Do your kids seem to grow out of their clothes every few months?  My kids seem to grow about 4 inches a year when they are young.  It’s hard to get good use out of their clothes for very long.  I pulled out last years pajamas and they were too small for my daughter.  Therefore, it was time for a fun and cute sewing project.

Today I have a girls pajama pattern and tutorial in size 4T for you.  This is a very fun pattern to sew.  The little girl in your life will love some pajamas custom made just for her.  I love making clothes for my kids, don’t you?  They are unique and one of a kind.

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Supplies
3/4 yard knit fabric
3/4 yard coordinating knit fabric
coordinating thread
3/4″ elastic

Tools
Sewing machine or Serger
Scissors
Pajama Pattern
Wonder Clips

Girls Pajama Pattern and Tutorial

Step 1: Wash and iron your fabric.

Step 2: Print your  pajama pattern at 100% or full size.  Don’t shrink to fit page.  Make sure the test square measures 1″.  Assemble the pattern according to the directions in the pattern download.  Tape it all together, then cut it out.

Step 3: Cut out your pattern pieces from your fabric.  I used my main fabric for the bodice of the shirt and the shorts waist band and leg bands.  I used the coordinating fabric for the arms and neck band of the shirt, as well as the main fabric on the shorts.

Step 4: Now we can start sewing.  First of all, you can use a serger or sewing machine.  If you use a sewing machine, use your zigzag stitch.  Sew with a 3/8″ seam allowance unless told otherwise.  Take your two bodice pieces and place them right sides together.  Sew or serge the shoulders.

Step 5: Now open your bodice with the right side facing up so we can add the shoulders.

Step 6: On your shoulder pattern template, there are markings that you need to put on your fabric piece (I forgot to put them on mine).  These will show you where to match up the sleeve to your bodice.  Then find the middle of the shoulder by folding it in half and mark it.  Put your shoulder pieces on top of your bodice so right sides are facing together.  It’s going to look like they don’t line up.  Don’t worry, they will.  Match up the middle marking on the shoulder of the sleeve with the seam of the bodice shoulders.

Step 7: Start pulling the raw edge of the shoulder piece to the raw edge of the bodice arm hole.  Use wonder clips or pins to clip them in place.  If you matched up the marking on the sleeve to the armhole of the bodice, there should be about two inches of the sleeve on either side that is not clipped because that will be the underarm of the sleeve.  In the image below you can see a tiny pencil marking next to the purple clip on the right.  That matches up with the armhole of my bodice.

This is what it looks like underneath.

Step 8:  Now serge or sew the seam of the shoulder.  Notice I did not sew the last two inches of the sleeve on either side.  I just sewed where the bodice and sleeve were clipped together.

Now if you turn it right side out, it’s starting to look like a shirt!

Step 9: Turn your shirt inside out and serge or sew from the edge of your sleeve, under the armpit, and all the way down to the bottom of your shirt on both sides.

Step 10: Now we add the neck band.  Fold your band in half and serge or sew the open end shut.

Step 11: Then fold the band in half with the right side out to make a folded tube.  Mark the four quarters of the neck band with pins.  Mark the four quarters of the neck of the bodice with pins also.

Step 12: Now you want to place the neck band on top of the shirt, matching the raw edges together.  Match the pins of the band to the pins of the bodice.  You may notice the neck band is a little smaller than the neck hole in the bodice and that’s on purpose.  Now serge or sew the raw edges together with a 1/4″ seam allowance.  As you do this you want to stretch the fabric of the neck band since the neck band is smaller than the neck hole.  This will allow the fabric to line up as your sewing it together.  Here is a YouTube video that can help illustrate how to find the quarter marks on the neck band and shirt and how to sew it all together.

If you are using a serger, serge your sleeves and the bottom hem.  If you are using a sewing machine, leave your edges raw.

Step 13:  Fold the hem of your sleeves and hem of your shirt under a half inch and clip in place.  Use a twin needle on your sewing machine to top-stitch and create the hem.  I use the right side of my sewing foot as my guide at the folded end of the hem.

Step 14: Now we can start on the shorts.  Take your two main pieces and place them right sides together with the longer curve at the top.  Serge or zigzag stitch the top curve only.

Step 15:  Open up the pattern and fold it the opposite way so the two seams you just made are now lined up in the middle.  Serge or zigzag stitch the crotch shut starting at the inside of one leg and going around to the inside of the other leg.

Step 16: Take your waist band and leg band and sew the ends together to make a tube like you did with the neck band.  Make sure they are folded width wise with right sides together.

Step 17: Fold your bands in half length wise to make a folded tube so the right side is facing out.  Find the quarter marks for the bands and the waist and legs of the shorts.

Step 18: Place the bands on the outside of the shorts, matching up the raw edges and the pins.  I match the seam of the leg bands with the inner seam of the shorts.  This is just like the neck band we did on the shirt.

Step 19: The leg bands are slightly smaller than the shorts legs.  Sew the leg bands on, with a 1/4″ seam allowance, while stretching your fabric slightly so it all matches up, like we did on the neck band.  Sew on the waist band, but leave a 2″ opening for the elastic.

Here is what it looks like after you sewed the bands on.

Step 20: Measure your child’s waist and cut your elastic 2″ shorter.  Feed the elastic through your casing.  I do this by putting a safety pin on one end of the elastic so I have something hard to hold onto and can push it through the casing. After the elastic is pulled through, overlap the ends by 1″ and zigzag stitch it together.  Then close your opening in your casing by sewing it shut.

Step 21: Finally, you want to top-stitch around your neck line and leg bands about 1/8″ from the seam as shown in the photo below and in the video I referenced above.  You’re all done!  How cute!  I think she is going to love it!

Get the free girls pajama pattern by filling out the form below.

Save this tutorial for later by pinning this image to your favorite Pinterest board.

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