been mostly wearing flannel pants and knit tops lately. But I do need to seriously consider making myself a nightdress or something for the spring. I think I can get through the rest of the winter with what I have, but I KNOW my warm-weather PJ stash is not going to fit this year. I got a bunch of cute nightie-like sleepwear before the wedding, so I’ve been lazy and haven’t made any for awhile. I do have some fun music note knit that would be perfect for sleepwear…
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It’s easy to wear PJs til they are junky, isn’t it? Musical note pjs sound pretty fabulous!
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Hahaha, I’ve SO got you covered this week Gillian!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHA. MY TIMING IS EXCELLENT.
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WHAT?! So you are telling me I should cut out anything quite yet, right?
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That is exactly what I’m saying.
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Squeeeeeeeee!!!
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I really like your hoodie and ponte floral pants and think they coordinate quite well. I get what you mean about matching. I have a thing about matching PJs, too. I think you’re going to need to sew some solids, too. I know, boring, but endlessly useful in making matching sets.
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Sadly, I think you are right – some solids will be required! I might just have to take a trip to Needlework to pick up some boring but bright cotton knit! 🙂
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Well I actually like the non-matching blues together! My pj’s are in a sad state… really I only have one pair of (cotton, kinda like shirting) pj pants, some leggings, and a ton of ratty tanks. I’d love to give my pj’s an overhaul someday!
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Now that Closet Case Files has a cute new pattern, we’ll all have to make cute pyjamas!!! (This post was not a set up for that, I swear!) 😉
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It actually puts me in a bad mood all day, if my outfit doesn’t match or just feels plain wrong, so I feel your pain on this 🙂 Impressed with how methodical you’re being with your plans. Will look forward to seeing it neighbour-worthy, new lounge outfits…
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YES! Me too! If the colours don’t go, I feel frumpy, and then I’m … well, grumpy! 😉
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Glad I’m not the only one 😉
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You’re so funny! I would totally count your current PJs as matching. I’ll be curious to hear how you approach the shelf bras! I use FOE on my bralettes and it must be comfy because I’ve never thought about it (I’m on the small-busted side of things, though, and haven’t worn them to bed.)
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I have a feeling that shelf bras will take some experimentation… but hopefully I can figure out something that works well for me! I’ll keep you posted if I do…
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I feel like you might need something more than FOE? I used about 1″ elastic (maybe .75?) when I put a shelf bra in a tank using Daughter Fish’s tutorial a while back and it works great!
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That’s great to know! I looked at that tutorial and it seemed solid. Thanks!
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I put my elastic in a casing for a built in shelf bra. It works great and you don’t need special stuff…
If you’ve sewn up everything else why not make happy pjs?
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That’s a good solution! With the benefit that it’s easier to change if it’s not tight enough or too tight!
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Oh, I hear you! I have tossed a couple of truly sad pj pieces recently, and made a rather disappointing matched set, so I’m still in overhaul mode. I need to go back and fix the neck band of my new set, but I do prefer a solid top and fun print bottom. Still on the hunt for a great pj pattern, though. I’ve tried a couple, and neither have been that great. Maybe Heather Lou can help us both out?? As for shelf bra elastic, I have some really great Vogue elastic from the leather supply place, it’s an inch wide, super supportive, but only comes in black (I think). Love the wider width.
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How perfect that I’m a bit late replying to comments – the Heather Lou pattern is out! What do you think? It’s more formal than I usually go with my pjs, but it does seem perfect for a nice presentable pair!
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I’ve only made the Sewaholic Tofinos. I’ve been thinking about making some summer short pjs with a Japanese cami pattern & the Measure Twice Cut Once shorts pattern!
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That sounds like a cute combo! Do you have AC in your house? Or do you sweat it out all summer?
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Just in the lounge room. The bedrooms have overhead fans.
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Just made a bunch of Hudson pants and Linden sweatshirts and am so happy to have new loungewear. I’m not much for matching so usually if one thing is a neutral I’m good. I definitely think your blue hoodie and floral pants go together!
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You know, I made some Hudsons too in the fall, and I’ve totally forgotten about them! They were both with poor quality fabric – but I should keep an eye out for fabric that would make a better pair! Thanks for reminding me about them!
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OMG, Gillian, your pajamas totally match! I don’t even want to tell you what I sleep in… OK, ratty old men’s pajama pants and some sort of ugly, oversized, free t-shirt (you get a lot of free t-shirts in the movie business and they’re always ugly). I finally threw away my only pair of women’s PJ bottoms when they split across the butt the other night!
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Hahaha – some of my pjs are equally bad, I swear!
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I’m on the same page with you – it’s nice to have matching lounge clothes. I think that it’s important to be comfy, but why not be cute too! I love your plans and I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Heather Lou has some advice about elastic in her Nettie Sewalong post if that helps: http://closetcasefiles.com/nettie-sewalong-pt-7-adding-shelf-bra-foam-cups/
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Oooh, thanks for the link! I was thinking she must have done some sort of post like that for Nettie or the swim suit, but I hadn’t looked yet!
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I like your plan! Setting goals, getting things done! I am prioritizing what patterns to make this year … It’s so impossible. It’s more like “what looks fun to make” … I haven’t even thought about making coordinating outfits! Brilliant idea!
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As a fellow person with too much quilting cotton in their stash, do you think QC would work for pjs? Too stiff, or would it wear in nicely? I’ve got so much to use up!
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Mismatched pjs for me. I have a pair of blue plaid pjs and I never wear the top and bottom together. However, I do coordinate my workout clothes
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Very sensible – more people see your workout clothes than pjs! 😉
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I’m the same in that all the things I’ve made that don’t quite work or turn out weird somehow become my at-home clothes… perhaps I should have higher standards! I did just make some Hudsons and I’ve been wearing them a ton, but I don’t have any matching tops to go with them so I’m always mismatched too. I’m interested to see what you make up.
As far as shelf bras go, it seems to me you should choose elastic based on the width you want – FOE is easy but is narrower than I like my shelf bra bands. I did get some plush-backed elastic from Sew Sassy, but I’ve also used regular elastic and just sewed it on so the fabric is next to skin and the elastic is on the outside of the bra piece. I have had success using FOE to finish the necks and armholes of pajama tanks, though – prevents them from growing!
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You’ve always got great suggestions! And thank you for reminding me what plush-back elastic was called… as I wrote this post i could picture the elastic but not what to call it! 🙂
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My pj don’t match. At. All. I like long sleeves and pants for these cold months, and I like having lots of pj pants because I work from home and it’s my daily uniform 😀 I made a pair of Margot pj bottoms and I like how comfortable they are.
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Mmmm, pjs all day, every day! Sounds pretty great! 🙂
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I love, love, love soft cotton knit maxi skirts for lounging. I so need a hoodie to go with one. That would be super comfy. I think I would be concerned about the tank straps getting stretched out if your fabric has too much 4 way stretch. You don’t want them growing in the wrong spots! I like the idea of using FOE for a shelf bra. I recent saw a blog post where someone used it to finish the neckline on a knit top, which I now must try. Hmm…perhaps that sort of finish on your tank neckline and armholes would help with any vertical stretch?
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Great suggestions! Most of my sleep tanks don’t stretch out as long as I use a folded band of fabric to finish them, but I have one tank dress what has a lined bodice instead, and half my bewb hangs out the wide of the stretched out armhole! Those definitely need to be replaced!!
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I would go with 1″ wide plush backed elastic for the bottom band of a built in shelf bra – I don’t think FOE would have the necessary oomph to keep my girls under control! I guess it depends how much support you are looking for from your bra / top.
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Thanks, Sarah! I’ll track down some 1″ plush elastic and try it out! 🙂
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I thought that these pj’s did match. I’m totally a flannel pj wearer in these cold months and I also like them to match. So I get you. I think that it’s great that you want to make some nice lounging wear….we should also get to relax in nice well made stuff too!
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Flannel does have a strong emotional appeal – so warm and cosy! I find it way to hot to sleep in though – but perfect for lounging! 🙂
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Ooh, now you’ve made me think about the state of my sleep- and loungewear, which is really sad… I mostly sleep in boxer shorts and t-shirts, the newest of which is probably 4 years old? Ahem. Maybe it’s time for another PJ party.
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This is a great plan to give you sleeping/lounging wear a boost. I’ve got to get me on this bandwagon. My sleep/lounge wear is atrocious!
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