Beach Pajamas?? Yes Please!

Beach Pajamas

Beach season is fast approaching in my part of the world. Are you looking for inspiration for a new beach outfit this year, one you can sew yourself?

 If you are ready for something  totally Glam, yet super comfortable and providing sun protection consider....Beach Pajamas!!

First worn in the 1920's, Beach Pajamas were just wide leg pants and a cute top, perhaps with a daring open back.






 Below are some pictures and quotes from an article about this 'new' outfit.
( to read the whole article click here Glamour of the Beach Pajama )

"Before the bikini, fashionable ladies donned “beach pyjamas” all along the world’s most stylish coastal towns. The swishy palazzo-like pants and jumpsuit styles shocked the public in the interwar years, while we, on the other side of the second millennium, find some serious inspiration".

Now we have our inspiration, let me introduce you to the Samara Pant pattern by Itch to Stitch .  With this pattern you will be able to begin creating your very own Beach Pajamas, that can be worn on their own or over a swimsuit as a cover-up.

Samara Pants Features
-Wide Legs that flare from the hip down
-Straight Waistband sits at narrowest part of waist ( high waisted)
-Side Invisible Zipper closure

For Beach Pajamas it is a good idea to  choose a breathable fabric like rayon, or even silk if so inclined.  Just be sure whatever fabric you choose has beautiful fluid drape to it.

Chose the length you prefer; full, ankle, 3/4.

The feel of the Samara Pants on is utterly divine...lighter than a whisper, elegantly feminine, immensely comfortable!

Striped Samara Pants aka Beach Pajamas

So go ahead.. Sew up a pair of Samara Pants this season and be Glamourous in your Beach Pajamas!!!  And as a bonus sew up a Fabulous Pair for that night out as well or for any other occasion!

Evening Elegance

Coffee Meet Up Flair

Lisbon Cardigan-The Inside Story

Beautiful Inside of my Lisbon Cardigan

 Awhile back I sewed up this Coral Lisbon Cardigan ..what I didn't tell you about is the beautiful inside of it!

This Classic Beauty from Itch to Stitch
patterns can be as beautiful Inside as Out with just a little investment of your time.

And lets face it, the Inside of Cardigans are often seen when worn unbuttoned or when slung over a chair or such.

I love the various Cardigans I have sewn but sometimes the Inside can look 'homemade'.

They all have lovely serged seam finishes...the problem is the color of thread used to serge does not always look as nice as it could.

Of course, one can buy serger thread in every color under the sun but it is not always realistic for the home sewist to buy lots of colors.

There is another option though....

Now, isn't this Inside Fabulous!

I was thrilled to read about how one could do the Hong Kong seam finish on knits in the Lisbon Cardigan Pattern instructions!

The Hong Kong seam finish is not difficult to do.  It just takes a bit more time.

Now I could create Cardigans that looked like 'high end' fashion!

The secret is in what fabric is used to create the Hong Kong finish on knits.  It needs to be a very lightweight knit.

Love this slightly deeper Coral on the Seams

Well, I happened to have the Perfect Color of very lightweight knit fabric for the Lisbon Cardigan I was planning to make.  Time to try this out on knit fabric!  ( I have done the Hong Kong seam finish on woven garments)

It was Love... no problem at all..in fact I found it slightly easier to do in knit fabric.

The only place I found a bit too much bulk in the seams to be an issue was where the side seams meet the bottom band.

Smooth Soft Hong Kong Seam Finish

In future makes I will try ending the Hong Kong finish on the side seam bottoms about 5/8" from the end.  That should eliminate the bulk where the side seam meets the bottom band.  Once the bottom band seam, with its Hong Kong finish, is pressed upward and tacked down no raw edges should be visible.

Look at all those Beautiful Seams

Now my mind is whirling with possibilities for interesting fabrics to use for Hong Kong seam finishes on knits....I have some Gorgeous Soft Stretch Lace ...hmmm...could be interesting!


So when you see this Lisbon Cardigan, remember, it is just as Beautiful Inside as Out!

Mad for Plaid - A Sewing Adventure

A Sewing Adventure!  Are you up for one? 

Using a plaid fabric to sew up the latest Itch to Stitch pattern, the Envigado Vest, turned it into a personal Creative Challenge!  What an Adventure to discover the extent of my sewing skills!

Now, before I go any further, let me reassure you that when sewn in a solid fabric, or simple print, the Envigado Vest is a project well within the capabilities of the intermediate sewist.

Quite an interesting project as well, with princess seams, optional hong kong seam finish, hardware, zipper, drawstring and more.

Check out all the fabric choices the pattern testers used for inspiration to sew your own version HERE

However, using plaid fabric like I did raises the skill level to advanced  

It requires patience and calmness but mostly a joyous upbeat approach...this is all about enjoying using the sewing skills one has acquired for a fabulously satisfying experience!

This Plaid Fabric is a very lightweight wool blend.  Lightweight fabric is a key to ease of sewing this pattern.  Many layers to sew through in some places, like the front flap.

Back View

With princess seams, the plaid cannot be matched on the entire seam because of the curve.

I chose to start matching from the bottom up until it became impossible to match any further.

The back shows the plaid matching best, as the front has pockets over alot of it.

Front Flap - the Plaid Matches!!!

One of the most challenging parts for me was matching the plaid on the front flap piece to the body of the vest.

It required lots of reviewing of the construction and application method of the flap to get the placement of the plaid just right.

Even then, I did make a minor booboo.  Interfaced the wrong piece...should have been the top piece but I did the bottom piece. Oh well, at least it stills functions that way.

Bias Cut Accents Add Interest

Plaid prints cut on the bias add very interesting visual interest to a garment.

I chose to use bias cut plaid on the Drawstring Cover and Pockets. 

Since bias cut fabric can be easily pulled out of shape during handling, I made sure to interface all bias cut pieces even if  interfacing them was not called for in the pattern.

Great care was taken while interfacing these pieces to make sure they were not being distorted, by comparing the original pattern piece with the bias cut piece before the first touch of the iron to adhere the interfacing!

Thus interfaced, the bias pieces are a breeze to use.

The addition of flat piping to the Drawstring Cover gives a restful pause for the eyes between the regular and bias cut pieces, thus highlighting the different directions of the plaid.

Adding bias binding to the pocket flaps does this as well.

Making Hole and Inserting Snap

Adding Back of Snap and Securing it

Hardware such as Eyelets and no sew Snaps add such a professional touch to home sewn garments! 

They are not difficult to install.  Just do a practice run or two.

I had such a good time sewing this Plaid Envigado Vest! 

Sewing is not just about the finished product... It is also about enjoying the journey! 

Sometimes that means Challenging Yourself with a Sewing Adventure!

Sew....what about Your next Sewing Adventure....Will it be an Envigado Vest too?