Crafty Bloggers' Club - Sally's PJ Bottoms and Simple Tee Loungewear Set
This weeks Crafty Bloggers' Club post is from Sally. You can find more of her makes on Instagram @theyorkshiresewist
Hi All! How are we all doing in Lockdown 3.0? I don't know about you but I am no way inclined to make pretty dresses that no one else will see at the moment. So I have decided for the foreseeable that I am making comfy yet classy looking loungewear. When Kim asked me if I would like to blog for Crafty Sew and So for February, I didn’t have to think twice. I chose to make the My Handmade Wardrobe Simple Tee and Crafty Sew&So PJ Bottoms.
After scrolling through the vast amount of pretty fabrics on offer, I originally decided on one fabric for the T-shirt, but Sarah suggested an alternative - a French Terry in Blue - and I am glad she did as it matches the flowers in the PJ Bottom fabric perfectly.
The Helen Floral Viscose Poplin is beautiful. It drapes really well but behaves really well when cutting and sewing considering it's a viscose.
Both patterns are available in PDF format and the PJ bottoms are available in paper format too. I like PDF as they are available instantly, so I can then crack on with making my garments. There isn’t a load of cutting and sticking to be honest and they came together quite quickly.
I decided to make a pocket to add to my T-shirt. I printed out the patch pocket from the PJ Bottoms pattern and reduced the scale to 60%. When it came to constructing the pocket itself, I used a 1cm seam allowance. I then put the pattern piece on me to see where the pocket would go and marked where it would be sewn onto with tailors' chalk.
For the T-shirt, I cut out a medium size for the shoulders and graded to a large from the bust down and I only used 1m of fabric 150cm wide. With the fabric being extra wide, I used the double fold method to get the most out of the fabric to reduce waste.
For the PJ Bottoms, I started with a large size for the waist and graded to a XL to the hips. To take into consideration my height (I'm only 5 foot 1.5") I did have to take some length off the bottoms - 4.5 inches to be exact. I had some scraps left over from 2.5m of the fabric which was 144cm wide.
The Start as You Mean to Sew On Tote Bag that was in the parcel of goodies I received came in handy as a project bag to keep everything all together. Even when I had to leave it for a couple of days, I knew the contents would be safe - well as safe as they can be with a house full of boys and a cat!
The instructions for both the Simple Tee and the PJ Bottoms were really clear. I really like the instruction of finishing the seams on the PJ Bottoms before construction. It meant that they could be sewn together really quickly.
I like to stabilize my shoulder seams when it comes to sewing jersey, so I used some clear elastic whilst sewing the front and back top together in the seam allowance.
For the Simple Tee, I decided to live dangerously and picked out some black ribbing for the neckband. To top it off, I even opted for black topstitching too using my twin needle. It's a good job I took my time with as it sets the top off a treat, along with the patch pocket.
I am a garment label addict, so I had to put some in my makes which were quite apt as I cut my finger when cutting out. "Slowly does it" as I took my time with them and really enjoyed the process.
When it comes to hemming my garments, I really like the double fold method as it helps to give the hem some weight and not flip out.
So here are my classy yet comfy loungewear, I feel like I should have a gin in my hand rather than a cuppa. The fit is spot on and I would really recommend using these patterns to make your own lockdown loungewear.
Happy Sewing!
Sally x
“Crafty Bloggers' Club Contributors are given products and materials to test from Crafty Sew&So. We hope you enjoy their honest and impartial reviews of the products. All opinions are their own.”