Cheshire Cat Pajamas to Match

Rebecca gave me this hilarious vintage fabric she picked up somewhere.  I couldn't imagine what I would use it for - and it was at least 5 yards.  Then Ben asked me to make him summer pajamas (he usually wears something much more abbreviated than pajamas in the summer and nothing I have ever sewed for him), and I proffered the funny cat with their smug smiles and polka dots.  He loved it, and so did Genevieve when she got wind of it, and thus the plan for matching jammies was born.

However, I unwittingly chose two tricky patterns for the pajamas.  Ben's pajamas have a unique neckline - just two overlapping facings and no buttons or snaps or anything.  He says it is super comfortable, so I'm glad I persevered with that particular mind puzzle.

And the sleeves gave me fits - they looked like puff sleeves when I first put them in and the shirt was much too broad for Ben.  I did some ripping and hacking and the end result is quite fine for pajamas.

 Genevieve's yoke was terribly confusing to me, also.  Part of it still is:  it has those two funny vintage rhinestone buttons on the lavender part, but then there is an open keyhole that extends down into the bodice below.  Why, I cannot tell, because I don't think it's necessary for getting the top over her head. 

I didn't have quite enough cat fabric for Genevieve's pajamas, so I took a leisurely wander through a fabric store looking for something that would complement and girl-ify the cat fabric.  I'm very pleased with that lavender (the cats have purple spots - and Genevieve says they are leopards, not cats). 

I added white rick-rack to the puff sleeves and peter pan collar.  Genevieve will decide if she wants it to rim the yoke and the hems as well.  With such silly fabric, how can there be too much rick-rack?

Genevieve's pajamas are pretty enormous on her, but I figure that makes for sleeping comfort and several years of wear.

I've never sewed matching anything for my kids and it was so much fun!  And if you think they are willing models on an early school morning just after breakfast, you are wrong: I bribed them with chocolate.