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winter pajama sew-along: step 3

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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!

Snuggle!

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winter pajama sew-along: step 2

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This post is the third in a total entry of four sew-along posts for footed pajamas! Our first post concerned supplies and preparation, and our second post dealt with the first step of the pattern. Remember, this sew-along finishes its first round on the last day of December 2015 – and I have a very lovely prize challenge for one completist! (Read more in my first comment!)

Today, we’re applying the zipper to the center front. I not only do it a little differently than the pattern, I have a few alternate suggestions.

Please read ahead before stitching:

Winter Pajama Sew-Along Badge

winter pajama sew-along: step 1

Today’s the day!

We start our
Winter Pajama Sew-Along Badge

And – as an early Christmas present – I’m offering all sew-along posts at once! I am also offering a prize package to anyone who completes the sew-along this year. Please read my first comment, for more information.

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This post is the second in a total entry of four sew-along posts for footed pajamas! Our first post concerned supplies and preparation. If you want automatic updates on the sew-along, you must send your email address to kelly@hogaboom.org.

OK? Let’s go!

Winter Pajama Sew-Along Badge

winter pajama sew-along: supplies

The cold weather suddenly slammed us and it became glaringly obvious:

TIME TO SEW UP SO MANY COZY PAJAMAS!!
Winter Pajama Sew-Along Badge

AWWWW YISSSSS!

Very Cozy
This is a quick sew-along, for those of you who’d like to have some special crafting time during the holiday. We start sewing December 1st and will be done by the 15th. I am offering a prize package upon completion! (Read more in this post’s first comment!)

And this is super-important:

For the best updates on the sew-along and the prize challenge, you must send your email address to kelly@hogaboom.org.

OK? OK!

The supply list is short and sweet. We need the following: your pattern, fabrics, a zipper, 1/2 yard of 3/8″ elastic, thread, and appropriate needle. Read on:

Winter Pajama Sew-Along
From top left, clockwise: Jalie pattern, Classic Footed Pajama pattern (rolled), velour fabric in a bright green-yellow, Tough-Tek non-slip fabric, thread, 3/8″ elastic, and a dress-weight zipper.

Pattern:
I am supporting two patterns for this sew-along: Jalie 3244 (size 12 months to women’s 22) and Peek-a-boo’s Classic Footed Pajama (for size newborn to 12 years). I will be demonstrating the center zip application, not the inseam zipper application.

You can buy either pattern, or both, depending on which size range appeals to you. I will be following Jalie’s instructions and diagrams for construction (along with, of course, my personal preferences and improvements); the Peek-a-boo pattern will be used for the pattern blocks for smaller sizes.

Yes, I can’t get enough of Jalie! Do I sew with other patterns? Oh heck, yes. Have I met another pattern company with as large a size range? Not yet! And since I like sew-alongs to be as inclusive as possible, I favor large size ranges. Jalie has it all, though. Their patterns are stylish, timeless, well-drafted, and come with excellent instructions and line drawings. This pattern also comes in a printed version, or a PDF version. They can’t be beat! (NAYY, I am just a huge fan!)

OK. So:

Fabrics:
We need three fabrics: the main fabric, ribbing, and a non-skid fabric for the footie soles.

So first: we are sewing with knits again! If you aren’t familiar with sewing with knits, or if you have had bad experiences, I recommend taking a deep breath, getting a cup of tea, and taking a couple minutes to read through my new-to-knits post, as well as – if you like – my other knit tutorials. Sewing with knit fabrics is not rocket science. But there are a few things to keep in mind – and trust me, the more experienced you get, the more you’ll love these fabrics!

The pattern recommends a main fabric with 30% stretch across the grain, and some mechanical stretch lengthwise. This first requirement is simple to determine: grip two points on the crossgrain of the fabric five inches apart, and stretch. The fabric will need to stretch to at least six and a half inches comfortably. For the length, you merely need the fabric to stretch a little. Most knits will. If the knit has good stretch and good recovery (it doesn’t “bag out” over the day as you wear it) – you have hit the jackpot for optimum PJ comfort!

For fabric yardage, consult the back of the pattern. Measure your intended client at their chest and inseam. Determine their size based on each – and use the largest yardage requirement between the two. I will be discussing how to grade the pattern when your chest and inseam are different sizes (in other words if you’re sewing for someone lanky or husky, or whatever term you like), during my first sewing post. Remember though – this is a relaxed-fit pajama, we are not fitting for a red carpet gown!

Jalie 3244: Step 1

So on the back of the pattern,  you will find the yardage of 59″ wide knit fabric you need to purchase for your size, as well as ribbing requirements for the sleeve cuff and, if you are skipping the footed part of the PJ, the ankle-cuff. In my case, I am using self-fabric for the sleeve ribbing. Self-fabric is a softer option with a less firm “grip” than most ribbings.

Finally – besides the main fabric(s) and the ribbing (if you’re using ribbing), you need a non-slip fabric. There are many different non-skid fabrics out there – and you might find some in surprising places. For example, you can find a red and black version that is a favorite of Émilie from Jalie Patterns at PajamaCity.com; FeatheredNest97030 on Etsy carries a black, swiss-dot version. Softer versions make a better looking curved foot seam; heavy duty versions will last longer.

After some shopping and review, I chose the ToughTek fabric from Two of A Kind Supplies on Etsy. To that end – yay! – shop owner Kate has generously donated a 10% off coupon for her shop, for those participating in the sew-along. You need to email me if you’d like this coupon.

Zipper:
The back of the pattern also lists the size of zipper you need at the lower right in a table. I purchased mine from Zipperstop using my super-awesome color card.

Elastic:
Elastic is used in the back of the foot, for the footed version. Anything between 1/4″ to 1/2″ will work fine, but 3/8″ is ideal.

Thread:
I use a cotton-wrapped poly for most my apparel. I tend to favor Mettler, but I also buy whatever is available to me when I’m in a pinch. Bargain-basement or old thread is a no-no, but Coats & Clark is fine – this is what I’m using here. I will be zig-zag finishing my seams.

Needles:
The correct needle depends on the fabric you are using. In general, a jersey or ballpoint needle is best for natural-based stretch fabrics (wool, cotton, linen, etc), while a stretch needle will work well for synthetic stretch fabrics.

Notions:
You will need a few other supplies: a tracing medium, interfacing and stabilizer.

You can trace with almost anything, and we could debate the merits for quite some time. You can use Swedish Tracing Medium, tissue paper, project paper from the copy supply store, newsprint, or – my personal favorite – sew-in interfacing.

I will be interfacing the seam allowance where the zipper is installed, as well as the cuffs.

I never sew knits without several kinds of washaway stabilizer. If nothing else, I use them to start and finish construction seams (I will be demonstrating the process). 

What are washaway stabilizers? They are simply non-woven, non-knit products that stabilize either under or on top of the work, while we stitch, then are washed out with water and gentle agitation (or laundering). They make for better results on knits, and even the oldest, most antiquated zig zag sewing machine can sew knits easily using these methods. When it comes to washaway stabilizers, I always have a sticky and non-stick version on hand. I use Solvy’s Fabri Sticky Solvy (in a roll as well as printable sheets), and (for non-stick) Vilene plus. Bonus: the non-stick version can even be dissolved and painted on knit seam allowances to make for stable sewing – far cheaper than buying a stabilizing spray.

So – yeah. Pretty cool, huh?

Our sew-along starts December 1st. In the meantime, if you have any questions you can email, @kellyhogaboom on Twitter, or comment here. Please read the first comment, if you think you’ll be done sewing your pajamas by December 31st, and if you’d like to be entered in the prize challenge – lovely fabric goodies from Mood Fabrics, Nature’s Fabrics, and Jalie!

For those of you who celebrate the holidays – this time of year can get pretty overwhelming. I am wishing you a serene, lovely few months!

Save The Date: Jalie Hoodie Sew-Along

supply list: jalie sew-along

Edit November 2015: the sew-along is finished! Below you can reach the different parts of the sew-along by clicking on an image. The tagset “jalie hoodie sew-along” contains any and all posts relating to the sew-along. Enjoy!

sal-m-1 sal-m-2
sal-m-3 sal-m-4 sal-m-5 sal-m-6
sal-m-7 sal-m-8
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Save The Date: Jalie Hoodie Sew-Along
Are you ready?

BONESAW IS READYAWWWW YEAH!

Four our Jalie hoodie, the supply list is short and sweet. We need the following: your Jalie pattern, hoodie fabric, separating zipper, thread, and appropriate needle. Read on:

Jalie Hoodie Sew-Along: Supply List
From top to bottom: Jalie pattern, hoodie fabrics of sage velour and two cotton knits, separating zipper, thread, label, and jersey needles.

Pattern:
As I’ve previously mentioned, Jalie is moving their catalog to .pdf option, which is fabulous. More and more pattern companies are offering .pdf versions in large-scale – for printing on a plotter. Jalie isn’t yet doing this size, so my partner takes the pdf pages and “pastes” them, then we send it to the copy shop. This can be done for most electronic patterns, although some are easier than others – and some sites, like sewingpatterns.com, have such stringent copyright protection it is too troublesome to try.

Fabric:
First, if you aren’t familiar with sewing with knits, or if you have had bad experiences, I recommend taking a deep breath, getting a cup of tea, and taking a couple minutes to read through my new-to-knits post, as well as – if you like – my other knit tutorials. Sewing with knit fabrics is not rocket science. But there are a few things to keep in mind – and trust me, the more experienced you get, the more you’ll love these fabrics!

The pattern recommends fabrics with 25% four-way stretch. This means the knit has to stretch at least 25% in both the lengthwise and crosswise grain. This is simple to determine: grip two points on the crossgrain of the fabric four inches apart, and stretch. The fabric will need to stretch to at least five inches comfortably.

The pattern also recommends lengthwise stretch at 25%. In my case, my fabric barely qualifies. But since the lengthwise stretch is far less important to comfort than crosswise for this garment (fitted tights and swimsuits, for instance, really do need to take lengthwise grain into consideration), I figure I’m good to go.

For fabric yardage, I highly recommend looking at the pattern back. Measure your intended client at the bust, waist, and hip. Determine their size. If they are between sizes, use the largest size measurement for yardage. For instance, my daughter is a size S at bust and waist and T at hip, so I elected to make a size T, and grade up to a size U at hip.

On the back of the pattern,  you will find the yardage of 59″ wide knit fabric you need to purchase for your size.

Zipper:
The back of the pattern also lists the size of separating zipper you need at the lower right in a table. You can buy a separating zipper at your craft or fabric shop, but keep in mind separating zipper selection is usually pretty small. I purchased mine from zipperstop (more in a moment about that).

Thread:
I use a cotton-wrapped poly for most my apparel. I tend to favor Mettler, but I also buy whatever is available to me when I’m in a pinch. Bargain-basement or old thread is a no-no, but Coats & Clark is fine. I will be serge-finishing my seams (so I need thread for my serger); but zig-zag finishing or leaving them unfinished is probably fine, too. Test samples on your fabric and see what you think!

Needles:
The correct needle depends on the fabric you are using. In general, a jersey or ballpoint needle is best for natural-based stretch fabrics (wool, cotton, linen, etc), while a stretch needle will work well for synthetic stretch fabrics.

Notions:
You will need a few other supplies: a tracing medium, interfacing and stabilizer.

You can trace with almost anything, and we could debate the merits for quite some time. You can use Swedish Tracing Medium, tissue paper, project paper from the copy supply store, newsprint, or – my personal favorite – sew-in interfacing.

I will be interfacing the pocket welts (piece H) as well as 1″ along all pattern piece edges we install the zipper to (so: the collar [L], front [A], and waistband [N] pieces). This is a small amount of interfacing – purchase 1/4″ in case you mess up. As for types of interfacing, select either knit or lightweight weft varieties (for all my interfacings, I use Pat Erny’s fabulous products at Fashion Sewing Supply). You don’t need a stretch knit for these interfacings because the bits we are interfacing, don’t need to stretch.

I never sew knits without several kinds of washaway stabilizer. Washaway stabilizers are simply non-woven, non-knit products that stabilize either under or on top of the work, while we stitch, then are washed out with water and gentle agitation (or laundering). They make for better results on knits, and even the oldest, most antiquated zig zag sewing machine can sew knits easily using these methods. When it comes to washaway stabilizers, I always have a sticky and non-stick version on hand. I use Solvy’s Fabri Sticky Solvy (in a roll as well as printable sheets), and (for non-stick) Vilene plus. Bonus: the non-stick version can even be dissolved and painted on knit seam allowances to make for stable sewing – far cheaper than buying a stabilizing spray.

And now – OH MY GOSH. Let me tell you about a little sumthin’-sumthin’ I treated myself to: the YKK sample book, containing ALL the zipper fabric shades they make. It can be hard to perfectly-match a zipper, but it’s something I need to do! And now, I have that power IN MY VERY HANDS! muah-ha-ha-HA!

Jalie Hoodie Sew-Along: Supply List
Jalie Hoodie Sew-Along: Supply List
Jalie Hoodie Sew-Along: Supply List
So – yeah. Pretty cool, huh?

Our sew-along starts October 1st. In the meantime, if you have any questions you can email, @kellyhogaboom on Twitter, or comment here. If you like, add a badge to your blog, or subscribe to the sew-a-long updates via RSS!

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Sew-A-Long ONLY rss feed | “jalie hoodie sew-along” ONLY rss feed

 
Save The Date: Jalie Hoodie Sew-Along

save the date: Jalie hoodie sew-along, October 1, 2015

Edit November 2015: the sew-along is finished! Below you can reach the different parts of the sew-along by clicking on an image. The tagset “jalie hoodie sew-along” contains any and all posts relating to the sew-along. Enjoy!

sal-m-1 sal-m-2
sal-m-3 sal-m-4 sal-m-5 sal-m-6
sal-m-7 sal-m-8
***

Save The Date: Jalie Hoodie Sew-Along
It’s time for another sew-along! Save the date for October 1st, and plan to finish your new hoodie by Halloween. My next posts will over the next week – supplies posts. If you’d like to join the sew-along and receive a fabric coupon (see below), please comment here!

October is a wild month, both in terms of weather here in the Pacific Northwest, and lovely Halloweeny fun! So to that end:

Save The Date: Jalie Hoodie Sew-Along

Cotton velours in Halloween colorways!

Those of you who join the sew-along, I have a 10% coupon for you to use from Nature’s Fabrics (with their blessing), should you want to buy one of their amazing fabrics. They have a wonderful selection and are very accommodating.

As to the pattern: after some queries to the sewing public at large, I selected Jalie 2795: a zip-up, raglan-sleeve, offering with gender-neutral detailing. Jalie’s drafting is perfect, and their size range is huge: 27 sizes (a size 2T to a 50″ bust). If you are new to sewing, you can get your feet wet by making a small-size hoodie for a child or a friend’s child (consider a freezer-paper motif!). The larger size range also means you can buy one pattern and sew for the family!

Best of all, perhaps: Jalie is converting more and more of their catalog to a PDF form: which means you can buy the pattern from where you sit, and print it from home.

Early September I’ll post a supply list, so we all have plenty of time to get what we need before adventuring forth. In the meantime, if you have any questions you can email, @kellyhogaboom on Twitter, or comment here.

Jalie 2795: Pattern Front
Jalie 2795: Pattern Back

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Make sure to add a badge to your blog, and to subscribe to the sew-a-long updates!
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