How to make a plush pajamas

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one outfit for a 20 cm plush)

• Main fabric (double gauze or light cotton) — about 30 × 20 cm
• Hook-and-loop tape, 1 cm — about 5 cm
• Size 9 needle and fine thread

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Fandom” → “Plush pajamas” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the chest, length and the rest. Presets cover 10, 15 and 20 cm plushies and a 27 cm doll.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Measure the plush
   Chest at its widest, and the length you want from the shoulder. Two plushies both sold as "20 cm" can be quite different, so measure yours.
2. Trace the pattern
   Lay the pattern on the wrong side and trace both lines. At this scale a fine chalk pencil works better than a marker.
3. Cut the pieces
   If the fabric frays, seal the edges or zigzag them straight away.
4. Transfer the notches
   The smaller the garment, the more the notches matter. Do not skip them.

4. Sewing

4-1. Sew the top's shoulders

1. Place the two fronts and the back right sides together and sew both shoulders.
2. Seam allowance 5 mm.

4-2. Finish the neckline, sleeves and front edges

1. Turn the neckline under 5 mm and stitch.
2. Do the sleeve openings too — before the sides go together.
3. Turn the front edges under and add two or three pieces of hook-and-loop.

4-3. Sew the sides and hem

1. Place front and back right sides together and sew from sleeve to hem in one run.
2. Turn the hem under 5 mm and stitch.

4-4. Sew the pants

1. Place the two fronts right sides together and sew the crotch. Same for the backs.
2. Place front and back right sides together and sew the sides and inseam.
3. Turn the waist twice and stitch.
4. Hem the legs.

✏️ Do not thread elastic through the waistband. At plush scale the casing is too narrow to get elastic through, and even if you manage it the bulk makes the waist lumpy. Turning twice and relying on the ease is the right answer here.

5. Tips & variations

• Double gauze suits it: soft, and it photographs well.
• Keep prints small: on a garment this size a large print is unreadable. Tiny florals or dots work.
• Seam allowance is 5 mm: at 1 cm the allowances collide and the garment will not turn out cleanly.
• Size 9 needle, fine thread: a heavy needle leaves holes in the fabric.
• Mock it up in paper: assembling it once in interfacing or copy paper shows up any problem with length or ease.