Pajama Pants (Pt. 1) ...

And hello everyone! Let's embark on a journey of fabric and warmth and...pants. But not just ordinary pants, oh no, pajama pants. The collegiate's best friend, the garment of choice as it were. And what better way to appreciate such a bond a perpetually fatigued student has with his pajama bottoms than make a pair.

First, buy 100% cotton fabric that is three yards in length from The Joann's (Joann Fabrics). When home, or at a laundromat, or even in a creek make sure to wash your fabric before you begin cutting. This is to make sure that you get all the chemicals used to treat the fabric off, but more importantly this insures that the fabric has gotten its preliminary shrink out of the way.

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The Joann's

When you are at The Joann's pick up the pattern you would like to use for your pajama pants, these patterns come in different sizes and IT DOES matter which one you choose. So measure your waist, and by waist I do not mean where you let your pants sag Guy In The Back - your true waist is just below the bellybutton.

FUN FACT: The bellybutton is clinically known as the umbilicus.

Now open up your pattern envelope. You will be inundated with all sorts of paper, do not panic this is perfectly normal everything will be just fine.

Because patterns usually come in packages, for example a pajama pants pattern will come with a shirt pattern or two, you will want to find the correct pattern pieces. These are well indicated.

Before you begin cutting out your pattern from the rest you may want to iron the paper to get out all of the creases and tiny wrinkles that are bound to be there. This is not necessary but might make your life easier down the road. Begin and complete the "laborious" task of cutting out your pattern along the thick black outlines (this project will include two leg pieces and an elastic band).

Iron out your fabric before you begin cutting.

The instructions for the pattern will indicate where along the fabric you should place your pattern pieces as to get the best possible use from the fabric.

Once your pattern pieces are set down in the correct way on your fabric cut out your pattern pieces. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ADD SEAM ALLOWANCE!! It has been provided for your in the patterns

Done?...

Good!

Before you do anything else you will want to finish off the edges of your fabric pieces. The best way to do this is to use an overlock stitch. You can do this by using a serger, a frightening looking machine but one that is easy to use.

Line up your fabric so that just a little bit is close to the blade, it will be cut and that is okay.

If you have finished that then you have completed part one and are fast on your way to making a pair of lazy pants, I mean pajama pants.

Industrial Iron

Let's talk iron. Or rather ironing. It is something we all do or at least have done at some point. There has been that one wrinkle that one crease that will just not stay down, on stage this could be problematic. You see, on stage a character's clothing is an extension of who they are a more visual representation of what a character is like on the inside and out. So an extremely noticeable crease could send the wrong message (or mixed messages) as well as not looking the best. Thankfully, there is hope. Yes, there is a light that shines bright in the dark world of frumpy clothing! A Gravity Feed Iron ...
Even the name seems to have weight when you hear or say it

But what exactly is this marvelous device, you ask? Well I will tell you; even you "guy in the back" who is unsuccessfully masking his joy with disregard. A gravity feed iron is an industrial strength iron that is used in most if not all costume shops and studios because of it's dependability and extended longevity.
The iron gets its name from having it's water supply in a hanging reservoir and having gravity direct the flow.

The iron itself, being heavy-duty industrial quality, weighs in at an average of four pounds. This leaves the user to apply less pressure on the garment and using the weight of the iron itself.

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The hanging reservoir holds four liters and has a bag filled with resin, a demineralizer, so to further extend the life of the iron an minimize calcium buildup. The handle of the iron has a steam twitch that allows the valve to open and the hose to fill with water allowing the iron to superheat with the water and create the steam.

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How do I use this spectacular machine? Well, it that is simple.

1. Hang bottle approximately forty inches above the ironing surface
2. Connect the silicon hose to the iron and the bottle
3. Empty demineralizer package into the bottle and fill it with tap water
4. Plug the iron cord into a grounded electrical socket
5. Set the temperature dial
6. Open the bottle valve and allow the hose to fill with water by pressing the steam switch. The iron is now ready to use!
7. When not pressing, place iron on a silicon pad.

You can purchase many number of Gravity feed systems however the price is a little high, however, when dealing with an extensive costume reserve and the demand to quick complete fixes this iron is a sound investment.