How To Make Your Own Pyjamas: Part 2

Make your own Pyjama Bottoms Tutorial Part 2 Banner

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Hello Seam-Stars! Thanks for joining me again for the second post in our “Make your own Pyjama Bottoms” series

Yesterday’s post gave you instructions on how to make your pyjama bottom pattern. If you’ve not done that yet – you need to hop over and make your pattern pieces – otherwise this post won’t make any sense at all!

Don’t be daunted… there are videos and everything!

In this post we’re going to talk about the fabrics you can use to make your own pyjama bottoms, as well as a sewing tutorial on how to sew them up once you have created your pattern…

Supplies you will need:

Your pattern drafted from this post
2.5-3m of your chosen pyjama fabric, pre-washed (see below for options) We totally recommend using flannel fabric. (the amount required will on the size & more importantly length of your trousers – our sample is a standard UK 14/16. Once you have drafted your pattern you can work this out exactly – usually it’s waist-to-ankle measurement x 2 plus seam allowances) [We used A E Nathan – Comfy Flannel – Pink Camo]
1m of 2cm Wide Elastic [We used Hemline White Woven Ribbed Elastic 20mm]
1m of 2cm (or wider) ribbon [ Berisfords Shocking Pink Velvet Ribbon 22mm ]

Sewing Kit You Will Need:

Sewing machine
Fabric Scissors OR rotary cutter, mat & ruler
Tape Measure or ruler
Pins or Clips
Pinking Shears or rotary cutter pinking blade
Hand Sewing Needle
Basic Sewing Kit
Safety pin

Choosing fabric to make pyjama bottoms

You can use a number of different fabrics to make PJs… In our sewing tutorial we’ve used flannel fabric – and for good reason… It’s a perfect fabric choice! But not the only one…

Firstly, think about the fabric weight you’d like – you can both use lightweight or slightly heavier weight fabrics when making pyjamas – the season will determine the best choice for your garment.

We would definitely recommend natural, breathable fabrics over manmade fabrics for PJS. The exception here is manmade fleece which would be a good choice in very cold weather.

Here are our top picks for fabrics suitable for pyjamas

Flannel fabric: We LOVE flannel fabric for making pyjamas… It would be our first choice. It’s soft, warm, cosy, an easy sew & breathable – perfect for PJs! If you’re not really sure what flannel fabric is then check out our Fabric Guide To Flannel for the full low down
Quilting cotton: There’s a mind boggling choice of funky designs available in quilting cotton so you can make a garment that’s really bespoke & individual. It’s easy & stable to sew, as well as being breathable. The only downer might be the drape with some quilt cottons – some brands can be a little stiff.
Jersey – Really comfy for PJ bottoms as they stretch when you do… if you know what I mean 😉 Natural fibre jersey is the best choice. Stretch fabric does require a little special handling and a stretch or ballpoint needle is required.
Cotton lawn : Cotton lawn would make a great fabric choice for PJs – it’s lighter weight than regular quilting cotton & better suited for summer PJs. Soft, stable, better drape & breathable. Read our Guide To Cotton Lawn for more info about this fave fabric.
Viscose: if you’re after something that has loads of drape & will result in a floaty pair of PJs then viscose is a good choice BUT viscose is rather slippery to sew. If you’re a beginner Seam-Star you would be best off trying one of the other fabric choices first to save swear words. Read our viscose tips and you can decide if it’s for you…
Fleece: The season has to be right for fleece fabric pyjamas. Most (but not all) fleece is made from polyester and if you wear fleece in bed when it’s too warm you’re going to end up “glowing” in your new bottoms! Read all about fleece fabric here

Disclaimer: A note on sleepwear for children – We don’t advise making children’s nightwear, unless you source specially treated, fire resistant textiles. Many fabrics do not meet the fire retardancy requirements to be safe for children’s nightwear required under UK law

So once you’ve decided what fabric you’d like, you need to make sure you have all the supplies!

Sewing your pyjama bottoms

Important Notes:

1cm / ⅜” seam allowance throughout, unless directed.
Prepare your fabrics as per manufacturer’s care advice.
For steps using machine sewing, straight stitch, backstitching at the start & end using stitch length 2.5 unless otherwise stated.
We have used an overlocker to finish the seams & prevent fraying, but you can refer to this post if you do not have an overlocker for alternative seam finishing methods.
RST = Right Sides Together.
WST = Wrong Sides Together.
Read through the instructions fully before starting.

Cutting Your fabrics & notions

Cut out your prepared paper pattern, including the seam allowances.

You may wish to transfer the paper pattern to manilla template card for easier tracing or if you think you will make multiple pairs of pyjamas.

Alternatively trace the final pattern pieces more neatly & boldly on a fresh piece of pattern paper if your original pattern is a little scruffy.

Cutting Out:

From The Flannel Fabric Cut:

1 x Mirrored Pair of trouser fronts from your prepared pattern

1 x Mirrored Pair of trouser backs from your prepared pattern

1 x Length of elastic that fits your waist measurement

Sewing together the pyjama bottoms

Place one front leg & one back leg RST . Pin down the long outer edge & sew. Overlock/ seam finish as desired (check out our post here for more info on seam finishing without an overlocker).