Saturday, April 28, 2012

jim jams



YEP I'm wearing my PJs on the Internet (hello, employers of the future). After some waffling, I finally decided to join Karen's Pyjama Party. What good is a pajama party without waffles, anyway, right?


I wasn't planning on participating at first because I didn't think pajamas were a priority wardrobe item for me. But then I decided to truly assess the situation and I came to a very different conclusion. Also, I felt left out; there's like 10,000 bloggers in on this craziness.

The past few winters, I've made do with some size XXL Old Navy men's red flannel pants with a polar bear print. I don't really remember where these even came from... I think my best friend gave them to me? Why? Anyway, they have elastic in the waist but they're so big as is, the elastic is nonfunctional for me and I have to forcefully yank the drawstrings together to keep them up: 


I used to think the print was funny and cute, but it's kind of a sad image when you think about it... endangered polar bears stuck on tiny floating blocks of ice, lonely and starving:


I have a weak heart for cartoon PJ bears. Anyway, when it's not freezing at night, I usually wear some knit yoga pants that have paint splattered all over them from a long-ago apartment makeover. They also have holes in unfortunate places. I used to staple the crotch together to hide the holes. Staples, people. Staples create even more holes in fabric, did you know? I haven't even bothered to fix them now that I do actually use a sewing machine regularly. Does anyone else do the same nonsensical thing -- where you have existing clothes that need basic fixes, but you'd much rather start a whole new garment from scratch? Not like these pants are worth fixing anyway: 


Wow, I AM A TRUE SLEEPING BEAUTY.

Okay, fine, these just cannot do anymore. I need new jim jams! Karen's PJ sewing party came at a good time because my boyf and I are (currently) out of town this weekend and I really needed something that's not enormous or torn to shreds to wear overnight in someone else's home. And I have a reunion of sorts with some college buddies in a lakehouse this summer, which will basically be one long PJ party (there will most definitely be waffles -- the waffle iron was promised). I must have something decent to wear when we're all sipping espresso on the screen porch in the late mornings. Must! 



Surprise, they're blue. And plaid, which I matched halfheartedly so the print is kinda asymmetrical. I bought this 80s fabric from Etsy awhile ago. I underlined it with white cotton. There's an elastic casing. What else is there to say? 

I will say that I am perplexed by the amount of patterns out there that are supposed to be "sportswear separates" but are just pajama pants! I looked in my stash and I already had these: 


I think I only bought that second pattern because I thought the model had cool hair. 

But, seriously? Does Simplicity expect us to wear these elastic waist/drawstring cotton pants with a blazer to the office?: 


The 21st century power suit. 

Well, at least I didn't have to buy a new pajama pants pattern for this sew-along. I decided to use New Look 6013 because of the wider leg. I made em pretty long. 


And because I don't have enough humiliating photos in this post, I must leave you with the following. Only I could find a way to botch up the simplest thing there is to sew in the world. Somehow I sewed the side seams incorrectly the first time around. I couldn't stop cracking up last night when I realized my Oompa Loompa mistake, and I had to model them for you: 


I sewed the side to the side instead of the front to the back, or something, so they were upside down and all roundabout. A+ seamstress right here. That's what I get for trying to watch TV while sewing... how do people do it? It's obviously a bad idea for me to keep looking away from my sewing project to watch the screen. Please tell me I'm not the only fool who's accidentally made Hammerpants while distracted by reality shows.