I AM sloppy in the sleepwear stakes. So sloppy that my favourite sleepwear, a T-shirt and school sports shorts, are interchangeable with my gardening clobber. They're clean - I'm not that slobby - but bear permanent garden stains.

With the weather turning, the only real shift will be to a pair of men's flannelette PJ bottoms, paired with the same T-shirt.


The truth is I can't find PJs I like.

I'm not one for gender-specific pinks and I hate things like built in shelf bras, soft knits that manage to wrap around around you through the night and cut off your blood or, worse, oxygen supply. I hate oversized T-shirts and, let's just get this straight now, if you're a fan of the onesie, we can't be friends.

My preference is a weave cotton top and bottom. Short or long, summer or winter. But PJ sets like this don't come easy, or cheap.

My fix has always been to make what I can't find and I've been stashing away vintage sheets to make up my own PJs and scouring the op shops for just the right sewing pattern. I hit pay dirt a couple of weeks ago with a stash of sleepwear patterns. The pattern to the left of the top picture is my favourite. I'm guessing early 1960s, both by the pre-decimal pricing of 4/6 and the hair dos.

And while frills aren't really my thing, for fun I think I'll keep it. Just don't expect to find me setting my curls or adding a bow for the boudoir.