Soooooo, if you like my Facebook page, you might have seen what I'm wearing today -- my latest creation, a maternity skirt. (Apologies in advance for the dodgy cell phone photos. Nathan was being silly and trying to get in the frame!)
And like no other Finished Object, I am in love with this skirt. I've been constantly tugging at and rearranging my store-bought maternity clothes for what feels like months, and this is the first piece of clothing I put on in the morning and didn't have to think about all day long.
Well, that's not entirely true. I thought about it because I couldn't stop looking at it (I'm tickled by how the ruffle worked out!) but I didn't have to rearrange it or tug it back into place once. That is the beauty of custom-tailored clothing. I drafted this pattern based on the A-line skirt template in Flirt Skirts but did a ton of modification to get it to fit right. I also added a ruffle based on the instructions in the drool-worthy Sew Serendipity: Fresh and Pretty Designs to Make and Wear.
The modification included template size, eliminating the back seam (there's no need for one, since maternity skirts don't need zippers) and altering the design for the full-panel waistband, which needed a dart not called for in the pattern and shaping of the back seam, which I moved to the side to better fit my new shape. I don't think the designers of this skirt have ever been pregnant and certainly didn't care about how it must have fit on their model sewn as shown in the book. Without the modifications, the waistband bucked out at the top and showed stupidly through my shirt -- also, it had no negative ease so it wasn't going to stay on without all that dreaded tugging.
My super-custom waistband is why this skirt works so well -- it fits me perfectly because I customized it to my size and shape. This is what pins are for. I did a lot of pinning, trying on and repinning while wearing the skirt and looking in the mirror -- it's more accurate than going by measurements alone. The 95 percent cotton/5 percent lycra fabric is so soft and comfortably stretchy, but not too stretchy (as I find the typical store-bought waistbands to be, which is why I think they fall down all day long).
I'm sure these alterations sound really vague, but I don't want to go into minute details if no one's really interested. If someone out there wants to know exactly how I constructed the waistband, please let me know if the comments (or e-mail me) and make sure your return e-mail address is available through your Blogger profile.
Even though our new baby is due in just four months, I love this skirt so much I'm thinking about making another one just like it. It might be silly to intentionally make even more clothing with such a short lifespan, but... I want to be comfortable this summer, and it wouldn't hurt to look cute, too!
Happy Monday, friends!
And like no other Finished Object, I am in love with this skirt. I've been constantly tugging at and rearranging my store-bought maternity clothes for what feels like months, and this is the first piece of clothing I put on in the morning and didn't have to think about all day long.
Well, that's not entirely true. I thought about it because I couldn't stop looking at it (I'm tickled by how the ruffle worked out!) but I didn't have to rearrange it or tug it back into place once. That is the beauty of custom-tailored clothing. I drafted this pattern based on the A-line skirt template in Flirt Skirts but did a ton of modification to get it to fit right. I also added a ruffle based on the instructions in the drool-worthy Sew Serendipity: Fresh and Pretty Designs to Make and Wear.
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| Beware the gut shot. |
The modification included template size, eliminating the back seam (there's no need for one, since maternity skirts don't need zippers) and altering the design for the full-panel waistband, which needed a dart not called for in the pattern and shaping of the back seam, which I moved to the side to better fit my new shape. I don't think the designers of this skirt have ever been pregnant and certainly didn't care about how it must have fit on their model sewn as shown in the book. Without the modifications, the waistband bucked out at the top and showed stupidly through my shirt -- also, it had no negative ease so it wasn't going to stay on without all that dreaded tugging.
My super-custom waistband is why this skirt works so well -- it fits me perfectly because I customized it to my size and shape. This is what pins are for. I did a lot of pinning, trying on and repinning while wearing the skirt and looking in the mirror -- it's more accurate than going by measurements alone. The 95 percent cotton/5 percent lycra fabric is so soft and comfortably stretchy, but not too stretchy (as I find the typical store-bought waistbands to be, which is why I think they fall down all day long).
I'm sure these alterations sound really vague, but I don't want to go into minute details if no one's really interested. If someone out there wants to know exactly how I constructed the waistband, please let me know if the comments (or e-mail me) and make sure your return e-mail address is available through your Blogger profile.
Even though our new baby is due in just four months, I love this skirt so much I'm thinking about making another one just like it. It might be silly to intentionally make even more clothing with such a short lifespan, but... I want to be comfortable this summer, and it wouldn't hurt to look cute, too!
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| Another silly one for good measure. |
Happy Monday, friends!
Okay, that skirt of yours is way cooler than any maternity clothing that I ever had. I love that ruffle!
ReplyDeleteAnd I think that now is the PERFECT time to be treating yourself to new skirts, or whatever may tickle your fancy.
Only four months to go?!?! So exciting!!!
Thank you!!
DeleteI am the only one in our family who sews. I made lots of maternity clothing for myself and my sisters. You are right, a good fit is so very important.
ReplyDeleteThings have sure changed over the years. I am 60 now and a grandmother. When I was pregnant 40 years ago a panel in a skirt or pants was 'new'. Before there was a big hole with strings at the top for 'adjustment' when getting bigger. We had to depend on having longer tops. Somehow that never worked for me. My tummy was always naked. I hated it. I made my own clothes because I wanted the tops longer to cover my expanding tummy.
Spoil yourself with some pretty skirts and enjoy being pregnant.
May God bless you with a healthy baby.
Thank you, Roxie!
DeleteI love your skirt Kelly, the fabric is beautiful and it looks so elegant!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting to be having a baby!
Take care
Linda
Thanks, Linda!!
DeleteWow, how clever! the fabric is so pretty and goes very well with the pink top you are wearing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Emma! :)
DeleteThat does not sound like newbie sewing skills to me. I've tried some fast, easy skirt tutorials and they didn't turn out near as cute as that.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rachel. I hope you have more successes soon! I admit that this wasn't fast and easy -- the pattten wasn't designed very well and I made a lot of changes. But if I had followed the pattern completely, this one wouldn't have turned out so great, either! :)
Delete