The Tale of the Recycled Pajama Pants

Once upon a time, like way back in college, I had a pair of pajama pants. They were nothing special -- just cotton PJ bottoms from Old Navy -- but I loved them. I loved the colors, I loved how comfortable they were and I loved that I could wear them year-round (they kept me warm in the winter and cool in the summer). I remember wearing those pants and watching movies in my dorm room on my sorority hall. I remember wearing those pants and eating ice cream late one night with all my roommates at my college apartment. I remember packing those pants and taking them on my honeymoon (Neil was thrilled). Those pants and I have logged a lot of miles and a lot of memories. Plus, they'd been washed just enough times that the cotton was good and worn in and super soft. They were my go-to pjs and I have worn them A LOT for many years. Behold, the PERFECT pair of pajama pants:

But, sadly, just like everything else, those pants couldn't live forever. For one thing, they had become thread-bare beyond repair in the seat and crotch (I've literally worn them out) and, well, they aren't exactly as comfortable as they once were (they are, ahem, a bit snug). Because of their condition, I couldn't donate them to the thrift store or hand them down to someone else. On the way to the trash can, I decided the best option would probably be to just cut them up and use the fabric for cleaning rags. At least I'd have something colorful to dust with. But the thought was just unsettling for me. That is not how a great pair of PJs should go out. And then I was struck with a thought: what if I did cut them up but instead of rags, what if I cut them down into pajama pants for Margie Grace. I was sure that by cutting them up the inseam and opening out the legs, I'd have just enough fabric to make MG her own pair of special PJ pants! I thought the idea was genius so I got to work, laying the pants on the floor and cutting them into a new creation.

Now here's a bit of a side story to this whole pajama rebirth. In early December, Margie Grace's preschool is having a "Pajama Day" where everyone wears their favorite PJs to school. It has been on my mind exactly what to dress her in that day because I've felt like she doesn't have any PJs that are extra special enough to wear to school. I buy the lion's share of her pajamas at our semi-annual consignment sale where I can get about two weeks worth of PJs for the price of two or three pair at Target or Wal-Mart. They are fine pajamas for around the house but I wanted her to have something a little nicer and a little more special for school. A new pair just wasn't in the budget for us (the financial belt is tighter these days since I've gone to part-time) plus I couldn't justify buying a new pair when she's getting a brand new pair for Christmas (holla if that's your family's Christmas Eve tradition, too!) So, the idea to remake my old pants into something new for her couldn't have come at a more opportune time. Behold the pajamas reborn:

I was so clever, I cut the new pants out using the bottom edge of the old pants so that I didn't even have to hem them. I had some red ric rac in my box of leftover trim that I used to spiff up the bottom cuff and cute them up a bit (nothing makes me think of fun kids' clothes like ric rac!) I got a red T-shirt at Wal-Mart for $3.50 and appliqued an "M" on it using some of the leftover fabric from the pants. I just love the way the whole set turned out and I couldn't be happier that my old pants got a new makeover -- spared from the trash and reborn into something Margie Grace can use. Plus, she really got a kick out of the fact that those used to be my old pants! She doesn't know this but I added extra fabric to the waistband so in the next couple of years, I can let it out and she's got room to grow. Unfortunately, I don't think these pants will be with her through college. But, hey, they've had a good run!

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