Holiday Sewing and How the Closet Core Carolyn Pajamas Became my Staple Sleepwear
- mandymjimenez
- Dec 5, 2023
- 7 min read
Updated: Dec 5, 2023
Over the course of my style journey, starting around the time I dedicated myself to weight loss, I realized that I hated the way I felt hanging out around the house in sweatpants and sweatshirts. I love the idea of these kinds of garments as the ultimate in cozy comfort, but they did not feel like me and they did not impart the level of elegance I want even when lounging. The versions of these items that I owned seemed to be mostly made of polyester and made me feel clammy and stifled a lot of the time. It's hard to embody a put together and elegant style when I feel like I'm stewing in my clothes. Around this time I was deep into watching all the seasons of Project Runway and as a result purchased several style oriented books written by PR judge and publishing icon, Nina Garcia. In her book The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own, Garcia lists the classic pajama set as one of the one hundred items every stylish woman must own. I am not one to go out and buy every single thing that's on a list somewhere just because, but something about her discussion of classic pajamas really resonated with me. In this entry in the book, she references a quote from the 1934 film It Happened One Night, which prominently features a set of classic pajamas and it was this reference that hooked me and sent me down the garden path of searching for elegant, yet easygoing, loungewear.
I went on to spend years looking for the perfect (for me) classic pajama set. I purchased some light cotton ones from Victoria's Secret in 2012 that almost fit the bill, but the bottoms were too long and the tops too boxy for my liking. When we first moved to Salt Lake City I found some cute and comfy modal sets at Gap in fun winter-oriented prints, but the fabric was thin and not suited to the winters there. I attempted some PJ Salvage knit sets from Nordstrom about five years ago, but I hate the way knits stretch out overnight and then are weirdly baggy for the next wearing unless you wash them right away. I languished in this way, eventually giving up altogether when we moved to Las Vegas, wearing Athleta sweatshirts and leggings to bed because at least I had those things on hand and wasn't wasting money by buying loungewear that never gave me what I wanted. All of this changed when I realized, along my sewing journey, that I could make my own pajama sets and they could be whatever I wanted them to be.
I knew I wanted a sewing pattern for woven fabrics and I wanted to have short and long sleeve options, as well as pants and shorts, and I wanted a notched collar and pocket, each item a hallmark of the classic pjs Nina Garcia had written about all those years ago and that I could never get out of my head. After watching a whole host of Youtube videos that came up under a search for something like "best pajama sewing patterns" I found one common denominator among them: the Carolyn Pajamas by Closet Core Patterns. Everyone seemed to agree that while a lot of work overall if one included all the options, such as piped cuffs, pocket, and collar, this set was one hundred percent worth it for anyone who wants a set of truly classic pajamas. I was that anyone! When I first got the pattern, it took me several sets to get the fit correct and to really learn how to sew all the features properly, especially applying the several yards of piping it takes to complete the whole look, but I was determined. Closet Core does an absolutely knockout job with their instructions and making sure each step is clear and concise, which helps a great deal to mitigate the sheer number of steps involved. Now, about a year later, I have made a dozen Carolyn sets, and still have eight of them (I donated the ones that didn't fit the way I wanted), along with two pair of standalone pajama pants. I doubt I will ever stop. In fact, with the overwhelming amount of amazing fabric and print combinations, I have a hard time limiting myself at all.
While attempting to nail down a fabric suitable for warmer weather pajamas (which is what I need most often in Las Vegas), a search for affordable cotton lawn (a crisp, lightweight, and silky cotton) led me to discover Cotton + Steel Fabrics. Cotton + Steel is a fabric design company based in California that specializes in unique prints on various weaves of cotton. Of the offerings of Cotton + Steel, the prints by Rifle Paper Company are by far my favorite. Owned and operated in Florida by a husband and wife team, featuring artistic designs by Anna Bond (the wife of the duo), lifestyle brand Rifle Paper Co is probably best known for their stationery. A few times a year, they release a new collection of whimsical, beautiful designs (I have two prints from their winter collection on pre-order right now, so stay tuned!). The collections usually rely heavily on floral, nature, and literary themes, which are everything I want in my whimsical yet luxurious wardrobe. They also create marvelous, often slightly vintage inspired holiday prints, which is what has led us here today. I absolutely have to have holiday pajamas. The tradition of everyone wearing matching loungewear for holiday movies and gift openings is one of my favorite things all year. I sewed my first handmade holiday pajama set last year from a Rifle Paper Company print called Holiday Village in a color they label as blue (it looks more like seafoam to me) with alternating orange and white piping (pictured above). This design reminds me of miniature holiday villages and I love all the details in the print such as the reindeer and people on the skating rinks.
This year, the holiday series of fabric did not disappoint. I originally planned to order one cut of fabric to make a pajama set for myself and lounge pants for my husband, but when I saw the prints I could barely narrow it down to the two I eventually ended up ordering. The discovery of a 30% off coupon and free shipping and free zippered pouch with every order over fifty dollars definitely aided my decision to get two prints, but next year I can only get one. ONLY ONE. As far as design, I decided that last year's set in the short sleeves is not quite warm enough for sleeping in December and January, so I opted for long sleeves with shorts for both pair, and so far that is working out really well. This fabric is absolutely perfect for pajamas in my opinion. The weight is on the lighter side of medium and it's soft to the touch when new, but gets softer with each washing, almost like a flannel. It is made of one hundred percent cotton which breathes well and never leaves me feeling sweaty or clammy. In addition, it washes up beautifully and responds easily to steam, so I can press them after washing or wearing, leaving them wonderfully crisp for the next wear. Yes, I do press and steam them every time I wear them; I have gotten it down to a science at this point and I love the feeling of getting into freshly pressed pjs every night. I know not everyone loves pressing clothes, but I enjoy rituals and this one really adds a level of elegance and joy to my pajama wearing experience.
The sewing process for these pajamas is pretty involved, as I (and every YouTuber who has made these) mentioned. Sewing the piping onto all the pieces takes almost as much time as doing all the other steps put together. However, choosing options such as the piping color, buttons, and buttonhole thread makes the process so much fun and really allows for a level of personalization that I could never get without making them by hand. For my first pair I went with red piping and light blue buttons, for the second, light blue piping and light green buttons. I have a fairly decent size stash of vintage buttons thanks to my mom buying in bulk from eBay and then sharing with me (I laugh at the price of as little as twenty cents printed on the cards). I feel that antique buttons really add a nice touch, especially when paired with vintage inspired prints like these and I thoroughly enjoy going through my bowls of buttons looking for the perfect match. When deciding on all the finishes, I try to go for colors that will stand out against the backdrop of the fabric and appear intentional. It's tempting to just use red and green for everything on holiday pajamas, but with so many options, doing something unusual like using light blue accents really adds to the design. I am already planning my next pair of Carolyns, which I think will be a long sleeve and pants version for lounging around on lazy Sundays.
So far, my holiday sewing is going well, and I have a couple more seasonally themed garments I'm working on that I plan to share as well as some things I'm making for friends and family that I hope to be able to showcase in the new year. I have also thrifted some fun items that I will write about as soon as I figure out styling so I can take photos. I have found that since I started writing about developing my wardrobe, I'm having an easier time honing in on what I actually want at the thrift store, which is a huge positive for me and for my closet. I'm looking forward to sharing my purchases as well as some of my tips for thrift store success later this month. I also would enjoy if you would share the kinds of posts you most want to see and read. Do you want more thrifting, dresses, pajamas, fabric, patterns, or something else? Please share in the comments.
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