Sewmystyle kimono and Carolyn pyjamas

So this month I went from thinking that I wouldn't join in the Sewmystyle challenge to getting completely carried away and making an entire matching set.

 

(By the way I never thought I'd be appearing in public in my pyjamas!)  It started because I had 5 metres of this lovely Liberty fabric in my stash.  Now before the mathematical among you think that equates to £110 of fabric, this was one of my bargains bought at Standfast and Barrat in Lancaster on their last day of offering Liberty seconds and it cost only £14.98 for the lot!  I know,  I could kick myself for not buying more.

I did cheat a bit this month, because I couldn't justify buying the Suki Kimono pattern, when I already had this one, which is very similar and from the Great British Sewing Bee from Fashion With Fabric.  The pattern is straightforward, though I think I could have gone down a size.  I bought a bit of Tana Lawn for the belt and facing, it was more yellow than I wanted and I had forgotten how see-through Tana Lawn can be.  I French seamed all the seams, but came to a problem at the under arms.  All looked beautiful on the inside, but then when I turned it right-side out at the curved underarm seam it wouldn't lie properly and I have had to cut through at points, which now looks a mess.  I suppose there just isn't any way you can French seam a curve like this, lesson for the future.  Do any of you have any suggestions?

I've had the Carolyn pyjamas in my pattern stash, and as I had enough fabric left I carried on.  I cut a size 10 for the top and an 8 for the bottoms.  The top is a good fit and didn't need any changes.  I put on extra 1" in the rise on the bottoms as I don't like anything on my lower waist.  I do have a small waist and find that any lower waistlines seem to try and move up to the smaller part (that probably sounds nonsense but hopefully you will get the gist.  The front is still too low and I would like another 1" there  I didn't bother with the faux-fly. Also these look the right size, in terms of comfort I wish I'd gone for the next size up.  I have to say this fabric is lovely to wear as pyjamas.

This is a great pattern, though quite a lot of work in it.  What I really like is that you can make the insides so neat.  You won't be surprised I French seamed everything.  I'm getting pretty good at setting in sleeves with French seams.

I has just enough fabric left to make my first  ogden cami.  I had to make the back facing from some different fabric, but that's quite useful for spotting the back.  There has been tons written about the cami.  I'm not sure whether it's really for me.  I'm not keen on showing my brastraps and in the lawn it is a bit baggy.  However, it is lovely for hot nights and I might try one more in a drapey fabric.  The only change I made was to reduce the strap length by around 5/8".

If I had more fabric I would also have made the shorts!