Liberty Tilly and the Buttons Fifi Pyjamas

Despite it being one of my favourite pastimes, I find sleeping a really tricky thing to do. For me to get a fully rejuvenating night's sleep, I need a number of variables to line up. Temperature, light, and noise levels are the basics. If I'm too hot, I'm restless; if I'm too cold, I'm grumpy; if there's too much noise, I move rooms almost immediately. Additional variations include comfort, hydration levels, if I'm relaxed enough, when I last had caffeine etc, etc. Luckily, I can control most of these things while walking along a careful line to try not to drive my husband mad with my many demands!

The bizarre and worrying warm temperatures of last month brought comfort and temperature to the forefront of my mind. A couple of degrees warmer at night is enough for me to switch from my snuggly winter pyjamas to summer ones and I remembered that I had been promising myself another pair of Fifi pyjamas since the middle of last spring. I basically live in my Summer Rose and Retro Swirl versions throughout the warmer months where they are in a constant cycle of wear, wash, dry, wear... Having a third pair would take the pressure off. 

I wanted a slightly more sumptuous and whimsical pair this time. Laying patiently in my stash was a cut of Isa Liberty Lawn I picked up in one of their sales. The fabric was chosen by an academic who specialises in Carroll's 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and at the time was exploring Alice in relation to fashion and dress. The design was selected because the crescent shapes evoke some of the elements of Wonderland: the Alice Band, the Cheshire Cat's toothy grin, and the dots apparently suggest the shifting shapes and patterns beneath the surface. The dreamlike sense the design rouses makes it perfect for a pair of pyjamas. Plus, I'll take any opportunity I can to use Liberty lawn!

This pair are the same size as my others (graded between sizes 5 to 6 to 4) and I made no changes to how I constructed them. As you might image the lawn was a dream to stitch (not sorry), going through the machine like a hot knife through butter. I savoured every French seam and got a lot of joy from the insides beginning to look as neat as the outside. Not having any inclination to make my own, I used bright yellow ready made bias tape. As the yellow is so bright, I used it sparingly at the straps and the top of the camisole. I surprised myself with my colour choice as I steer clear of yellow and orange due their frequent ability to make me look ill, although the small amount at the front seems to work well here. Looking back, I would have preferred slightly narrower tape as the width takes something away from the delicate style of the camisole.

I've worn these a couple of times and they live up expectations. The soft supple cotton drapes beautifully which is ideal for the camisole and feels indulgent to wear. I've had a good couple of nights sleep. While I can't say for certain that this has anything to do with these pyjamas, I'm willing to give them the credit.