Plus size Pajamas- Which will be better?

There was a lot of work that went into sewing something you sleep in, this is what I told myself as I sewed the yards and yards of piping onto my pajamas. I told my sewing friends, I’m not making anymore pajamas . Well, I after I thought about it, I figured, I can make them without all the piping, and they will be fine, so maybe I will make more because the fit on these, and the quality of the fabric is  . You would be proud, I had the right buttons to sew this shirt, I don’t know why I’m always looking for buttons when it’s time to sew…

I realized, there are somethings as a sewist, you just don’t enjoy making, undergarments and bathing suits are some of mine. I don’t know, I just don’t really enjoy making them or I didn’t like the outcome; either way, lingerie is my least favorite thing to sew at the moment, and I’ve sewn quite a few pieces. I think the only thing I enjoyed make was a silk slip, and well it’s literally the easiest thing to make LOL. We all have things we like and dislike sewing for whatever reason, maybe I’ll sew more lingerie or a bathing suit in the future but for now, I’m good on those two things. Back to piping, although piping is a pain, it serves it’s purpose, and I don’t hate sewing it, I just need to have patience and enjoy the processes! So I will recant my earlier statement, I will make more pajamas .

I’ve made the Closet Core Carolyn pajamas recently, and I wanted to compare them to the Cashmerette Fisk Pajamas. I’m a sleep shirt person when it comes to Pajamas, so this post, is about the bodice view of the Cashmerette Fiske pattern. I’m going to make the bottoms from the Fiske to compare later. I haven’t blogged about the Carolyn Pajamas although I sewed them first, I’ll blog them next and then after that I will do a comparison post after I make the bottoms from the Fiske.

Pattern review:

Pattern name- Cashmerette Fiske Sleepwear Set

Size range (with measurements) -0-32 (all sizes are included)

What size did you make?-after side seam adjustments when sewing, I made a size 20 E/F cup size (I cut the 20 at the neckline and 22 at the side seam)

What are your measurements, height, and body type? -I’m 5’9″ tall, 44″ high bust, 48.5″ full bust ,and 50″ ish hip/ my body type is figure eight/ full hourglass with a belly so sometimes a rectangle.

What adjustments did you make and how long did they take?

• added 1.5″ above the waist to drop the waist to the right spot on my body (Cashmerette patterns tend to have a shorter torso, I have a slightly longer torso so this is a standard adjustment for me)
• added 2″ at the lengthen/ shorten line to account for my height, and drop the hem to where I wanted it.
• 5/8″ broad shoulder adjustment (front and back bodice, and the facing-don’t forget the facing). This is also a typical adjustment for me for Cashmerette patterns(actually most patterns) I don’t have narrow shoulders, they are slightly fleshy so I typically need a little more room through the shoulders.
• Lengthened the sleeve 2″ (standard adjustment for me for long sleeve tops)
• I cut a size 20 E/F at the neckline and a 22 E/f at the side seams to give myself just in case seam allowance. I sewed the side seams using the size 20 seam line.
• I thought I check the dart placement, but I didn’t, and the dart needs to be dropped about an inch, I don’t know how I missed that but it happens. This was rookie mistake, and it should be one of the first flat pattern measurements I take along with the shoulder length.
• I didn’t use their button and buttonhole placement ( I don’t typically use the buttonhole placement on patterns). I tried it on, marked the buttonhole placement right between my bust apex, and placed two buttons 3.25″ above that marking and four button holes 3.25″ below that marking.
• Note: I could do a full butt adjustment but it’s pajamas so it’s fine, no gaping at the hip line.
• Note: I didn’t need my typical bicep adjustment , Yay!
• Note: I didn’t need my typical a forward shoulder adjustment ( my posture is, how you say, bad, LOL) as most Cashmerette patterns tend to have a slight adjustment built in. If the sleeve twists a bit, I just move the center notch toward the front sleeve notch when sewing in the sleeve, it’s pajamas so it’s fine.

What fabric did you use? I used a Ralph Lauren shirting remnant I purchased from the Fabric Mart Brick and Mortar retail area when I attended one of the Carriage Corner B&B Sew Camps.

What was the construction process like? Did the instructions make sense to you? Yes, the instructions made sense to me (except the piping) because I’ve been sewing for a while. The construction process was very basic and the instructions were good for the sleep shirt, it’s a basic bodice with a two piece collar, topstitching, sleeves, and buttons and buttonholes. The piping instructions were overly simplified and appears to be geared toward sewist with experience in sewing piping. Cashmerette will typically have a sew a long, or blog post for their patterns, and they have lots of people sewing their patterns on Youtube. I didn’t see a piping tutorial on the blog but I have experience from previous piping projects so the technique and process was fresh in my mind. Piping is not hard, it’s just a two step process. Going around the collar could be fiddly and where you align piping in relation to the raw edge is different, so you just need to play around with it and snip around corners ensuring things lay flat, the facing was being difficult.

I used French seams because, why not, I like the more high end finish after all that damn piping LOL. The armhole seams did not have French seams and I used a narrow double fold bias binding to finish the armhole.

How do you like the pattern’s fit? Do you think the design works well for your particular body shape? Cashmerette is the leader on bust fitting so yes, the pattern fit great at the bust and biceps and would work on any body shape with the right adjustments. I may need a butt adjustment but that’s typical for straight garments on my body regardless of the circumference measurements. I really like the shirttail hem, I don’t like straight hems on me.

Note: I like using the E/F pattern piece for the bodice because it gives me a little extra room through the torso even though my circumfrence measurements put me in the C/D bust pattern piece.

Will you make the pattern again? If so, what fit or design changes will you make?– Yes, I will definitely make this again; Fitting changes: I would lower the dart as applicable, and do a full butt adjustment on the back pattern piece. Design changes: None; Construction changes: I would change how I sew the collar and adjust the facing if I do that, and definitely change how I would install the piping.

Do you have any advice on this pattern for other curvy sewers? Are there any resources (blog posts, fitting books, tutorials) that helped you sew this piece up?– Read through the instructions before starting, baste before finalizing stitches if they are fiddly, mark all of your pattern markings, go slow installing piping, and have fun with it.

Until next time! What are your thoughts, do you sew your own pajamas, if sew what’s your go to pattern? What are the things you don’t enjoy sewing?