There isn't a more miserable feeling than waking up in the night drenched in sweat. Pajamas should be lightweight and breathable, whether you wear them as a two-piece set or as a nightgown. When making your own pajamas, there are two types of fabric that stand out above the rest in terms of comfortability: Cotton and Silk.
Cotton
Cotton fabrics make up a lot of our day-to-day clothing for a very good reason; few fabrics are as comfortable, cozy, or affordable. It's the perfect pajama fabric; cotton allows good air circulation without irritating the skin. Cotton fabrics are available in many different designs, brands, and widths, so when you're fashioning a pair of pajamas for yourself or a loved one, it's good to keep your recipients in mind when choosing a fabric.
The wide availability of pattered cotton printed fabric opens up a whole world of options for your pajamas. Whether a simple, solid color or a wild and fun pattern is the right choice depends on who you're making your pajamas for. For example, some young ladies and grown women may love fabrics with flower print designs in muted colors so that they feel feminine but sophisticated. However, those same women probably wouldn't be as thrilled with pajamas made from fabrics with animal prints, which would be better suited for an infant's onesie or a young child's pajamas. The best part about a gift like this is that you know exactly who it's for and what they like. ""Gotcha"" patterned fabrics come in a variety of colors that are either bold or soft, making it a pattern that could be suited for anyone regardless of gender or age.
If you are thinking about making children's or infants' pajamas as a gift for a holiday or another special occasion, look for cotton fabrics in baby blues or pretty pinks. If the child is a toddler or older, fun owl prints or zoo animal prints will help fuel the child's imaginative and curious nature. Just imagine all the animal sounds he or she can practice just by looking down at their own shirt, pants, or onesie! Girls in late elementary and middle school will love to show off the pajamas you make from ""girly blue"" cotton fabrics, with patterns like zebra print, chevron, or polka dot. Speaking of chevron style designs, this pattern makes great pajamas for little boys, especially boys who are always on the move! Keep an eye out for chevron pattern cotton fabrics that include boyish colors like gray, electric green, and firetruck red.
If you're making a pajama set for an adult, solid-colored cotton fabrics are generally a safe choice. Around Christmas time, darker reds and greens are especially festive but can also be worn all year long. This might come as a surprise to you, but cotton quilting fabrics actually make great pajamas, so if you're unsure about where to start, begin by perusing the quilting section of your favorite fabric store or website and choosing a color or pattern that speaks to you. Get as creative as you want!
Silk
A slightly more expensive option than cotton, silk fabrics have a sleek, glamorous, and sexy look to them that's perfect for adult pajamas. Silk is a naturally lustrous fiber that feels soft and smooth to the touch, which means it feels great on your skin. Pajamas made from silk have the least amount of friction against skin out of all the other pajama fabrics. It's a great fabric to wear in winter or summer, being so lightweight that you forget you're wearing it, but also able to keep your body heat locked inside on those cold winter nights. Pure silk fabric is a natural heat regulator, which means it'll keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. Along with silk's natural heat regulation, it also catches moisture quickly, which means that you won't wake up feeling it even if you sweat during the night. No wonder people feel so luxurious when they wear silk pajamas!
If you want to make pajamas for someone you love that suffers from asthma and allergies to things like dust mites, silk is the perfect fabric choice for you. Dust mites stay away from the natural substances silk is made from, and those natural substances are also mold and mildew resistant. It's been suggested that silk is also good for the skin, if nothing else, by protecting it from UV rays.
The cherry on top of the list of reasons silk pajamas are amazing? Silk is eco-friendly, meaning that it won't damage the environment if it's left discarded somewhere.
Those benefits aside, nothing compares to the look of real silk. Combined with the wide variety of colors available now, you can make something truly extraordinary. The possibilities of colors that you could make silk pajamas from are practically endless. If you prefer neutral colors, light browns in shades of butternut, oakwood, or nutmeg might be perfect for you. If you want to bring out someone's green eyes or give a nod to their love of nature, green silk pajamas would make a great gift. Red and black silks are more alluring colors that make great holiday presents for men AND women, and if you'd like silk pajamas that are bright and fun, look for fabrics in playful shades of gold or tangerine.
No matter who you're making pajamas for, choosing the right fabric is crucial to how well the project turns out and how often the pajamas will actually be worn. If you want to make sure you create great quality pajamas that will be worn by you or anyone you give them to for years and years to come, make sure you make those pajamas out of either cotton or silk fabrics. Each fabric type has pros and cons, but both will make every night comfortable and care-free so that you and your loved ones can get the best night's sleep possible.
