It's taken me a while to understand what the term "Secret Pajamas" actually means, and what makes an item of clothing a "Secret Pajama." Is it clothes that are pajamas but look "normal?" Is it normal clothes that can be slept in? What's the definition here?
Then I made this dress, and all became clear. This dress has taught me the true meaning of "Secret Pajamas."
The Pattern
This New Look pattern features a loose fit dress with options for length, sleeve type, and turtleneck. It's intended for knit fabrics. The sizing is from 8 to 20.
I made version C out of a floral jersey bought from Fabric Mart. It's really soft and stretchy with great recovery.
My Adjustments
I added 1/2" to the shoulders, and did a forward shoulder adjustment. Everything else was left as the pattern indicated.
The Finished Garment
I do feel like I'm wearing a nightgown with this dress. Any moment and I could just fly off to Neverland. And with it being just as comfortable as sleepwear, I really could be Wendy.
But I do like the style of it- nightgown look and all! The drop waist ruffle is really sweet and I love the bishop sleeves.
I think the pattern looks better with a turtleneck, but that would have been way too much happening with the billowing sleeves. So, I stuck with a simple neckband.
I didn't follow the instructions when it came to the ruffle. There is supposed to be a little trim-ish bit where it attaches, but I just left it plain cause I didn't want to wrangle that into place while also keeping the ruffles even. I have a hard time with that as is!
I'm pleasantly surprised with how the shoulders fit. Usually, with my broad shoulders, jersey top/dress patterns can really dig into my armpit and become uncomfortable with wear. But this is fantastic! The first thing I noticed was how nicely it laid over my shoulder since none of my other makes hit that mark.
As I was making it and checking the fit, I realized that it's pretty cute as a tee shirt. If the ruffle wasn't going to work out, I was just going to keep it short. Seeing how cute it was cropped, I now want to make a plain turtleneck version as a tee.
This is probably the most comfortable dress that I own. I may just fall asleep while wearing it as they are secret pajamas. Now if only there was a way to get a secret pillow...
Keep on stitching!
Emma
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