Friday, February 3, 2012

Refashioned Maternity Top

With February full upon us I must confess that I can foresee no interesting historic gowns in my near future. Oh there are plenty I want to make - a late 19-teens dress inspired by the film War Horse, a late 1830's style dress cut down from my blue 1860's dress, a new regency gown, my 18th century brown stripedy jacket (although I am despairing of getting that done before my bump gets too big). Stuff. But I have to focus on Blake's clothes for Shiloh 150 and so, no getting sidetracked!

But I did find time this afternoon to makeover one of David's shirts into a maternity top. I have a weakness for plaid button up shirts and this shirt was just too big for him. He is very tall and broad shouldered but he isn't really fat, so this 3XLT mans shirt was just sitting around, not getting used. Wow, there's a lotta fabric there. 

I recently came across the wonderful site diymaternity. It's an amazing resource. I wish I had known about this stuff when I was pregnant with my other three. I used their shirred tunic top tutorial to create this shirt and I am really pleased with how it came out! 

I pretty much followed the instructions given on the site, although I did change a few things. First, since the armholes on the shirt I was using were absolutely huge I narrowed the entire shirt, cut new armholes and then reattached the shortened, narrowed sleeves. I didn't have elastic thread to sew with so I used a flat piece of elastic instead and just stretched and sewed it to the area I was shirring. 

I also added a shirred area to the back of the shirt, since the back was totally unfitted and kind of unflattering.  

I also put in a triangular gore at each side seam from the hem to the underbust to give extra flare and room there. 

It is one of the most comfortable shirts I have and I think I will be able to get at least a few months out of this before I need to make a larger one. Yay for roomy shirts that don't look like tents!

There are lots and lots of other cute tutorials on the diymaternity site, as well as some super cute patterns. I think I will have lots to work on in odd afternoons here and there for the next few months!

Love,
Sarah

8 comments:

  1. Hi Sarah,

    That's a great way to repurpose a shirt...and it really looks good on you. Bump? Are you having another child? Yeah...what a blessing :) :) :) Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather ;) :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. HI Sarah,

    That top is adorable...and what a great way to reuse a shirt, too :) :) Oh, and I'm guessing you are having another baby? Congrats to you and your hubby :) :) :) Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. good job. i'm not pregnant and i want one.

    ReplyDelete
  4. That is so cute! I wish I had worn something other than sweatshirts and yoga pants when I was pregnant. Bookmarking that site for the future.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love how you refashioned the collar on that top- and the pleating looks really cute in plaid! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Holy smokes! It is darling! You do amazing work!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your lovely thoughts!