How to make a pajama top

1. Materials & tools

Materials (men's M)

• Main fabric (double gauze, flannel or cotton) — about 110 cm wide × 230 cm (43 × 91 in)
• Lightweight fusible interfacing — about 90 × 50 cm (35 × 20 in) for the front facings and collar
• Buttons — 5 or 6 (1.1–1.5 cm / 7/16–5/8 in)

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 top” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter bust, length, shoulder width, sleeve length, cuff circumference, neck width, front overlap and ease. Presets cover women's M, men's M, a short-sleeved version and a child size. Turn off “Add a stand collar” for a collarless top with a bias-bound neckline.
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
   Trace the back (on the fold), front, sleeve, front facing and collar (on the fold; for the collarless version, the neckline bias strip). Mark the sleeve cap notch, the button positions on the center front, and the shoulder and center-front notches on the collar. Double gauze stretches, so trace it lying flat.
2. Cut
   Cut one back on the fold, two fronts, two sleeves, two front facings and one upper and one under collar (on the fold). For the collarless version, cut one bias strip instead of the collar.
3. Interface
   Fuse interfacing to the front facings and the upper collar. The buttonholes go through facing and front together, so the interfacing stops them stretching.

4. Sewing

4-1. Shoulders

1. Sew the front to the back at both shoulders, right sides together. Finish the allowances together and press toward the back.

4-2. Set in the sleeves

1. Match the sleeve cap notch to the shoulder seam and the sleeve ends to the underarm, pin right sides together and sew the armhole. Finish the allowances together and press toward the body.

4-3. Sides and underarms

1. Sew from the cuff to the hem in one line on each side, and finish the allowances together.

4-4. Front facings

1. Sew each facing to its front along the front edge, right sides together, from the neckline down to the hem line. Trim the corner allowance diagonally.
2. Turn the facing to the inside, roll the edge 1 mm toward the facing and press. Baste facing and front together at the neckline within the allowance.

4-5. Collar (or bind the neckline)

1. Sew the upper and under collar right sides together along the top and ends, stopping each end at the seam line 1 cm (3/8 in) above the lower edge so the under-collar allowance can be folded in later. Trim the corners diagonally, turn and press.
2. Sew the upper collar to the neckline right sides together through the facings, collar ends at the front edges and notches at the shoulder seams and center back. Trim the neckline allowance narrow, clip the curve and press it up into the collar.
3. Fold under the allowance of the under collar to cover the seam and topstitch around the collar.
4. For the collarless version, bind the neckline from front edge to front edge with the bias strip, folding each end under 1 cm (3/8 in) first.

4-6. Hems and buttons

1. Double-fold the hem and cuffs, 1 cm then 1 cm (3/8 in then 3/8 in), and stitch, catching the bottom of the facings in the hem.
2. Make buttonholes at the center-front marks on the overlapping front and sew the buttons to the other front.

✏️ Double gauze shrinks in the first wash. Wash and dry it before cutting and press it while slightly damp. On the collar corners, trim the allowance diagonally about 2 mm (1/16 in) from the corner so the corners turn out crisp.

5. Tips & variations

• Make the set: the pajama pants in the same fabric complete it.
• Collarless: turn off the collar for a bias-bound neckline with nothing against your neck while you sleep.
• Short sleeves: the short-sleeved preset makes a summer version.
• Add a pocket: a chest pocket is what makes it read as pajamas.