How to make pajama pants

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one pair, size M)

• Main fabric (double gauze, jersey or linen) — about 110 cm wide × 220 cm (43 × 87 in)
• Flat elastic, 2.5 cm wide — your waist measurement × 0.8, plus 5 cm
• A bodkin (or a safety pin)
• Optional: a decorative drawstring for the waist

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 “Adult clothes” → “Pajama pants” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the hip, rise, inseam, leg opening, ease, crotch extension and waist casing depth. Presets cover S, M, L and a shorts length.
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. Trace the pattern
   Lay the pattern on the wrong side of the fabric and trace both the cutting line and the finished line.
2. Cut the pieces
   Cut 2 fronts and 2 backs — 4 in all, from the same pattern piece.
3. Transfer the notches
   Mark the point where the crotch curve ends. That is where the side seam and the inseam divide.
4. Finish the edges
   Zigzag or overlock. Double gauze frays quickly, so finish it as soon as it is cut.

4. Sewing

4-1. Sew the crotch curves

1. Place the two front pieces right sides together and sew the crotch curve.
2. Do the same with the two back pieces.
3. Do not pull on the curve. Clipping the seam allowance every 1 cm stops it pulling when opened out.

4-2. Sew the sides and the inseam

1. Place front and back right sides together and sew both side seams.
2. Then sew the inseam in one run, from one hem right through to the other.
3. Backstitch over the crotch junction — it takes the strain every time you turn over in bed.

4-3. Thread the waist elastic

1. Fold the waist over by 1 cm, then again by the casing depth.
2. Stitch close to the fold all the way round, leaving a 3 cm gap for threading.
3. Thread the elastic, overlap the ends by 2 cm and stitch. About 80% of your actual waist is the guide.
4. Close the gap.

4-4. Hem the legs

1. Fold each hem by 1 cm, then again by 2 cm, and stitch all the way round.
2. Try them on first — if they are long, deepen the fold now.
3. Finish the other leg the same way.

✏️ Cut the elastic to about 80% of your actual waist. Pajamas are worn for hours, so anything tighter leaves a mark by morning; anything looser slides down while you sleep. Thread it, try them on, adjust, and only then stitch the ends.

5. Tips & variations

• Make the set: in the same fabric as the pajama top the two match. Choose the same size.
• Use wide elastic: 2.5 cm or wider does not dig in, and it stays put until morning.
• Add a drawstring: two openings at the center front with a cord through them look like a bought pair. The elastic stays inside, so nothing gets tighter.