Cat Lady Tofinos

I once again broke my never ever, ever - unless the the house is on fire - go outside in my pajamas rule for you guys. I guess it's not so ironclad is it? But that's how much I love you, sewing community. Not only did I go outside, but I spent 15 minutes traipsing around my apartment complex looking for sunny spot as the sun rapidly set, earning many strange looks from the dog walkers.

I was just like, what, you've never seen a grown woman at dinnertime in flannel hipster cat pajamas before? Don't you know that October is the Cat Lady Sewing Challenge, hosted by the fabulous Erin of Miss Crayola Creepy?!

The stars really aligned for this make. I knew I needed a new snuggly pair of pajamas for this winter and I had been meaning to go back to my Sewaholic Tofino pattern, since I wear my first pair all the time. When I found this hilariously perfect hipster cat flannel on sale at Joann's shortly after Erin announced the challenge, it was just too perfect an opportunity to pass up.

This time I went all-out, and made the tie belt and piping. I love how the piping came out, but oh man is it tedious to make bias strips, piece them together, sew in the cording, and then baste the piping to the pattern pieces. I think I'll probably stick to pre-made piping in the future if I can help it.

The glasses kill me! These pajamas make me ridiculously happy.

Here are the detals:

• Pattern: Sewaholic Tofino
• Fabric: 2 3/4 yards of novelty flannel from Joann Fabric, and 1 1/2 yards of plain flannel for the piping and belt. It was suspiciously cheap, so it probably won't wear well over time, but I just couldn't resist those hipster cats!
• Sizing: 6 at the waist, blended to a 4 for the hips
• Alterations: I cut off about 1 1/2" inches (I should really write this stuff down) from the bottom. I'm 5'8" and these were way too long, so shorter ladies can definitely save some fabric and made this adjustment from the beginning.
• What I'd change for next time: Nothing! I'm not fussy about the fit of pajamas, and these are super comfortable.

As a parting gift, here's my impression of Selena Kyle (aka Catwoman), the ultimate Cat Lady. I don't know if you guys have been watching the new TV show Gotham, but her sole purpose in the show seems to be needlessly crouching all across Gotham and stealing milk for kittens. It's kind of a terrible show, in that absurd, so-bad-it's-good kind of of way, and I highly recommend it.

I can't wait to see all of the other Cat Lady makes. Until next time, dear readers!

Pyjama Party!

Hello again! I decided, a bit late in the game, to join in the Pyjama Party hosted by Karen of Did You Make That? By the time my Tofino pattern came in the mail, I had 10 days to make this happen. And, to up the difficulty level, this week I've had to unexpectedly buy a car (my husband was rear-ended and luckily he's fine but the car was not), and prepare for my in-laws to visit this weekend.

I've been a scared of pants every since I made my first pair of pajamas. They were my very first garment, and it took me weeks (literally - weeks!) and the fit was terrible. But, I've come a long way since then. I could totally do this!

Ready!

 

Set!

Go!!!

I made it! I didn't have time to head out to the 'burbs for additional supplies, so I reluctantly skipped the piping and fabric belt. It's such a fun detail and I've never made piping, so I'm going to go all out for my next pair.

I made an 10 in the waist, and then blended to a 6 in the hips, using Karen's helpful instructions. I messed up the grading in the crotch, and the pieces didn't go together perfectly. I fixed it, but the crotch ended up a little higher than the pattern intended. It's not uncomfortable though. I think next time I might do an 8 in the waist, since it's till a  little baggy.

The fabric is a floral quilting cotton I inherited from my grandmother. It's a little stiff, but I'm hoping it will soften after a couple more trips through the washer/dryer.

I broke my ironclad,  never, ever, ever, unless the house is on fire, go outside in pajamas rule for you guys. I got a lot of strange looks from my neighbors walking their dogs. Why is a grown woman being photographed in her pajamas at 5:30 pm? But totally worth it, because this is a great pattern and I definitely plan to make more.