I said brrrrr it’s cold in here! So let’s make some winter pyjamas.

Cosy winter pyjamas are an absolute joy yet I’ve never made myself a pair. Last year I attempted to make my first pair of proper pyjamas using the Butterick X Lisette B6296 pattern and I knew come winter, I’d have to make the long version for the cooler months. If you’d like to see our first and second attempts at this pattern, click here and here. As I am still on a self-imposed fabric buying ban, I also had to shop my stash which yielded a unique result.

Lisette 6296 has been around for a while and whilst I’ve already made it twice, making it for winter will be a whole new experience. For the top, I’ve opted for a size 12 and for the bottoms, a size 14 as I like the extra room on my hips. It might be worth noting that this pattern has quite a lot of pattern pieces when it comes to a simple pyjama set but the overall fit makes the extra pieces worth it.

As mentioned above, I am still on a self-imposed fabric buying ban, which, although I’ve had to get a few pieces here and there for various projects, for the most part has been going really well. For this particular project, I dove deep into my fabric stash because I knew exactly which fabric I would end up using. Last year, I bought a few meters of some bold retro-inspired flannelette for a different project, but I ended up deciding to scrap that project altogether. This meant that this flannelette had no purpose until now! Having purchased enough for what was initially going to be a house robe, I had just over 6 meters of fabric, which was perfect for cutting out all the long sleeves and pant options with heaps of spare fabric left over (might make a cute pyjama bag like Peter Alexander!). Also from my stash, I found several meters of light pink piping, which was originally intended for my second attempt at pyjamas, but I ended up going for another colour. Although this pink doesn’t match the flannelette fabric, I kind of loved the contrast and decided to use it anyway (plus it was raining too hard to drive to the store to buy piping of a different colour). The buttons for this project were also already in my stash, and I had just enough (5) to complete my pyjama top. With all our supplies gathered, it was time to sew.

So, let’s get started! Like always, I laid out my fabric folded in half so I could start cutting everything out. Because most of the pieces were long, I got to use up a fair amount of fabric, which made me really happy. As I had originally cut my paper pattern to size 12, that’s the size I kept my pyjama top at. For the bottoms, I added a little extra to the pattern to make it a size 14 as I prefer a looser fit around my hips. I’m really glad I had made this pattern before, so I knew I was making something that would fit me the way I wanted it to. This is important to highlight because I purposely made the sleeves and legs of the pants a touch longer than they should be. So I might be going crazy, but I’m pretty sure my washing machine or dryer is shrinking my clothes. With this fear constantly plaguing me, I wanted to make my pyjamas longer so they would simply take longer to shrink. I’m also a fan of longer sleeves as I like to hold onto my sleeves, and I generally need to lengthen pants anyway, so I made these adjustments when laying out my pattern pieces.

For pieces such as my sleeves and pant legs, I cut the pattern where it told me to lengthen if needed, and then I pinned it to my fabric (see above photos). For the sleeves, I added 2 inches of length to the arms, and for the legs, I added 3 inches. This did mean that some of my pattern pieces were in three separate pieces, but come this final result, I was really happy I did this.

If you’ve sewn this pattern before, or at least remember our adventures sewing it up the last few times. Lisette 6296 is now known to have a few printing errors with their pattern pieces. Piece 5, the front facing, doesn’t fit the pattern as is. The top section is too short and needs to be adjusted before cutting out. I started by adding about 2 inches of length to the pattern pieces, and once I started sewing, I could trim it down about an inch. If you need to add length to your piece, start with about an inch and a half, as you can always trim if you need to once you’ve started sewing.

I began sewing this project by starting on the pants; this pattern has an elasticated waistband, a back yoke and pockets. As I’ve not had too many chances to use or play with piping, this project gave me a chance to improve my skills but if I’m being honest, I think I keep sewing it wrong as it doesn’t always look right but it’s all part of the learning fun. I added piping to the pocket edge even though the instructions don’t tell you to do so; I think it just looked cuter and if I already have the piping then why not? The cuffs of the pants also had piping which ties everything all together. The Lisette 6296 pyjama pants came together really quick and although they looked really large at first, they actually fit really well and I loved how baggy they were; so much more comfortable for me to lounge in.

The shirt of the pyjamas has a few more fiddly steps, but overall came together quite easily in an afternoon. I’m not a huge fan of how the facing looks once added, as it just sort of hangs out and gets in the way, but I’m not sure what to do about it, to be honest. This fact also makes me want to try other pyjama patterns to see what different methods could be. This pattern would work for beginners to sewing if they are ready for a mild challenge; there’s nothing scary about the pattern, but the construction method will probably result in you trying something new, but not too difficult. The pyjama shirt also has more piping, so that’s always fun to play with, and it gave me a chance to keep practising, which is always appreciated. Overall, the top came together rather quickly, with the longest parts being the sleeves and attaching the collar and facing.

By adding an extra 2 inches of length to the sleeves, I found that they fit me just the way I like them and I could hold onto them which is something I like to do in general. The cuffs on the sleeves with the extra piping made the shirt really cute and fun and I love the front pocket. I do wish that the front pocket looked better inside as it doesn’t feel very neat but it’s a fun detail I really enjoy.

Now that I’ve made my first ever pair of winter pyjamas, I am so excited that they are big, baggy and obnoxious in their pattern print. Having only ever used flannelette to make kids toys, using it to make garments proved a really pleasant experience. The flannelette sewed like a dream, didn’t fray or shed and was simple to cut, pin and sew. It was also really forgiving for unpicking mistakes. The pattern is so loud and fun that it made me happy to wear during the colder nights of the year; it really brought a smile to my face and made me want to finally think about getting some cute house slippers for winter to match.

Happy sewing!

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