Matryoshka Russian Doll Pyjama Case - Free sewing patterns

This unusual make would bring an air of enchantment to any bedroom. Made from pretty cotton fabrics in shades of pink, red and purple, this adorable case is based on the classic Matryoshka doll – meaning ‘nested’ in Russian – and is perfect for keeping pyjamas tucked away.

Essentials

Fabric, cotton: red, floral, four prints, scraps; brown, floral, 100cm; purple, floral, scrap; pink, for lining, 100cm
Felt; white, 7cm square; blue, scraps; red, scraps
Wadding, lightweight, 100cm Flowers, felt, pink
Ric rac, lime, 100cm
Fusible webbing, 10cm square Zip, concealed, brown, 20cm

Dimensions List

27cm x 37cm

Stitch a pyjama case

Locate, download and cut out the pattern. Pin the body fronts to the red floral scraps, cut one of each. Repeat, with the same fabric by pinning the templates for the main head and body front base. Pin the side body piece to purple floral fabric and cut this shape twice, remembering to reverse the template for the opposite side.
Pin together front pieces marked ‘A’ and ‘B’ then machine stitch. Pin and sew ‘C’ onto ‘B’, then attach the front base to ‘C’ and machine stitch into place. Press open all seams. Pin the sides of the body to either part of the front section and machine stitch into place. Where the fabric changes, hand stitch a length of green ric rac across the body. Pin the main head section to the body and machine stitch. Press the seams open.
Iron a square of fusible webbing onto white felt, pin to the face template and cut out. Attach more fusible webbing onto small pieces of blue and red felt, and pink fabric. Pin the templates for the features to the above fabrics and cut two eyes, a mouth, two cheeks plus two hair sections from backing fabric.
Remove the backing, position the features on the face and gently press to fix. Repeat with the face, position onto the head and iron to secure. In matching thread, stitch around the features. Create eyelashes using brown embroidery thread, and sew green ric rac across the neck and around the face. Attach a felt flower at the head and neck to complete the face.
For the back of the pyjama case, cut two rectangles 32cm wide from brown floral fabric, ensuring the pieces are slightly larger than the template. Fold over and press down a 6mm hem on one long side, and repeat for the other rectangle. Lay both pieces upwards with pressed sides facing each other. Place the zip central to where the fabrics meet and using chalk, mark out its position.
With right sides facing, pin the fabric and sew either side of the chalk guides. Tack the zip into place and then machine stitch. Pin the back to the back template, matching up the zip with the line on the pattern, and cut out. From pink fabric, cut out the back lining. Wrong sides together, pin the lining to the back, with the opening covering the zip, sew into place neatly using slip stitch.
Pin the Russian doll template to both the wadding and the lining fabric, then cut out one complete piece of each. Join the wadding to the lining and stitch around the shape. Turn the pyjama case right sides inwards, repeat with the lining and push it into the outer shell. Pin one side of the open edge and stitch into place, leaving a gap for turning.
Turn the pyjama case the right way out, push the lining into it to shape and close the gap with neat whip stitches. Pin both edges together and use a few small running stitches around the outside of the case to close it, incorporating the lining to anchor itinto place.