winter pajama sew-along: step 3

This post is the final entry in our four sew-along posts for footed pajamas! You are almost finished! If your pajamas are done before the 31st this year, you have the opportunity to collect a prize package! (Read more here!)

Let’s recap. Our first post concerned supplies and preparation, and our second post dealt with the first step of the pattern. For our third post, we applied the zipper to the center front.

Today, we’re finishing up with the collar. It’s a kind of uneven pacing, I’ll admit it – but I like to stick to the Jalie instructions for minimum confusion.

So today? We get to finish our super-snuggly jam-jams!

I really like the Jalie collar method, which is a little different than any I’ve used previous – and yields a very attractive finish. This is a good time to pay attention to notches! There are several notches on this collar piece, and they all insure a smooth application and good-looking results.

First, mark 1/4″ from the raw edge, as well as the center back (Figures 32 and 33). Below you can see my center front mark, as well as (at lower left) the clipped marking on the first third of the long edge:

Fold the neckline strip wrong-sides together. Pin and sew from the center front to the marked edge without stretching. Do this for both sides, and double check that the seamlines line up nicely when you zip the zipper:

Then pin the two raw edges of the collar piece to the neckline, and sew, easing the neckline into the collar. Finish the seam if you like with a second row of zig zag, then carefully trim 1/8″ from that final stitch. Be careful as you trim, as this is the sort of spot you could easily catch the body of the pajamas, and cut a hole in them!