Monday, June 13, 2011

Maternity Solutions 3: Using my leftovers

Remember the top half of that blue dress from the last post? Here it is with short sleeves and a new, maxi length skirt. I'd seen the fabric on clearance for a few dollars a yard and just guessed that the color might be close. The material for the skirt is slightly darker and is not knit but a silky, lightweight, polyester blend of some sort. I just sewed the whole piece matching both selvedge ends into a tube and then held it over my tummy draping it different ways and pinning. I decided to do a double box pleat in the front and just slight gathering around the sides and back to avoid too much poof, but still being able to stretch with the knit as I put it on. Then I hemmed it and made yet another sash to help define the "waist" area. Maxi dresses are really popular right now and I have been wanting to find a maxi that actually was floor length on me. To be honest, this is not the most practical dress with my toddler who likes to grab hold and hang on the skirt, so I don't know how often I will wear it but I do like the feel of the silky long skirt brushing against my legs as I walk.

This tunic is from a pre-maternity alteration that I did. I used the skirt from one and added a yoke to top to make a long slip to wear under the tunic so that it looks like a dress. I can also wear the tunic over pants and leggings. I had this leftover top part sitting around along with a bunch of the grey fabric I'd bought on clearance and used for the yoke. I decided to try another maxi dress. This time I gathered the skirt mostly across the front and left the sides and back to hang straight. Without the sash it hangs straight down. As I look at this in the pictures I've decided the top needs a little more work to fit a little better and be more flattering as well, but in a very short time, using leftover stuff in my stash I have another option.