A monthly box of sewing goodies, delivered to your door

Gemma’s PJ Set

With this month’s theme revolving around ‘Girls Night In’ and receiving a viscose jersey fabric, I instantly knew I had to make a lounge set of some kind.

Viscose jersey is so perfect for this kind of make, as it is lightweight and soft with a little drape, making it super comfortable to wear and extra forgiving (for when you eat all the snacks!) The colour and print of this fabric is right up my street – pink, leopard print and bright, what more could I ask for!!

I wanted to make two garments from the amount of fabric I had, so I knew I had to consider what patterns would allow me to do that. I wanted something that would be comfortable to wear and already had in mind that I would make a T-Shirt. I’ve not really sewn jersey trousers before (apart from jumpsuits) so was interested to see what patterns were out there. I wanted something that wasn’t too PJ looking, as I would quite likely end up wearing them outside the house! 

I found the ideal pattern in the form of the Arenite pants from Sew Liberated – this pattern seemed to have it all! A loose fit, elasticated waist trouser with deep slouchy pockets, these can be made in either woven fabrics or jersey, with the option for hem or cuffs at the ankles, what a versatile pattern! I love that the models of the pattern are various body shapes, as that really helps visualise whether you think a garment would suit your shape. They looked like they would be great for both casual and going out of the house trousers, so I was instantly sold!

For the Tee I went with a favourite tried and tested pattern – the Jesse Tee by True Bias. It’s a boxy, slightly oversized fit with short sleeves and comes in two body lengths. I usually make the cropped version as I love how the length sits at my natural waist and makes it ideal for wearing with high waisted trousers. It is also good because it needs less fabric, so perfect for getting it all out of the fabric I had. You can actually get this pattern free if you sign up to their newsletter which is an added bonus!

Cutting out a viscose jersey is usually a little trickier than most fabrics. It tends to move quite a bit and you don’t want to stretch it, so this is definitely a rotary cutter kind of job if you are able, as you don’t want to miss-cut your pattern pieces. One thing I always do when sewing jersey now is to use Maraflex thread, which is a stretch thread and means you can sew a straight stitch instead of needing to do a zig zag stitch, that definitely cuts the sewing time down and makes it a lot easier to work with the fabric! I did use a matching pink thread for the topstitching though, and had a nifty little lightening stitch on my machine, which looks very neat! 

In terms of the Arenite pants I made a size 20, and was a little apprehensive when sewing they would be too big as they have a side panel as well as the front and back, but as you finish the waistband with elastic you can tailor it to your preference. I’ve started using very wide elastic in my waistbands which I find is a lot more comfortable on the stomach area, does not twist as much and is easier to thread! 

The pattern instructions are clear enough to follow, and once I had worked out which way to sew the pockets (you actually sew them upside down at first) it was plain sailing to sew them up. I did make a slight change to the pattern by adding ribbing for my ankle cuffs, which I measured to my preference, so that it would give a more drawn in fit. I used a contrast colour which I also matched to the neckband on the tee, which I think really gives it a matching set vibe.

The Jesse Tee needs no explanation really: it is a simple pattern that you can whip up in an hour and is so easy to wear. When trying both garments together for the first time I was so happy with how they turned out – the trousers especially I absolutely love and think works so well with the fabric. The fit is great, not too baggy but loose enough for ultimate comfort, although I do wonder how much I can put in the pockets before they might stretch a little? I will certainly be wearing both items out as ‘secret pj’ outfit vibes, and am keen to try the trousers in a woven fabric to compare the feel, so watch this space as I potentially end up with another pattern obsession!