Made By A Fabricista: Sewing the Coziest Pajama Set

For most of my life, I happily wore mismatched pajamas. Not caring what my pajamas looked like, just delighting in anything clean and comfortable. My sister also had the same mentality about pajamas until one day it all changed. 

She came over for a fun sister hangout weekend and pulled out a set of matching pajamas! I nearly dropped over with shock! Growing up, she was the queen of mismatched pajamas. She was notorious for wearing faded t-shirts and pajama shorts long after their life expectancy. But there she was in a set of sophisticated matching pajamas with white piping, raving about how wonderful they were. If the queen of mismatched pajamas could appreciate a fine pair of matching pajamas, everyone could. Shortly after that, I decided to give matching pajamas a try, and I became hooked as well. 

There is a peace and order that comes with having a matching pajama set. You always know which pajama top goes with which bottoms. You can reach for them quickly in the closet and have coordinated comfort with zero effort. Whether you’re on team matching pajamas or not, having a reliable set of matching pajamas in your closet is always a good idea. For my last Fabricista sew of the year, I treated myself to the luxury of custom-made pajamas to enjoy now and throughout the new year. 

Inspiration struck when I was browsing the Fabric Mart website and saw a gorgeous off-white, red, green, and navy 100% cotton flannel shirting fabric. The plaid pattern exudes classic Christmas vibes, perfect for a set of winter pajamas. I ordered 4.75 yards of the fabric to make a full pajama set, with a long-sleeved top, long pants, and a pair of shorts. 

I knew I wanted to use the Closet Core Carolyn Pajama pattern. Ever since the pattern was released years ago, I dreamt that one day I would have the time and motivation to make them. The Carolyn pajama top has a beautiful notched collar, pockets, and optional sleeve cuffs with piping. The pajama pants have lovely slash pockets, an elastic waist, a faux fly, and optional cuffs with piping. 

Based on my measurements and seeking a comfortable fit, I decided to make a size 10 in both the pajama top and the bottoms. Since I purchased the digital pattern directly from the Closet Core website, I was able to use the A0 file with my projector. This saved me the extra effort of assembling the pattern.  Using the free PDF Stitcher software available online, I created a projector-friendly version of the pattern by increasing the weight of the different-size lines. The projector file can then be displayed onto a cutting mat with the fabric on top, and then cut out with a rotary cutter. 

I followed views B and C, which featured cuffs with piping. I didn’t make any alterations to the pattern other than shortening the pants and sleeve lengths for my height. To save time, I used premade piping. If you’ve never sewn with piping, the trick is to use a zipper foot and stitch it to the right side of the fabric before sewing the seam. This will help the piping to be perfectly sandwiched between the two layers of fabric in the seam. Adding piping gives these homemade pajamas a sophisticated look. 

The pockets on the pajama top already called for piping, but I wanted to embellish them further by adding my monogram. If I had thought of it before I stitched my pocket to the bodice of my shirt, I would have used my embroidery machine to embroider my monogram onto the pocket. To avoid seam ripping the pocket off the bodice, I used my Cricut and heat transfer vinyl to fuse it onto the pocket. 

The finished pajamas exceeded my expectations. I expected to love these pajamas, but what I didn’t expect was for my husband to love them and want a pair also. It’s a good thing Fabric Mart is stocked with amazing flannel fabric right now! Looks like I’ll be hopping back on the Fabric Mart website and ordering more pajama fabric soon.

 Making your own matching pajamas isn’t just a sewing project; it’s a little love letter stitched into fabric. You get to pick your favorite fabric, customize the fit, and sneak in those thoughtful details like piping and monogrammed pockets that turn “ordinary pajamas” into “heirloom.” 

SHAINA  |  @shaina_sews