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My Fall Maternity Pattern Round Up

If you had asked me 4 months ago what I would be sewing for fall, I probably would have mentioned a cardigan or 2. Maybe a raglan or dolman...

If you had asked me 4 months ago what I would be sewing for fall, I probably would have mentioned a cardigan or 2. Maybe a raglan or dolman with some new fabric I had on my mind and a pair of joggers. 4 months ago, I wasn’t pregnant. I have a great fall wardrobe full of patterns I love. Before I made the cross country move from New Jersey to Wyoming, I purged every garment that didn’t bring me joy. I got rid of any garment that even slightly resembled maternity clothes. I got rid of every over sized t-shirt and large garment. Because no doubt, I had achieved my goal. I weighed less than I did when I got pregnant with my first. Major win!
While some may be panicing right now, saying, you’re 15 weeks pregnant, what are you going to wear? I see this as a HUGE advantage. I am not bogged down by my old, unstylish clothes. Instead I get to build an ENTIRE maternity wardrobe.
When building a wardrobe you need to take a few things into consideration.
#1- Weather. I am 15 weeks pregnant in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I’m due in March some time. It has already started cooling off here and will be still deep into winter in March. So I need winter clothes, BUT, as a pregnant woman, I run HOT. I’m sleeping in the lightest summer clothes I can find with our bedroom windows open while my husband uses 2 heavy fleece blankets. So super heavy, warm clothes won’t be needed until AFTER baby comes.
#2- What do you like to wear. I love leggings. I love tunics and mini dresses (longer length tunics?). I don’t like pants that go over my belly. I don’t love jeans not pregnant, so I’m probably not going to love them now.


#3- What is going to fit?!
So to address #3, I have picked either patterns that already have a maternity mod, do not need a maternity mod OR that will work quickly and easily with the Patterns for Pirates Maternity Mod. So, what patterns are on my cutting table?
Tops:
-New Horizons Riviera Raglan. The Riviera Raglan has a hankerchief hem option that will both fit over a big pregnant tummy AND a henley option to make the top easily breastfeeding friendly. That makes it worth my time to adjust for fit.
-Patterns for Pirates Layer Me Up. By using the P4P Maternity Pattern piece I can easily get a maternity top with ZERO trouble. My only complaint is that these tops will be mostly useless post partum as no one wants to emphasize their post baby squishy belly. But since this is my FAVORITE pattern, its ok.
 -Everything Your Mama Made and More Kymy Dolman. This pattern includes a maternity mod and a nice loose fit to drape over the baby belly now and hide the postpartum tummy later.







Cardigans and Hoodies
-New Horizons Harbor Hoodie. I have plans for 3 of these. A sleeveless, unlined fleece one for when the days are cool but not cold. A french terry one to use for layering inside the house (or as a stylish layer). And a double fleece one to use as a “coat”. I used a double fleece hoodie most of last winter in New Jersey, so I suspect this will be a good option for most days. The advantage to this pattern is that the ties can easily be adjusted to wrap as much or as little as I want. And the best part is, I should be able to use it after the baby arrives as a baby wearing jacket. To make it more adjustable, I will just put in 4 ties, instead of 2 ties and a button.
-New Horizons Lisse Hoodie. I am still not 100% sold on this one, but in theory it works. The front petals definitely stretch to fit over the baby belly and should work great for breastfeeding access. My only concern is whether it is a good silhouette on my body shape. Post partum I tend towards an extra top heavy inverted triangle/almost rectangle, so I will need to be careful about necklines. I may just add a henley placket so I can add some depth to the neckline when I am not trying to stay as warm.
-Peek a Boo Pattern Shop Cambridge Cardigan. This pattern is one of the few that actually mimics one of my RTW sweaters. I don’t normally wear RTW, but I bought a similar sweater for just $6 and it really is my style. It has a nice long, slim fit, which better fits my silhouette. Those flowy layers make me feel heavy all over since they drape off my bust and make everything look “heavy.”









Pants:
-I have to admit defeat here. I could make leggings, but I prefer leggings in black, gray and “denim”. That’s just the sort of thing I can easily buy, so I won’t be making these. But, if I had to pick a legging that would go quickly to maternity mod, I’d go with the Patterns for Pirates Peg Legs. They already have a very low front rise, so should not need to be changed much to accommodate a belly.
-Winter Wear Designs Aviators. I love a good jogger. Comfy, cozy and great to pear with my LMU’s. The Aviators have been a long time non-maternity favorite and I suspect that a tiny scoop out of the front rise will keep them comfy for me long after this baby is born.











Dresses:
-Patterns for Pirates Boundless. While this is an awful silhouette for my body type (you can read more about that here), it is a great maternity option. No mods needed and with a tiny hack, I’ve got a cross over front nursing dress. These may get relegated to stay home only clothes post partum, but they will be comfy and I can take the skirts off later to make an LMU when I’m ready.

-Made By Rae Washi. This was actually a new pattern for me but I was lured in my Katie Lee of the Creative Counselor. She made a great maternity one and I was sure it was the right look for me. So far I’ve sewn 2. 1 I hated and the other I love. I’ll try to blog that another time. But It will be easy to add in a button placket or zipper to the front for nursing access and the pleats on the skirt will do a great job of hiding my post partum tummy. That means I’ll be able to wear them after the baby too!
-GreenStyle Laurel. I was really lucky and when I asked Angelyn of Greenstyle about hacking a hood onto it, she drafted on for me instead. So if you need a size small hood, she already has it drafted (but no instructions). The Laurel was already really versatile (with 3 different skirt options, multiple sleeves, dress or tunic length, cowl or banded neckline) but now it has a hood and that makes it even more fun. Of course you’ve seen my Hooded Laurel.

 I have this feeling like I'm missing something. PJ's maybe? But I'm still working on just my main clothes. I'm sure my husband can share some of his t-shirts with me for now. :)

Hi, I'm Ti and I'm so happy you're here. I'm a self taught seamstress that loves to focus on good fit, well drafted patterns and of course, FABRIC! As a self proclaimed fabric-aholic, it only made sense to open a fabric store, thus, Simply by Ti was born. Here on my blog, you'll mainly find work that I've done for myself and my family. I am always looking to expand my sewing abilities and spend a lot of time learning new fitting and sewing techniques. I aim to provide objective, honest, creative content that will keep you actively engaged and wanting to read more.

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4 comments

  1. HeadstrongSeptember 16, 2016 at 1:17 PM

    Thank you!!! Totally needed the round up - have you seen the EYMM Maternity bundle? I'm only holding back getting it because I'm not sure of the fit.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Suzanne WinterSeptember 16, 2016 at 2:25 PM

    can't wait to see what you do with the Aviators!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. DianeSeptember 16, 2016 at 2:27 PM

    How fun to sew a whole new wardrobe! I love your choices. Have you looked at SUAT's Shirtzie instead of the Boundless? It already has a crossover bodice option for nursing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. MenaSeptember 20, 2016 at 4:21 AM

    Wow nice, can't wait to see the wardrobe, great choices!

    ReplyDelete

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