Late to the (pyjama) party

When Tasia brought out the Tofino pants pattern, and Karen suggested a rerun of the pyjama party, I thought - new pyjamas, new pear-shaped trouser pattern, new skills (piping, faux fly, finishing techniques) - lots of fun! So, I ordered the pattern and started reading Karen's lovely tutorials. And then life happened.

It wasn't so much that I forgot when the deadline was, as that my memory (failed to order fabric promptly), the weather (pre-washed fabric took ages to dry in the humidity, and circumstance (visitors, plus dog-sitting visit far from my machine) conspired to prevent me completing them on time...

But they are done, they were great fun to make, and I wore them for the first week to great acclaim. Since then, it's been too hot to think about full length pyjama bottoms - especially as the added bonus is that these are actually full length, and not the irritating ankle-flappers I tend to get when I purchase them. The joy of being able to curl up and not have a gap between sock and trouser hem is a very specific small pleasure.

Oh, and since if I'm buying fabric, playing with new techniques and patterns, and fitting trousers, I may as well dive into the deep end, I ended up making two sets.  (Please excuse the odd expression in this one!)

Details: the black pair use plain black cotton for the side panels and waist-band, white or cream cotton for the piping, and the black/white flamingo and star (described on the website as 'stork', but definitely more flamingo-esque in person) for the front and back panels and tie belt.

The blue pair use the same white or cream cotton for the piping and belt (yes, that does make 10m of handmade piping in this post), and the 'vintage navy' hummingbird (described as swallows) for the trouser panels.

Overall, this has been a fantastic experience, despite my tardiness, and I would recommend both the pattern (Tasia is fabulous, and these are patterns that look like my measurements - wow!) and the fabric store: Fabric Land has a unique website, but their stores are always tempting, and I've lost count of how many things I've made from their fabric. The telephone ordering service is something I've used more since moving to the 'country', and has always been very efficient and helpful - including calling me back on this occasion when one of the fabrics was out of stock, and matching a fabric they have in the depot to what I had bought in their shop when I underestimated the amount required to make 5 cravats for my wedding two years ago!