Jalie 2686 Pajamas

Yes I know I am behind. This weekend I definitely have to get someone to take some pants shots and get those up.

In the meantime I have been making my daughter some spring PJs to wear while she is pregnant. I used Jalie 2686 which is a terrific pattern. The only changes I made were to add length because she is tall and to eliminate the back neck facing (just serged the collar on) which I feel is a bit uncomfortable in pajamas.

I love this pattern. It is so smart. I like the collar being a little rounded, a bit retro, and I love the clever waist treatment on the pants. The back is elasticized and the front has a ribbon through it. Of course being corny I made these Easter colours.

This is one of Jalie's 20 sizes in one pattern envelope patterns that I will use in many variations for different people.

Now about the white shirts.

I haven't forgotten, just detouring on things that need to get done over the next month. I am going to be making some summer dresses for a month holiday with various family members in Florida. My DH has been working straight for nearly a year (and yes that includes many, many weekends) so we have rented a place in St. Augustine and are setting him up in the yard with the BBQ.

I am going to see if I can make some of my summer dresses with PMB to expand my software repertoire.

In the meantime too I am marking, about 130 assignments and papers over the next four weeks ... any takers? I am sure I can overnight them to you wherever you are.

Good easy pull-on pants

Every once in a while I decide to make a pair of quick pull-on pants. I usually do this in the summer, at least once every summer, and it is always a disaster.

You know what I mean. Huge pouffy elastic gathered waists that ballon out when you sit down. Waists that add at least 20 pounds exactly where you are trying to lose 20 pounds. Baggy legs, droopy bums - pants that you will only wear out to take out the garbage at 11:30 at night because you forget to do it earlier.

Well, last Christmas I made my daughter some PJs from the Jalie multi-sized pattern and she was impressed with the ready-to-wear fit and the fact that they were comfortable  - but not at all home-made looking, unlike what she had seen me make in this department in the past.

So, by a stroke of genius, I pulled that pattern out and made a couple of pairs of elastic waist pants for summer, around the house, but in the daylight, wear. I dispensed with the drawstring and just put narrower elastic in that casing in the front.

Here is the muslin (not a fabric I would have chosen but fabric I had for experimental purposes.) They are not bad at all and very comfortable. Note the lack of drag lines on the inner thighs, excess fabric under the backside, and a whole lot of bunched up stuff under the elastic casing.

Will refine these a bit, add more for the mature waist, but on the face of it, I'd say we have the beginnings of a winner.