Nursing bra tutorial

First of all, if there are any men reading my blog, this post is not for you. Instead, go visit my dad's blog, CreationPath (although you still won't escape the nursing theme!!).

...Now, I would not normally post pictures of my underwear on the Internet. :-) However, I made this tutorial in hopes that it will be helpful to other nursing moms. Since I've started breastfeeding, I've found that nursing bras are generally

A) hard to find in the first place
B) plainly utilitarian
C) not of the style I'm used to wearing
D) expensive

Since I am a big fan of breastfeeding, and Douglas and I are hoping the Lord will bless us with many children, I did not want to spend the rest of my pre-menopausal days wearing ugly bras. ;-) A few weeks ago I decided to convert some "regular" bras into nursing bras by way of some front-closing bra clasps. You could also use nursing bra clasps, but for whatever reason I like this kind better.


I ordered these from Sew Sassy Fabrics. I'd recommend stocking up when you order, since shipping is on the expensive side. For what it's worth, the black clasps that I ordered seems to be a bit sturdier than the clear ones.


You could really use just about any style of bra, provided the cup will bend easily to uncover the breast for nursing. (Test this when trying on bras.) This particular bra comes from Target and sells for around $10. It is part of a line from Gilligan O'Malley, called 'Everyone's Favorite Bra' or something like that. It is particularly suitable for this project because of the ring at the top of the cup. Plus, they have a variety of colors and prints so you can choose something a little more sassy if you like. (I'm showing a plain beige in this tutorial because I really don't want to post pictures of my sassy underwear on the Internet.) ;-)


First, unpick the stitching at the top of the cup to release the plastic ring.


Next, cut the lingerie elastic just below the loop sewn near the adjustable slider. (You could also unpick here, but it was sewn so tightly I found it easier to just sacrifice that little bit of elastic.) Cut the remaining loop off of the slider and discard.


Remove the plastic ring from the elastic and replace it with one half of the new bra clasp (making sure the clasp is facing the right direction). Re-loop the elastic through the slider as shown, then pull tight to make a new loop.


Stitch down the new loop. A zipper foot will be handy to get up close near the slider, but don't stress if you don't have one. Just make your loop a little larger.


Slip the other half of the new bra clasp through the top of the cup (making sure it's facing the right direction), fold over, and stitch in place. If you choose a bra that doesn't have a plastic loop like this one does, you could use extra lingerie elastic or matching ribbon to sew a loop at the top of the cup to hold the clasp.


Ta-da! A finished nursing bra. Now that you've got out your thread and needle, you could make it more feminine by adding lace, bows, ribbon rosettes, or whatever. It irks me that nursing bras are so unattractive, when women will be wearing them at a time when they're not in the greatest shape and they really need something extra to feel pretty! So have at it, Moms!

Ceylon dress

I recently finished my Ceylon dress from Colette Patterns and I LOVE how it turned out. This was my first time working with a Colette pattern but it was a super experience. It's well-designed and the instructions are great. Definitely worth the price!

I went fabric shopping at Jo-Ann Fabrics to try to find something suitable for this project, but everything I saw was rather "blah." I remembered this lightweight gray wool I had in my stash, but I thought I'd only bought two and a half yards of it. I was about to order some fabric online when I decided to double-check. Lo and behold, I had four yards! Yippee! This wool turned out to be the perfect color and weight for this dress.

The pattern is described as 'intermediate' and I would say that sums things up pretty accurately. The hardest part (for me) was getting the front yoke pieces to curve evenly during pressing. I love all the extra details of topstitching and gathering. I also like the buttons down the front, but making 16 covered buttons and buttonholes was a bit of a drag. I did make a fabric belt (as suggested in the instructions, but not included in the pattern), thinking I've got to make the most of what little waist I currently have. ;-) However, once I tried it on I wasn't sure I liked it that well -- it seemed to break up the line of the buttons too much. I think I will wear it without.

I am so happy to have a cute, vintage-y dress that is nursing friendly and that flatters my postpartum figure! I think I'll be wearing this nonstop for the foreseeable future!

Ceylon

I'm raaather excited as I just ordered the Ceylon dress from Colette Patterns last night. All my outside sewing obligations are finished up so I'm happy to have a fun new project to work on! It is much-needed, from my point of view, since none of my pre-pregnancy dresses currently fit me. I'm losing weight steadily but it will still be a few months before I'm back to "normal." I chose this particular pattern because of the multi-sizing, the cute '40s vibe, and the BUTTONS DOWN THE FRONT (nursing access!!). I'm off to the fabric store today -- hopefully I can find something great and I'll be able to show you the results before too long!

Nursing cover

I recently made a simple nursing cover from this tutorial, which I found through Lauren's blog. It is a simple rectangle of cotton with adjustable straps to go around the neck. It also has a length of boning between the straps to keep the cover stiff, so Mom can see Baby and Baby gets plenty of air circulation.

I didn't make any changes, except my D-rings were 1" wide so I cut out my straps 2.5" wide, accordingly. Next time I think I would make the short strap (that has the D-rings on it) even shorter, since it ends up behind my neck. I think it would be easier to adjust if the rings were closer to the cover.

This would make a great shower gift for a new mom who plans on breastfeeding!

A jacket for a little Englishman

It's about time I did a masculine baby project! This is the counterpart to the girl's version I made earlier in the summer, in case we have a boy (which is actually my personal prediction, though my husband thinks we're having a girl). :)

The pattern, once again, is Simplicity 2900. The fabric is a flannel-like houndstooth I found at Jo-Ann Fabrics, and the lining is a khaki-colored flannel I had in my stash. It closes with a single leather button, instead of ties, and features functional pockets (though what a 3-month-old baby needs pockets for, I don't know). Here's my favorite part:


Little elbow patches! Cut from wool scraps and sewn on with a tight zig-zag stitch. It doesn't get any cuter.

Autumn tartan skirt

Here's my new maternity skirt from Simplicity 5756, which was given to me (along with a slew of other maternity patterns) by another young mom at our church. This was my first time working with a "real" maternity pattern, so I was very curious about how it would be constructed and how much I would like the final result.


The skirt pattern is extremely simple -- two pieces of woven fabric plus a belly panel of stretch knit, all topped off by an elastic waistband. If your woven fabric is 45" wide, you end up with quite a bit of leftover, so I cut out three circular ruffles to add to the bottom of the skirt as well. I really like how simply and quickly it comes together.

However, the sizing is utterly bizarre. I decided to cut out the skirt in a size 16 (compared to my usual pre-pregnancy size 14). This was not based on my actual current hip measurements (which put me at a size 20), but on comparing the "finished garment measurements" (provided on the back of the pattern) with the measurement of a store-bought maternity skirt that fits me well. Well, the finished size 16 skirt was much too big -- it hung off the largest point of my belly and made me wonder exactly what the knit panel was for, since it clearly wasn't stretching over anything! I ended up taking a total of four inches off the upper waist area of the skirt, and I'm happier with the fit now. But this makes me think I could have gone down a size from my pre-pregnancy measurements! So be forewarned -- if one can gain around 45 lbs. and go down a size, I think the pattern runs pretty large. ;)

I haven't decided if I prefer the belly panel that goes up and over one's stomach, as in this pattern, or the wide band of knit-covered elastic that goes under the belly. The latter is more comfortable, but as my belly grows it doesn't stay in place very well. Moms, what's your preference?

Black and white

Here's a dress I made earlier in the month to wear to a wedding. The fabric is a synthetic charmuese from Jo-Ann Fabrics. I made it specifically to wear underneath this silk jacket that I made three years ago. Luckily I never did get around to putting a button closure on that jacket or else I wouldn't have been able to close it over my new bust measurement!! (I use a vintage brooch to hold it closed.) Pregnancy changes your shape in bizarre ways...

Like previous maternity projects, I didn't use a pattern, but winged it based on previous dresses I've made. The bodice is sleeveless and has a surplice neckline (rather like this dress), with an inch-wide band of fabric joining the bodice and the skirt. The skirt is a little longer than I would have chosen, but I left it that way on my husband's advice. As my belly grows, it pulls the hemline up. Hence some of the dresses I wore earlier in my pregnancy are now too short for me to feel comfortable wearing in public! This dress will NOT have that problem!

It is nice to have something more formal than a knit dress that I can wear with pearls and heels. (But it introduces the problem of wearing pantyhose while pregnant...!)

Fall maternity dress

Last Saturday I got inspired to do some fall sewing of my own. I love the color of this knit fabric -- a warm, autumnal purple. I didn't have a pattern, but I based it generally off of a maternity top I found at Goodwill, combined with a J. Crew boatneck tee. Douglas kindly fixed dinner so that I could sew it up in time to wear to church and a party the next day.


Despite my lack of a pattern, I think it turned out fairly well (the beauty of knits is that they stretch enough to cover most mistakes). I took some measurements from the shirts I mentioned, then "eyeballed it" when drawing out pattern pieces. The sleeves ended up a tad tight, since I forgot to take into account the fact that my limbs are (ahem) a little more plump these days. Sigh...

I found this page helpful when it came to reinforcing the shoulder seams and binding the neckline. To make the skirt, I simply cut out two rectangles of fabric, sewed them together, then attached them (with symmetrical pleats in front and back) to the bodice.

I saved the pattern pieces and plan to use them again to sew a basic, cream-colored maternity top this week.

A beautiful coat

If you don't want to be in the mood for fall, then by all means DON'T click over to see Marjorie's coat-in-progress at My Cozy Little Whimsy Nook. If, on the other hand, you don't mind sighing over herringbone tweed, a scalloped collar, sweet gathers... well, go on!

Maternity skirt

I made up a maternity skirt last week out of some on-sale cotton from Jo-Ann's. I didn't have a pattern, but I used these instructions as a loose guide. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to add the elastic and knit band onto the cotton skirt. I anticipate making some more!

At 22 weeks, I really cannot fit into anything non-maternity anymore. This has alerted me to the fact that cute maternity patterns are very tough to find. A quick search of the "Big 4" pattern websites reveal about three or four patterns per brand, mostly out-of-print, and all a little bit "blah" style-wise. I have some ideas for my own designs, which hopefully I will be able to sew up without too much drafting trouble. In the meantime, Goodwill has yielded a few cute tops, so I am getting by! :-)

Brunch apron

While we were visiting our families earlier this summer, I raided my mom's scrap tubs (THREE in all) and pulled out this large gingham print. There wasn't much, but there was enough to make a '50s-style hostess apron. I added the voile ruffle from my own scrap tub, and hey presto! Particularly suitable for serving morning meals. :)

Baby rick-rack

Another quick project from Simplicity 2900... and all from my stash, would you believe it? I even raided my spice cupboard to find the baby rick-rack that I used on the sleeves.

I like how this '50s pattern takes on a '30s look just by using a cheerful print and adding rick-rack.

Vintage baby jacket

This is one of the cutest baby jackets I've ever seen, if I do say it myself! The pattern is vintage reprint Simplicity 2900, and the vintage houndstooth wool comes from the scrap bag of my great-grandma. There was just the tiniest bit left -- as you can see, I had to piece the sleeves on, but since I was careful to be symmetrical I don't think it looks too weird. The jacket is lined with the cosiest, creamy flannel and ties with a soft satin ribbon. I love the way it turned out!

We don't know if our baby is a boy or girl (nor do we plan on finding out before the birth), but it's fun to do a little pre-baby sewing anyway. I admit my baby sewing has erred on the "girl" side, so I will have to do a few boy projects to even things out!

'30s silk charmeuse

The dress I hinted at in my last post is being made from EvaDress 7482 (short-sleeved view), with a skirt added on to the blouse. I sewed up most of the mock-up yesterday, and I'll be seeing my friend soon so I can fit it on her. Once done, I look forward to cutting into that luscious blue silk. If I can't fit into cute '30s styles myself, the next best thing is to sew for someone else!

Maternity tunic

(click for larger picture)
OK, this will probably be the last maternity sewing project for a while! I've got other fish to fry. (For one, a delectable '30s dress from a sapphire blue silk charmeuse! Alas, it's for a friend and not myself!) Anyway, Jo-Ann Fabrics had a sale on Simplicity patterns, so I picked up S2696 to make a summer top. The fabric is an old Indian-print sheet, cut to make the print part of the design. This was quick, easy, and cheap, and now I have a comfortable new top to wear!

Summer maternity dress

I am rapidly running out of clothes that fit (down to two elastic-waist skirts and one pair of maternity jeans), which motivated me to do a little sewing this week!


The cotton gauze fabric was given to me several years ago by my friend Susan. I used Butterick 4685 (with modifications). Because the fabric is sheer, I lined it with muslin. At one point in the proceedings, the dress looked distressingly like a muumuu!! But hacking some of the length off and adding the underbust elastic helped solve that problem.

I wore it yesterday when I accompanied Douglas to a nearby city for a job interview [his, not mine], and felt extremely comfortable all day. What a relief to not having anything constricting my thickening waist! :-)

Churn dash

I am determined to try my hand at quilting and finish a baby quilt before Baby comes! I've chosen a block pattern (churn dash, as seen here) and drooled over reproduction fabrics. I think I will try to mix 'n' match fabrics from different lines to get more of an eclectic look to the quilt (hope this doesn't backfire on me!). Some of my favorites are here, here, and here.

I'm taking my time over this project, because I won't have an opportunity to go fabric shopping for a few weeks yet, nor have I yet acquired a walking foot for my machine. But half the fun of any project is in the planning stage!

Simplicity 4749

I actually made this top way back in March (before I knew I was pregnant -- I just thought the style was cute). It's from a vintage pattern I won on eBay last summer. I used a linen blend from Jo-Ann Fabrics, but I'm not very happy with the fabric choice. It's a little stiffer than I thought it would be, so it doesn't drape very well, and the quality seems to be rather poor as it's already faded after just a few washings. But, it works well right now, as I'm in the big-enough-to-look-fat, not-big-enough-to-look-pregnant phase -- the stiffer drape hides my pudgy belly.

Birthday shirt

Douglas has been requesting a handmade item from me, so for his birthday I made him a summer shirt. There's not a whole lot of exciting vintage patterns for men, but this one was fun and easy to make (Simplicity 2081, from Lanetz Living). I picked it out because of its similarity to the casual warm-weather shirts worn by Sean Connery in the 1965 film Thunderball. Douglas and I both like certain '60s styles and this happens to be one of them. The pattern is actually from 1957, but it could just as easily be from 2009! It's that classic.


I used a navy and white chambray shirting from Jo-Ann Fabrics, and did all my topstitching with white thread. I flat-felled the seams at the sides and armholes (a first). Next time I make this, I think I'll omit the interfacing in the collar and down the front openings -- more casual that way, and I don't think the shirt would suffer from the lack. This is the first pattern I've ever sewn where the sleeves are attached to the body before the side seams are sewn, which saves the annoyance of setting in the sleeves! I wonder if all men's shirts are made that way. It certainly made it easier to finish the armhole seams nicely.

Cherubino's military uniform

Sorry for the delay in getting photos of the opera costumes -- I'm waiting on the director to send some snaps of the performance my way! I did collar one of the actresses myself after the opera, so in the meantime, please visit my sewing gallery to see Cherubino's military uniform.