Make It Simple Juno Pyjamas

One of the benefits of being at home on lockdown is that it seems to be encouraging me to make use of things that I already have. A case in point - in this post I've got a set and a half of Juno pyjamas solely using fabric left over from other projects.

The Juno pyjamas are one of the projects included in Make It Simple, the new-ish book from Tilly Walnes of Tilly & the Buttons fame. The main version of the pattern in the book is for proper pyjamas with long sleeves and full-length legs, but there are pattern pieces included for short sleeves for the top, and instructions on how to adjust the trouser pattern to turn it into shorts.

I first decided to try to give the pattern a go just to make a pair of shorts, as I realised that the fabric I had left over from making my pink Bobby dress last year was exactly the right colour to match the pyjama top in this photo (which I bought ages ago in M&S for a bargain price because it had no bottoms to go with it). Luckily, there was also just enough of it to squeeze out a pair of Juno shorts.

The shorts were really simple to sew and are a nice fit, so I thought I'd have a hunt around in my jersey leftovers to see if there were any other potential Junos hiding there.

Instead of one single piece, I came up with three pieces (the leftovers from my original Bobby dress, a t-shirt I made last year and a recent plain white tshirt that I made) that I thought would all work together and so my hotchpotch Juno set was born! One of the beauties of the shortie version of this pattern is that it doesn't use a lot of fabric so if you're thinking of making it, it's definitely worth looking in your stash to see what options you might have.

The pyjamas are really quick to sew. The sewing time estimated in the book is 2 hours - I think that would be roughly right and I'm not a speedy sewer. The instructions are very clear, including the bit about the adjustments to make to the trousers to turn them into shorts.

I really liked the way the elastic is attached at the waist - instead of sewing a channel at the waist and then threading the elastic through (which is what other pyjama patterns that I've made have done), the elastic is sewn directly to the shorts and then folded over on itself and topstitched to enclose it. It seems quicker to do it that way, although I haven't actually timed it in comparison to the threading elastic method so I'm not sure whether it actually is or not.

In terms of sizing, I made a straight size 6 for these PJs. In Tilly's patterns my bust measurement puts me in a size 5 and my waist and hips put me between a 5 and a 6, but I prefer my pyjamas to be on the looser side rather than tight so going up to a straight 6 seemed to be the best option. My shorts are also quite a bit longer than the length suggested in the book (my inside leg is 11cm instead of 6cm) - again just because of personal preference.

I'm really pleased with my set-and-a-half of Juno pyjamas - they were quick and easy to sew, they used up fabric that might otherwise have gone to waste and they're super comfy to wear. That's the most important thing when it comes to pyjamas really, isn't it?!