My husband scoffed when I told him that this skirt was free - probably because he knows how much money I've spend on sewing supplies over the years - but despite his doubting, I maintain that this skirt didn't cost me a penny (or at least a penny recently...).

The fabric is a cotton/lycra blend that's been sitting in my stash for approximately four years and it's actually left over from a disaster of a project that I began but never finished.  Why I purchased nearly neon pink fabric in the first place is a bit of a mystery to me, considering I'm not fond of pink and neon is really not my thing, but oh well.

The thread was a half used spool sitting on my wall-o-spools.

And the "pattern" was made by just cutting around a sweater skirt that I've found to be incredibly comfortable in the last couple of weeks.  Now I'm not one of those super-talented people who regularly just trace around items to make patterns, so even though this was the most simple project ever, I'm going to give myself a little pat on the back for used a clothing item that I already own as the "pattern."

And the elastic?  Well, it turned out that I didn't even need any.  It fits perfectly around my belly without any elastic because of the lycra in the skirt and it's probably even more comfortable because no elastic was needed.  And this skirt is indeed ridiculously comfortable.

See?  It was totally free.

Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I should tell you that there is a downside to this skirt.  The fabric is on the medium weight side but is probably a little lighter than called for for a fairly tight-fitting pencil skirt and I'm having a serious problem finding an "undergarment" that does not result in lumps and bumps in one place or another.  Not that you all want to hear about my intimate garments, but let's just say that I tried on several different styles and never found one that I was completely satisfied with.  In the end, I went with the lazy-woman's solution - wearing a long cardigan that covered my butt.

I'd love to make this skirt again though since it's ridiculously simple to make and is so freaking comfortable, but I'll definitely be looking for a heavier knit so that I don't end up having to spend all morning trying on underwear and examining my butt in the mirror.  Because that is something that we could all live without.

Out damn wrinkles!  Out!

Let's Wrap This Sucker Up

Behold!  My first maternity sewing project!  It's done and it's wearable!  Let's all say it together now - hurrah!

Okay, enough with the celebration.  Let's get down to the knitty-gritty, shall we?

The pattern is the Wrapped Maternity Top pattern by Megan Nielsen (who is also the genius behind DIY Maternity, a great website to peruse through if you're looking for maternity sewing ideas).  I'm pretty sure that the fabric is some sort of cotton rayon blend, but I just happened to find it in my stash this weekend so don't quote me on that.  Whatever it is, it is ridiculously soft and drapey and has great four-way stretch so it ended up working really well for this project.  Unfortunately, I didn't have the called for three and a half yards of fabric to make the ties from one uninterrupted piece of fabric so instead I just fiddled with the length that I did have and sewed two pieces together to make each tie.  It probably would look more finished without the seam in the middle of the tie but using up some yardage from my stash is definitely worth the two little stitch lines on the ties (which can pretty easily be hidden under the other three yards of fabric).  I have to say that the design of the shirt and the stretch fabric make this top incredibly comfortable to wear, but it's a bit of a pain in the butt to put on.  With three yards of fabric on each tie, it's a feat to get it just so but the massive amount of fabric does allow you to get a fit that works perfectly for your shape (plus it'll allow me to keep wearing it when my stomach gets a wee bit - okay alot - bigger). 

(Speaking of which, I'm 17 weeks along now and I'm pretty sure that 99 percent of the population just thinks that I've just eaten too many donuts.  Super.)

Oh, but I forgot to tell you my two favorite things about this shirt, both of which really appeal to my lazy side - it's made from only three pattern pieces and because it's made from a knit you don't have to finish the edges.  Of course, you could finish them if you were an over-achiever, but then I'm pretty sure that we couldn't be friends...