I am feeling rather smug and incredibly proud of myself because I have finished my kids Christmas pajamas over a month before Christmas! I’m usually sewing them on December 23rd in a mad panic, so being finished so early has feeling like it’s time for a happy dance!
It’s become a bit of a tradition for us to give the kids new pajamas on Christmas eve, so they can wear them on Christmas day. They really look forward to it and I really enjoy knowing they will all be wearing cute matching outfits when i inevitably paparazzi them as they open their gifts.
Since we live in a hot climate, they are always summer PJ’s and somehow sewing summer PJ’s in snowflakey, snowman, nothern hemisphere winter themed fabric just feels super weird. So i usually just go with something cute and summery. This year my lovely friend Ellie Whittaker sent me some of her new fabric line to play with, and the second I saw it I knew I had found the fabric for my kids Christmas Pajamas!
For the girls I made them matching mini Eucalypt tanks and shorts – both are kids patterns I have been developing slowly the last few years, and I’m really loving how they are fitting.
For Buddy I made him some shorts with the same pattern I made for the girls using Ellie’s Seabirds print, and a grey knit tank top using the Oliver & S Schoolbus Tee with the sleeves left off. Our summer nights are so hot, even sleeves are a bit too much to be honest. I bound the neckline and armholes with grey ribbing to match. I usually add a patch pocket to Buddy’s PJ tops to make his shorts match better with his top – but it just didn’t look right this time, so a plain tank top it is! I was quite happy with the Oliver and S pattern – though the fit is close and sleeves do look really small to me. I think i may need to size up if i make Bud a tee with sleeves, as he usually likes his tee’s loose and breezy.
My lovely friend Kylie sent me some of our gorgeous labels to try and i couldn’t resist adding these “Yo Mama made it” tags to Buddy’s PJ’s! I plan to add the “This is the Back” ones to the girls, but haven’t gotten there yet. My kids are super sensitive to labels in their clothing, so i generally sew labels on the outside of their clothing. It works for us – but when the labels are this cute I mean why wouldn’t you want to show them off!
Bunny and Birdie’s PJ’s are made from the Gone Coastal print and they both spent an inordinate amount of time choosing which part of this fabulous print they wanted where. Beyond the fact that at 4 and 10 their PJ’s are quite obviously very different sizes – i love that they look a bit different due to their personal choice of print placement. I just love this print so much – i think it’s the epitome of Aussie summer in a print which makes it perfect for our Christmas time.
I finished the necklines and arms of the tanks with bias tape made from all the offcuts of fabric left after cutting.
All Ellie Whittaker fabrics officially launch today on her website – I used the super soft cotton sateen for these PJ’s, but most prints are also available in swim lycra or canvas. I also have some of her creamy ice dreamy fabric in the swim lycra which i’ve been making the girls the most adorable swimmers with! They’re looking wayyyyyy too cute and I can’t wait to show you!
