THE Q & A SERIES
emily’s maternity wear suggestions
Hi Emily,
I’d like to know if you have any suggestions about how to adjust patterns for maternity wear?
Thanks,
Ivy
Walsall, UK
Hi Ivy,
This is great timing to receive this question as I have recently had a baby!
Maternity clothing has been a new part of my life since pregnancy last year and the arrival of bub in December. And, I’d love to say I sewed up a beautiful maternity wardrobe to get me through pregnancy and the postpartum months, but the reality was that I was very unwell throughout the first trimester and had very little energy to do anything.
When I was lucky enough to get a boost of energy in my second trimester, the reality (and panic) of running a small business and needing to take time off to have a baby set in and I spent the rest of the pregnancy preparing the business for taking time off.
I wear a lot of loose-style garments and had just hoped I could get through without buying or making anything. I didn’t like the idea of having clothing that was only useful for a specific purpose and then would no longer be needed. But, it turned out that I was a bit naive, and definitely needed some maternity-specific clothing as my bump got bigger, so this is something I can definitely shed some light on now.
MY FAVOURITE MATERNITY WEAR GARMENTS
Maternity jeans
I love wearing jeans and found that I was uncomfortable around the waist early on in pregnancy, particularly because I normally wear high waisted jeans. I bought a pair of maternity jeans and I loved them. They really got me through and I wore them for the majority of my pregnancy and continued to wear them for a few weeks postpartum while everything was still very tender.
If you are up for making some jeans or maternity pants, I think you could definitely give it a go with a pants or jeans patterns you already have. The key is to add the seam for the stretch band very low. I was surprised when my maternity jeans arrived how low the seam is where the jeans join to the jersey waistband. But this was exactly what I needed with my growing bump.
The pair I bought had the front pockets lowered so that they were under the bump band, but if I were to make some I would just leave off the front pockets. To me they were a bit awkwardly placed as they were so low down, so I didn’t really use them and they didn't look great. I did use the back pockets though.
I bought my jeans early on and the bump band was too big, so I took in the sides of the stretch sections with a zig-zag stitch and then let them out as I needed to throughout the pregnancy. If I were to make my own, I’d do the same thing. Make the waist section with plenty of space and then just adjust it as you go, as you don’t know how big your bump will get.
This is a bonus of being able to adjust your clothes! I recommend using a jersey fabric that has good retention so they sit nice and firm and don’t slip down. I think you could definitely make some maternity pants from an elastic waist pant pattern too - and they would potentially be a bit cooler for the summer months. I also think you could use the same concept for a skirt - basically just an elastic waist skirt but with a big belly band at the top.
I know some people like wearing clothes under their bumps, but I found it much more comfortable wearing things over, as the things that go under just slipped down constantly. This tutorial from Hey June Handmade gives you an idea of how to go about sewing a maternity band on pants or skirts.
Overalls
The other thing I wore a heap was overalls. I bought a style that was quite large in the waist and they got me through most of my pregnancy. This is something you could make - just be sure to choose a loose fitting style. I made sure mine were big enough to wear while pregnant, but also something I could happily wear post pregnancy.
The In the Folds Collins top
As for tops, I have a lot of baggy / billowy tops that worked well with jeans and hid my bump until I was well into the second trimester. I've got a number of Collins tops that were in heavy rotation until they became a little short in the front. But even then, they still worked with something high-waisted and adjustable underneath (like the Wrap skirt that I wore a lot).
This style of loose-fitting top is still working well postpartum as they can easily be lifted for breastfeeding. I normally wear something high waisted underneath, so it doesn’t feel like I’m revealing too much skin and the loose fabric provides some cover. If you’re not comfortable showing this much skin, the other option is to wear a nursing singlet or camisole underneath that allows you to wear any top you like and when you lift it up you have the singlet underneath for coverage.
Loose-fitting dresses
I'd say the other thing to think about might be some loose fitting dresses. I had a few in my wardrobe that got me through the whole pregnancy. By the end it was the jersey ones (like the one above!) I was reaching for most as they comfortably fit over my bump and didn’t restrict movement. Unfortunately though, none of these dresses have centre front openings so they’re out of rotation now that I’m breastfeeding.
If I were to sew some dresses for this period, I’d definitely add a centre front placket so that it could be worn postpartum if you choose to breastfeed. Adding a centre front button closure to the Everyday dress pattern would work well.
I didn’t go out a whole lot during pregnancy, but when I did, it was good to have a couple of things that I knew fit and made me feel somewhat put together! One of these was an Acton dress with sleeves, that you can see me wearing here when I was about 36 weeks pregnant.
Loungewear
Another one of our patterns that would work really well throughout pregnancy and beyond is the Gibson loungewear set. I actually designed this pattern early on in my pregnancy as it was what I imagined I’d be wanting to swan around in when the baby arrived in December (Summer in Australia). But let’s be real, there was no swanning in December. Don’t get me wrong - life was completely magical as my partner and I adjusted to life with a baby, but also completely chaotic!
Now that things have calmed down somewhat, this is exactly the kind of thing I’ve been reaching for, even four months in. I’m still in no rush to put on pants with a fitted waistband, so anything with elastic has been my go-to. The dress and pants views in this pattern make it a versatile maternity wear option!
Robes
Another thing that was in heavy rotation in the early months with bub was my Whitlow robe. As I got the hang of breastfeeding, it was easier not to put a top on and I basically lived in robes (this was possible because it was so warm!). It was also handy to wear in hospital and to throw on when getting up throughout the night for feeds.
I hope this has been helpful.
It is such a strange time to plan clothes for as everything is changing so fast, but my biggest tip would be to have a few go-to items you can grab and feel good in, and don’t worry too much about wearing the same thing over and over again!
Choose fabrics that launder well and if they don’t need to be ironed, that’s a plus too. Life with a newborn doesn’t leave much time or space for ironing clothes!
Happy sewing,
Emily
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE
The Collins top pattern can be found here.
The Acton dress pattern and sleeve expansion bundle can be found here.
The Whitlow robe pattern can be found here.
The Gibson Loungewear set pattern is available as an additional purchase through our Curated by ITF subscription. More information can be found here.
The Everyday dress pattern is a free pattern and can be found here.
The Jersey dress pattern is a free pattern and can be found here.
The Wrap skirt pattern is a free pattern and can be found here.
For more issues of the Q & A series, you can check out the archive here.
WHAT YOU’VE BEEN MAKING
Everyday dress made by @popscansew
Hove jacket made by @theladywholunches
