introducing the women’s havana pajamas sewing pattern

First things first: I named this pattern specifically because I like the sound of Havana and pajamas together. Try it! It might change the way you pronounce pajamas, depending on your region or country, but that’s what language is for, right? In fact, I encourage to to play with both the name and the sewing pattern. After all, pajamas are a great opportunity to experiment, to express yourself, and let go a little because you can choose prints and colors you wouldn’t ordinarily wear. So here they are, the Havana Pajamas.

I also like the name Havana Pajamas because someplace in my head I have a fantasy about wearing elegant silk pajamas like this for a glamorous evening out, and a night of Cuban jazz sounds like a perfect opportunity. Maybe it’s because I’m headed to Buenos Aires with my tango professors for ten days of dancing, but satin pajamas and a jazz club or a 50’s supper club (or, obviously, tango dancing) would be so fancy, right? They might need to be paired with marabou slides (definitely not for dancing, however!) for just the right attitude, but let’s dream a little…

Ok, back to the real world. Here’s the deal with these pajamas: after a lengthy evaluation (extended research, don’t you know?), I’ve decided I’m not a big fan of the buttons placket on traditional pjs. Do you agree? Buttons are uncomfortable to sleep in, the buttonholes pop open when you’re sleeping, and the front placket has a tendency to gap when the pjs are wrinkled and relaxed–which is when pajamas are their best, in my opinion. So why not eliminate the buttons and buttonholes altogether, and celebrate not needing to sew or wear them?

Thus, a popover style placket with a front pleat to add a little extra ease (and ease of sewing!) on this style. The pleat also gives the pjs a little bit of the look of a classic front placket without the actual buttons. Win-win.

The top has a classic convertible collar (very easy to sew!) with shoulder yoke, much like our much-loved Camp Shirt style (which is also similar to our best-selling Classic Shirt sewing pattern, but this style doesn’t have the two-piece collar) with the popover placket and the front pleat instead of the button placket. You can choose whether to sew the chest pockets (highly recommended for good style and a little extra coverage), and you can choose long or short sleeves. Both sleeves include a separate fold-back cuff piece, which is a great opportunity to add a contrast or complimentary fabric if you like–I refer to my note on the photo above….

The bottoms have front slash pockets (an absolute necessity, in my humble opinion), a separate waistband (also good for a contrast fabric), and you can choose shorts or long trousers, both with a separate fold-back cuff (more opportunity for contrast fabric!).

So basically you can use this pattern to sew summer pjs, winter pjs, and every season in between. I’ve been sewing these for myself and for S, who took a pair to college when she left a few weeks ago. They fit well, are very comfortable, and when everyone at my studio saw the elephant print they told me I need to wear them outside of the house, too! (Sadly, they’er not satin…) And who knows? Maybe one of these days I’ll show up at my studio in my elephant pjs? (Note: this is highly unlikely–let’s all be honest–if you know me you know this is not going to happen.)

But on that note, you can absolutely sew both of these pieces as separates to wear outside! Just for the fun of it I sewed this short-sleeved blouse from a border eyelet fabric that’s been in my stash forever. Didn’t it turn out cute? This would make a great alternative to the Camp Shirt, especially if you’re button averse.  The next step is a pair of the bottoms in linen (or satin?), because they would be very comfortable!

Fabrics? I’ll talk more about fabric in my next post about this pattern, but any printed or yarn-dyed light- to medium-weight cotton is great. I used an block-printed cotton lawn from India for the long-sleeved version and a heavy yarn-dyed cotton shirting for the short-sleeved version.

As I mentioned, this is also an ideal pattern for Liberty of London printed fabrics if you’re a fan! Much as I love them, I’m not a big wearer of prints EXCEPT when it comes to pajamas. Then I’m a huge fan.

You could also use lightweight knits for this style. A good friend gave S a really lovely pajama set in a satiny jersey when she went to college her freshman year, and I’ve been admiring them ever since. Lightweight knits would be great for this style because the fabric doesn’t need a lot of body to support a traditional button placket.

Obviously you can also use flannel for winter, if you want. They would be very cozy. And don’t forget that satin I was dreaming about!

You can pick up your own copy of the Havana Pajamas sewing pattern in paper or in digital format. I hope you’ll tag us #lieslandco and #lieslcohavanapajamas.