Wednesday 5 August 2015

PJ time!! (and GIVE-AWAY time!)

(Give-away is now closed.)
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Finally, right??

Ok ok! Today's my Birthday and it's been a year since I told you all I was having a give-away to celebrate both myself and this blog. Instead of being embarrassed (like any normal person), this year I am making this a two-winner show! Win win (pun intened)! This blog is now twice the age it was last year (and luckily, I'm not), so it only seemed logical. But we'll get to that later on.





Firstly, my Carolyn Pajamas! Behold!
A birthday is mostly associated with swoonworthy partydresses, but since those dresses obviously didn't want me to make them, we're having a PJ-party instead!
This is version C of the lovely lounging set by Closet Case Files.





This pattern was great! It is a classic pajama with cuffs and piping and pockets, but with a slight feminin shape to the shirt, so not too boxy. The shorts are just the right kind of short, with an elasticated waist, has a faux fly front and pockets. My set is even more classic looking with this striped seersucker fabric I bought online from Croft Mill. This fabric is very light and breezy, and my initial plan to make a sundress out of it, was quickly discarded due to it's slight see through nature. But for these PJs; perfect!





The avid stripe-matchers among you will no doubt instantly spot that my stripes AREN'T matching, and just know that I am totally ok with it! The multi colored stripes were impossible to figure out during cutting, and finding the centre? Forget it! I spent an entire afternoon on the floor, sweating and cursing like a sailor, trying to get it right. Top tip for matching multicolored stripes when cutting a double layer; fold your fabric on the cross grain. Now the different colored stripes lay on top of themselves, and pieces cut on the fold is done separately (folding on grain). Use lots of pins all over your fabric piece, to prevent things from shifting as you cut.


Absolutely baffled by this one....!



Just to illustrate; above, you see the breast pocket. Now follow the stripes from left to right. Matching....matching....matching....not matching. Wth ? How can that be?! I swear, those two stripes changed places, just to tick me off! So cuffs, and pockets, I didn't line up, but I did my best on the collar, and also on the seat of the shorts.


Proof that I did match something!





The piping business was news to me, never done that before. I made my own, from scraps after my pink shirt, to give it a good contrast. I was a little hesitant going so bold, 'cause if you mess up the piping in screaming pink, people are going to notice :)
However, it all went wonderful, and I love the look! I now want piping on everything :)





As proud as I am about the piping, I am even more proud of the insides of my PJs. I could wear this inside out and not be ashamed :) Everything is finished with french seams, or narrow self bias binding. Now I really can appreciate how far my sewing has come, since I first started :)


Nice and tidy, I sure like that!


I have been living in these since I finished them, and when they were in the wash, I was just lost.... I guess that means I need more of these. I plan to make at least one other version with long bottoms and maybe long sleeves. A silk one would be lush too, just need to find the *right* fabric (and the dosh) for it.





Right, over to the give-away! Yay!
To join the raffle, you just need to be following my blog, and also add a comment below telling me your fondest Birthday memory. It could be one of your own B-days, or someone elses, pets and family all apply:)

This party is open for one week (closes Aug 12th at 23.59 CET), and two winners will be drawn at random. The gifts might be revealed when the winners are announced, as I always thought presents should be surprises. I can say though, that there will be fabric involved, and quite possibly a pattern ;)




Be Zen until then ;) Best of luck to all of you!

12 comments:

  1. I love the piping! And great pattern matching ;) I love it when the inside looks very neat with french seams or seam binding.

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  2. Gratulerer! Hipp hurra! Og kjempefin pysj.

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  3. For my birthdays my mother always makes the same party foods that I had from when I was little - I love that nothing has changed over the years and I still get jelly and cake (and lots of other things) on my brithday! (I follow with bloglovin) x

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  4. Happy belated birthday, Siri! How could I miss?!?! You PJ looks wonderful, I wish I had one - but then, I prefer PJs made from jersey material. However, the piping looks great, I am currently making a blouse with some piping. It's really that extra bit that makes a garment special.

    I have many beautiful birthday memories from my childhood. My parents have a graden, and my mom never missed to make the most wonderful bunches of flowers for me and a homemade cake. The cakes usually were topped with flowers and ladybugs made of sugar icing. The two delicious perfumes - the flowers and the cake - would be just the cherry on top of my birthdays. Usually, there were lupines, and to this day, lupines and sugar ladybugs remind me of my childhood birthdays.

    You're blog is linked on my own blog... :-)

    Best birthday wishes from sunny Switzerland!

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  5. Your pajama set looks terrific, you did a wonderful job finishing the inside as well! On my birthdays I enjoyed seeing family and friends that we only saw a few times a year. It was nice to see everyone enjoying one another's company.

    Happy Birthday
    Marie

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  6. Happy Birthday Siri!! Love the pjs they look fantastic! The pink pipping really makes them special. You did a great job on the matching and who cares if some parts don't match? :D RTW never cares!

    My most fond BDay memory is when I met my now husband. It was my 25th and I won't say how long ago that was!!! LOL I hope you had a great day!

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  7. Your pjs are soooo cute. Isn't it wonderful when we make something that we just can't wear enough?
    My fondest birthday memories are my husband's birthdays. We usually spend the day skiing, laughing and just having fun. Then the day is topped off with a special dinner. Bliss :)
    A belated but heartfelt happy birthday. Wish I was close enough to give you a birthday hug 😊

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  8. Happy birthday Siri!
    I love your pjs, what a great job too, it must feel so wonderful wearing them every time :) I do enjoy your blog, your style and sewing is so like my own, well it seems like it :)
    I didn't have birthdays as a child, and the best birthday memory is my 7 year old daughter's birthday, she helped sew most of her birthday dress, she helped design and make the red velvet rose cake...she was so happy and so proud! We had a picnic at the beach and she loved her dress.
    Thanks, Angela xx

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  9. What a great giveaway. Enjoying reading all the stories.
    My fondest memory is the surprise party my mom threw me for my 16th.
    We had been fighting - teenage angst on my part - and she had grounded me home. Super surprised when she told me to come out and the house was totally decorated!
    I should have been out of the house but I was being such a little shite. :-)

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  10. I love that the give away is a surprise! That is fabulous. My birthday is in the summer and we would always grill out. Plus my dad bakes so one of his over the top cakes was always present!

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  11. Happy belated birthday :) Those jammies look super comfy! Light and airy, perfect for summer. At the moment I'm restoring a spring/autumn coat I've owned for some 20 years. Rather a large project since all the seams need to be re-stitched and bound, and it needs a new lining. I do enjoy it though. Hopefully it will prolong the life of the garment (it's from the 30's). My favourite birthday memory is my 32nd birthday. I had been going out with my boyfriend (now husband) for 3 months by then. The day before my birthday we were invited to a wedding just outside of Paris, so we went down there a few days before the wedding. The wedding was gorgeous, held in medieval style, with madrigals and all. The next day, on my birthday we went into Paris, had ice cream in Montmartre, walked along the Seine and visited the Notre Dame where my husband did a hysterical impression of the hunchback of Notre Dame. I almost fell on my arse when he set off down the isle, crying "the bells, the bells".

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  12. I love birthdays, and I love the PJs. I had a little shortie jumpsuit/playsuit of seersucker when I was in high school that I as PJs. I couldn't believe how soft and comfy the seersucker was. I've always wanted another one. Maybe now is the time.
    I remember turning three or four. I woke up and asked "Is today my birthday?" for a few days before the day arrived. Then I had a birthday party and got a doctor's bag. I have a snapshot of me, a couple of friends and my little brother with those little plastic doctor glasses perched on his nose. Pretty darn cute.

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