How To Make Pajama Pants

Let me show you how to make your own Pajama Pants! Courtesy of Pink Moon Books’ new Loungewear division 🙂

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A pair of sacrificial pants (unless you can figure out how to make a pattern off them without cutting them apart).
• Fabric that is similar to those pants, i.e. knit (like for T-shirts) or woven (like for flannel pajamas + such).
  • If you’re using a knit, it will be important to note how stretchy it is, compared to the pants you are using for the pattern.
  • The knit yellow fabric I used has no lycra in it, so I gave myself extra room on all of the seam allowances.
• Scissors, pins, a marker, a ruler + a place to lay out your project (I often work on the floor).
• Sewing machine and/or needle + thread.

#1. Cut the waistband off the pants IF you want to.

• I cut the waistband off these old yoga pants because I can still use it. It’s the legs that are threadbare.
• If you do not need/want to cut off the waistband, you’ll add extra seam allowance to the waist area of your pattern.

#2. Cut the pants apart. These had seams on the inside of the leg and the crotch.

• Mark the front leg (I just put ‘F’ on it. Also, I often make notes right on the fabric, or pin on a note, if I don’t plan to create a paper pattern off the pants).

#3. Find the grain of the fabric. (Oh, gosh, this is a lesson in itself…)

• You’ll need 2 layers of fabric. Your work will go faster if you put the right sides together.
• On my stretchy old pants, I placed the yard stick ruler underneath the approximate grain of the knit, then pinned the pants to the fabric to hold the pieces in place.

#4. Pin the open pant leg to your fabric + mark the seam allowance.

• I added 1″ on the side + crotch seams, 2″ at the bottom, 2″ at the top because the fabric I chose is not as stretchy as the yoga pants. Plus, I’ve been sitting on my butt for months, writing. Sigh.)
• If you plan to do a folded waistband + then add a drawstring or elastic, you will need to add a few inches to the waist area of the pattern.
• Excess fabric can always be trimmed. Or, your pajama pants can become hip-huggers!

#5. Follow the dots of your seam allowance lie, cut out your pants!

#6. Putting the GOOD sides of the fabric together, stitch the 2 front crotch seams + the 2 back crotch seams.

• Open the pieces so they look like the pants they are becoming (poetic, I know…) + pin, then stitch, the inner leg seams.
• I used a serger for these pants. You can use a regular sewing machine. You can even hand sew!

#7. Turn right side out + try them on.

Instructions on how to add a waistband + hem the bottoms to follow.

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