Crafting: Fixing my Pyjamas

This is a pair of pyjamas that I've had for quite a long time now, at least the top which used to actually be a nightie before it reshaped itself after a few washes.  I will admit that I got these from Primark (which probably explains the quality) and they no longer fit properly, with the bottoms being too big around the waist and the nightie too short and wide.

  

However, I do really like this set (and yes I know it's the Grinch, but I actually wear this all year round) and I decided that, as I would have to get rid of them anyway, I would try and fix the sizing first.

Firstly I worked on the top/ nightie as this needs the most work, but should theoretically be the easiest to sew.  I cut off the arms and collar and reduced the length to one that's a bit more usual for a top.

I wanted to keep some space in the front without having to put darts in as this would break up the design on the front.  So I kept the width in the front panel and just let the front collar flop forward.  I then reduced the width in the back and re-sewed the edges, before hemming the bottom, armholes, and around the neckline. 

I also kept the strip of fabric (I think it's cotton) that was put in place the hold the shape of the back collar and resewed it into the top.

Next was the pyjama bottoms.  This should have been quite an easy fix as the only thing that needed to be changed was the size of the waistband.

  

However, as the band is elastic and I wanted to keep the width of the rest of the pyjama fabric, I needed to stretch the band whilst sewing with a zigzag stitch on the machine.  I've never actually done this before and a lot of concentration ensued.

All in all, this took me about a day to complete and was quite fiddly, not helped by the fact that my machine seems to be having issues no matter what I do with it.  However, it was definitely worth it as I'm now able to keep the pyjamas I love and I don't need to buy new ones.  It's also been a good practice with my sewing machine before I start using it for more complicated projects.