Oh Fifi!
Pajamas? Never been a huge fan of ‘em.
I mean, I don’t have anything against pajamas or the idea of pajamas. In fact, more than one time I have gone on a shopping mission for pajamas. But I would most often end up disappointed: settling for something I didn’t love because the one I did love was more than I wanted to pay for something that only I would ever see. Or becoming very frustrated that every nightgown I tried on hung on me like a sack. (I am short, people). This has left me sleeping in the same two nightgowns for, ahem, 20 years, and throwing some old t-shirts into the nighttime mix as well.
Enter the Fifi PJs from Tilly and the Buttons. You guys, this pattern!!! I am so in love!
I was super excited to try a Tilly and the Buttons pattern because they are well known for having easy to follow instructions and being beginner friendly. I wanted to find one that I would hopefully not screw up to the point of being unwearable.
I don’t know why I clicked on the Fifi pattern, but as I read the description, it dawned on me that this would be a way to increase my skill set and that even if they turned out totally jenky, no one would ever see them but me. Winner, winner!!!!
I set out with a new mindset for this project. I had just listened to the Hand sewing episode of the Love to Sew podcast (I highly recommend that podcast and that episode). Brooks Anne Kamper talked about slowing down and enjoying the process, even the joy that can be taken from ripping seams and starting over. It really made me think about the way I have been rushing through my projects. Very excited but kind of forcing them along instead of taking the time to enjoy the whole process.
I decided to break things up instead of trying to do everything at once. I had an hour after work to print and assemble the pattern. 30 minutes on a weeknight to trace it. A couple of hours after kids were in bed to cut out two pair. Snatches of time here and there to assemble. Not so much focus on finishing, lots of focus on what I was doing in any given moment. And before I knew it, I had 2 new pair of adorable and dare I say, sexy, pajamas!
I had some trouble with the bias binding. It was easy to make but not so easy to sew neatly in place. To be honest, it took me three tries to get it right. Yes, I sewed that binding on and removed it twice. The second time, I was having some serious trouble “enjoying the process”. After a lot of googling and calling Katie for a lifeline, I figured it out.
In the spirit of enjoying the process, I made a conscious effort to SLOW DOWN while I was sitting at my machine and actively sewing (and ripping out). What a difference it made in the finished product! I have never sewed such straight seams!!
Honestly, I love this make and would not hesitate to make it again! I highly recommend it for all skill levels but especially if you are looking to increase your sewing skill set.
The only thing I would do differently next time would be to use a knit fabric rather than cotton. Side note, I’m having trouble finding garment fabric in my area. There are no shortage of quilt shops but only one big-box store that sells knits, bottom-weights,etc. This is going to be a challenge for me going forward.
Lessons Learned:
Making bias binding and adding to garment
Pleats
French seams (ooh la,la!)
Hemming curves
New way to do an elastic waist
Slow down!
Breaking up projects into smaller sections works well for me
Enjoy the process!!!!
If you decide to to sew some Fifi’s, send me a picture!
Confidently,
Becci
