Thursday 22 November 2018

Bananas in Pajamas! The 5 out of 4 Molly & Desmond Pajama Pattern

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? 

I think you are...

It's Pajama time!  




I lack comfy pajamas - they're old, tattered, or just don't fit.

5 out of 4 has designed the perfect fit pajamas which sew up in a jiff and have multiple options and sizing for the whole fam jam! 

Options include:
- Long or short sleeves
- Optional long sleeve cuffs
- Shorts or Pants length
- Knit or elastic waistbands
- Optional Pants cuffs
- Optional Bum panel
- Newborn to Tween, Ladies, and Mens sizing! 


We opted for ALL the options!



For the Molly, I opted for:
- Long Sleeves & Pants
- Yoga Waistband
- No Bum Panel (boo!)

I used some "faulty" lightweight cotton lycra from Water Tower Textiles for the bottoms. Apparently the lines are supposed to run horizontally, not vertically, so because of the misprint, I was able to snag this fabric at a steal (and they always have awesome clearance fabric!).

The band was a tighter cotton lycra, which is SO comfy without putting pressure on my belly.

The top is another clearance snag from Water Tower Textiles - lightweight cotton lycra - It came in at a different weight than they expected.  Due to their meticulous standards, Clearance away! 

I did use a fun Panel from the Freebies section for my top (Eat, Sleep, Sew).  As I lack a Cricut or cutting machine, I printed both of the panels onto printable fabric paper, ironed it onto white cotton lycra, and sewed it on with a zig zag stitch.

I know from the past, that this paper doesn't have longevity, so will replace it in about half a dozen washes with another cut out. I'm going to try tinkering with heat transfer vinyl sheets and cutting out cute cut files by hand and see how durable it is. Another machine isn't in the budget, so I'll experiment, as there are so many fun Cut Files from 5 out of 4 (and everywhere) that I'd like to try out.

Onto the sewing, the instructions were clear, easy to follow, and the pictures showed me what to do - perfect for those of us who are visual or have brain injuries/issues where the words sometimes don't compute (hello migraine brain 24 hours a day!).

The fit is medium loose fitting - and doesn't billow out anywhere.  I feel it's flattering...and really I could make these into regular day wear pants and they'd be perfectly comfortable and suitable.

Sweet!  Pajamas for ALL day pants!







The Desmond for Husband included:
- Shorts
- Bum Panel (because his bum is really cute!)
- Short Sleeves

Again, I used the same lightweight Black Cotton Lycra and a cute Doodles Print from Water Tower Textiles for his outfit.

Now, for the top, I did modify it to compensate for Husband's front girth (he's "normal" everywhere else).

How, you ask?

I cut the back panel at an XL shape.

THEN I cut the front panel to grade from XL at the chest up to 3XL for the waist and hips.

This led to the perfect fitting top for him without looking all billowed out. The chest fit well, but it also isn't too tight around the belly area.

I used this same method on the Rocky Tee, and it's his favourite T-shirt pattern

So, if the man in your life has essentially a beer belly, use the method above to grade JUST the front panel, and you should have the perfect fit.  Make sure to do a muslin first to ensure the fit is proper, and the length is sufficient.

If the length is still too short at the front, you can always lower the front hem with a deeper curve (so add paper to your pattern, and draw a curve from side to side). Make sure it's gradual so it doesn't look apparent, and your man will be asking you to sew clothes for him too!

And because Husband gave me a hard time about pictures, it was difficult to keep him sort of serious.

Grab your partner's behind and these patterns for the whole family and get sewing - these will make awesome Christmas gifts or everyday gifts.

And you'll have troubles getting everyone out of their pajamas!




Until next time! 



***Affiliate Links Above used - I love these patterns, and without the help of those who love their patterns, marketing would be extremely difficult for the pattern makers we love and learn to love. Affiliate links help with the hours, fabric, and tears that go behind testing each pattern in order to provide a real-person view on the patterns for you (and me!) 

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