After determining that the Closet Case Files Carolyn Pajamas might not be for me due to the fact that they are pajamas (With the dreaded pants) instead of a nightgown, it eventually occurred to me that I could simply lengthen the top. Out came the lovely burgundy flannel with its pink roses and tiny white flower.
Usually I get a half day (4 hours) twice a week to do appointments and projects that are more easily accomplished without small children. Sometimes I can steal half an hour during naptime when those are full of appoinments. It has , however, been as my son likes to say “crazy weeks since before Christmas”. I’ve had 2 of those days. We had holidays off from school at the beginning of the month then an appointment and a dinner party to prep meant only 1 day during the first two weeks. Full weekends meant no stealing time then. Last week School gifted me with a 2 hour delay and a previously unscheduled in service day. Three weeks into January and I hadn’t finished cutting out. My lovely cozy pajamas were languishing.
A canceled weekend trip meant I finally finished cutting out. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like my son’s school week will consist of anything other than watching part of a movie between Tuesday’s 2 hour delay and early dismissal. Maybe things will be back to normal next week? Thankfully, A could go to daycare today and O had had enough of sensory bins and mommytainment. He sat down at breakfast with his wildlife adult coloring-by-number book and MP3 player (Today’s story is Frank Herbert’s DUNE.) and has refused to play games or stop for anything, but post lunch apples and cookies.
I finished sewing on the buttons, as the rain turned to freezing rain again and then to snow, thinking of how inviting these will seem this evening. These are largely by the book for view B apart from lengthening the top by 17 inches (about 43cm). The roomy style meant I only needed a small FBA (1 1/2″ added per side), which I then rotated down to toward the waist before lengthening. By following the new side seams down I gained plenty of walking room at the hem, though I should have added a little room to the back for my tush just to get the side seams to hang straight, it isn’t very noticeable and doesn’t matter since this nightgown is about comfort more than appearance. The other change I made was to alter the pocket by lowering it to a more large bust friendly position and changing the shape. Lots of versions of the Piccadilly Pajamas by Nina Lee have been popping up and the vintage details on those are lovely, though I’m not sold on the neckline. I took my cue from those pockets when reshaping mine, but carried over the piping rather than using bias tape.
Oh, I also swapped the overlap for easier buttoning, changed the button placement to suit and made horizontal rather than vertical button holes. I love my simflex gauge. These are more of the same buttons from SewGreen (Ithaca, NY) that I used on my as yet unblogged wool fumeterre skirt, only these are the slightly brighter red ones.
Vertical buttonholes are largely a result of their being quicker and thus cheaper for mass production some online source once told me.
Here it is. My Flannel Carolyn Nightgown. I think I’ll name her Maggie. She feels like a Maggie to me. Now let’s see how long it takes me to forget that…
A few pattern notes. This was my first Closet Case Pattern and it went to together well, but the directions and I didn’t get along. Yes, I referred to the online collar and lapel tutorial, no I didn’t have any trouble making this, but somehow the directions were off putting. Each time I read one, I felt less secure about what I was going to do than before I read it. Things like “sew cuffs as pant cuffs p 11” would definitely be confusing for a novice who didn’t already know how to sew piping, sew cuffs and enclose a seam. Part of it was just the organization. I can’t say that there was anything wrong with these directions, but somehow the organization and wording wasn’t working for me, a rare occurrence. One thing I really admire about this pattern, that I didn’t take advantage of this first go around is the effort that was put into making it possible to French all of the seams. These aren’t frenched because I wanted to make adding shaping or adjusting fit easier. I expect if I decide to use this same hack for my next nightgown those will be.
