Hi all. In these rather uncertain times, I wasn’t sure whether to blog but I felt the need to write this morning so I thought I’d give it a go.

On an average day, the crafting communities are a great support but we’re really pulling together at the moment. My small contribution to this is for those of you who are getting used to a new way of working from home (wfh). I bring you…..a comfortable “tartan business suit”. I stole that phrase from my sister who said pjs like this always remind her of suits. The Carolyn pjs by Closet Case Patterns, are the very definition of smart-casual, complete with collar and cuffs!

Fabric

I bought a brushed cotton duvet set online as a way of getting enough “wearable toile” fabric at a good price. Is it technically refashioning if you buy something with the sole purpose of using it for a different purpose?

Whilst sewing these pjs, I was reminded of how obedient cotton is. I sew quite a lot of knits and viscose and it was nice to get back to basics with a less mobile cotton.

Adjustments – planned and unplanned!

If you’re making the Carolyn pjs, make sure you check out Closet Case Patterns’ errata page as there are a few things to consider. Nothing major, but it saves a bit of head-scratching if you check that page out before getting started.

I made a size 10 for the top, shortened the bodice by 1.5″ and shortened the sleeves by 2″. As these are pjs, I was more relaxed about the fitting and just held the pattern pieces up against my body and said “that’ll do”. A surprisingly effective technique!

For the bottoms, I shortened the legs by 5.5″. If I made these again (which I probably will), I’ll add an inch back on as they’re a smidge too short…and that’s a problem I’ve never had in my life to date!

My unplanned adjustment was “improvising” the breast pockets. I still don’t quite know where I went wrong but I realised that I hadn’t followed the instructions and just made it up. The important thing it that I still have pockets at the end of it.

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Finishes

One of my favourite details in this pattern is the finishes. The cuffs and waistband are all enclosed, which means there are fewer raw edges. I struggle to finish fiddly sections, like cuffs, on my overlocker as I’ve only been using it for a year. The result of this can be slightly messy raw edges. This pattern encloses as many edges as possible, which is ace. I chose to use the striped side of the duvet cover for the details – pocket facings, cuffs, collar, pockets. Partly because of fabric allowance, partly a style choice. I also didn’t do the piping in the pattern – I’ll be honest with you, I couldn’t be bothered!

This amazing rainbow overlocker thread is a cheery detail that makes me smile. Although I realised today that they have a purple mix, which would have been even better for this make.

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And finally, here’s a picture of me sitting on our quilt that I made. My husband deemed the set-up “too purple” and said I blended in. Thanks for reading, stay healthy :o)