Now, take a big piece of paper—I use old wrapping paper or butcher paper, because who has pattern paper lying around? Fold it in half lengthwise. You’re going to draw half a pant leg, and the fold becomes the center seam.
Start by drawing a vertical line for the grain (that’s the straight of the fabric). Mark your waistline at the top, then measure down for the rise. Here’s the trick: the front rise is usually shorter than the back rise, so add about an inch to the back. This is where pajama pants get their “won’t fall off when you sit down” magic. Draw a gentle curve for the crotch point—think of it like a J-hook shape.
The Hip and Inseam Basics
From the waist, measure down to the hip line (about 8–9 inches) and mark half your hip measurement plus 2 inches for ease—because you want to breathe. Then draw a straight line to the hem for the outer leg. For the inner leg, measure from the crotch point down the inseam length to the ankle.
Add a generous 1-inch seam allowance to all edges. Yes, even the waist. Pajamas are supposed to be forgiving, not fitted like a cocktail dress. Cut out your paper pattern—it’ll look like a weird lowercase “L” shape, and that’s perfectly fine.
Easy Pajama Top Pattern at Marcus Riedel blog
