First and last

I had promised a picture of my Ottobre “Loving” nursing top, and here it is:

This is probably the last nursing top I’ll make for myself, since Baby Boy is working his way down to nursing only before nap and bedtime. Last week I wrote about most of my alterations to this pattern. I also raised the neckline of the underlayer 1″ out of habit, overlapped the wrap a little more, and cut the waist panels on the cross grain because I didn’t have enough fabric to cut them properly. Since my fabric has a vertical line to it, I’m pretending I meant to do that. The fabric is a mostly-cotton pointelle, leftover from a KS wrap top I made years ago. The underlayer is cotton lycra jersey; what you may not be able to tell from the photo is that I finished the neckline (both the under and over layers) with a perfectly matched picot FOE from my stash.

I do want to note that the pattern tells you to finish the side edges of the underlayer with a narrow hem. I find this to be lumpy (and unnecessary on knits); I prefer to either leave the nursing openings raw or serge clear elastic to them.

Now, that was the last; here is a picture of the first nursing top I ever made:

This is Elizabeth Lee Designs #107. This was the best picture I could find of the top; after all, in 1997 I certainly wasn’t blogging about my sewing! It was a navy blue shirt weight cotton woven with white middy trim and it wore like iron (but had to BE ironed after laundering). I made a size small and probably could have gotten by with an extra small (ELD patterns are drafted with enough ease for those moms whose bust actually increases while nursing). However unfashionable it may have been, I was quite proud of my top and wore it often. From ELD patterns, I learned enough about sewing to start trying new things and branch out. The clothes I made also gave this mama a big help in nursing my babies for at least a year each, since I didn’t have to hide under a blanket or in another room to nurse them.

Edited, because I forgot to say: Both tops provide adequate coverage while nursing. However, the Ottobre top doesn’t really offer a discreet way to hook/unhook your bra. . .and if you have an older baby/toddler who may suddenly pull away, know that you need to close the opening yourself. The ELD top is much better for a new-to-nursing mom in that gravity keeps you covered at all times while you concentrate on your baby.

Keeping track

I’ve often thought I should keep a running list of my sewing room accomplishments, and this month I finally set aside a small notebook for that purpose. It certainly is helping me see how much I’ve done–as well as motivating me to do more. I am getting ready to spend a week with my parents and Mimi and won’t have any more sewing time this month, so I thought I would post January’s list tonight.

• Red stretch velveteen skirt (Ottobre 4/2002)
• Two “Flirty Skirty” aprons, one for me and one for a gift
• Sleeve saver bib (my standard new baby gift)
• Mended four pairs of boy pants
• Truck totebag for Silly Boy’s birthday
• Two more nursing versions of the knit top in Ottobre 2/2007: one has the gathered front neckline, the other morphs the crossover maternity top with the regular top

I’ve also been working up a To Sew list for the year (most of the above items were on it, though my skirt was on last year’s list ). For Easter I think I’m just going to sew for Twirly Girl and me. We have so many sets of boy dress clothes, it just seems silly to make more! Silly Boy and Baby Boy should fit into these cute outfits, I surely have something for Bouncy Boy, and the big boys really just need nice neckties or something to spiff up their white dress shirts.

Ottobre for mommy

This is likely my last round of sewing for myself for awhile; gifts and other holiday projects are waiting (to say nothing of a novel to write). However, here are the results of last week’s sewing time:

The skirt is a repeat of Ottobre 4/2002, except I made the right size this time. This version is a lovely brushed stretch twill (hopefully not so stretchy that this works out to be the wrong size too!). I forgot to add the walking slit and am tempted to open the center back seam and add one. We’ll see!

The top is my 6th or 7th nursing version of the basic knit top in Ottobre Woman 2/2007 and is rayon-lycra jersey. I have altered the pattern along the way, ending up with a top that is about 1″ longer and also flared a bit from the mid-torso down. Anyhow, most of my tops have a short overlayer with scooped armholes on the full length underlayer for nursing access; this one has a full length overlayer and a slightly shortened underlayer with a center slit. I don’t like that I cut both layers with the same neckline; the center front didn’t gather as nicely being two layers. I used lettuce hems because I had a feeling this fabric would stretch beyond my patience if I tried to use conventional hems. I’m quite happy with the results except that I removed the hem allowance from the sleeves but not the top. I think it is too long, and am considering either rehemming it or using clear elastic to gather up the side seams slightly. I lean towards the clear elastic. . .opinions?

For the curious, both fabrics are fabric.com and have been aging in stash for a year or more.

Modesty panel nursing tops

I’m sure this idea for nursing access isn’t original to me, although I’ve not seen anything exactly like it. It came to me when I made the Jalie twist top last month. That pattern included a modesty panel, so my only modifications were to cut a slit in the center front (about 6-8″) of the panel and make the panel long enough to cover my belly but not long enough to get stitched into the hem. For these two tops, I used the front pattern piece to make my own pattern piece for the modesty panel.

Here is the Ottobre wrap version from 5/2008:

After wearing this one I realized that I should routinely tack the top of the panel to the neckline (about 1″ on each side of the V seems to be enough). As I said before, the sleeves are rather tight so I may not wear this one again. Also, you can see how the cotton lycra is too stiff for the pleats to drape. Yuck.

Here is the Kwik Sew 2900 version:

Ack! Where did that stray thread come from?! On this one I think the panel could/should come up a little higher for proportion’s sake. I also see I should have cut the neckline binding about 1-2″ longer, oops. Anyhow, since a picture is worth a thousand words, here is how this style of nursing access looks from the inside:

The modesty panel is sewn into both the lower armhole and the side seams (as well as being tacked in place at the neckline). Once necklines are finished off, I layer it under the outer front and treat the two pieces as one.

Jalie twist

I can’t remember when I picked up Jalie 2788 (twist top) although I suspect it was before Baby Boy was born. Anyhow, this weekend I finally got around to sewing it. I made quite a few changes:

1. As usual, I made it a couple sizes larger than Jalie’s sizing chart would indicate. I like my clothes fitted, not snug.
2. Raised back neckline to a “normal” height and omitted the neckline ties.
3. I left out the center back seam (it adds no shaping) and cut on the fold instead.
4. Used the optional modesty panel, raising it 1″ at the top and lowering it to be only 1-2″ shorter than the hemmed shirt.
5. I also cut a 6″ slit at the center front of the panel, allowing it to cover my middle when I nurse.
6. This morning I ran back downstairs to tack the modesty panel to the neckline (about 1″ of stitching on each side) because it was drooping too much for me. If I had made a smaller size, it may have been snug enough to stay put, I don’t know.

An action shot, as it were. It doesn’t show the twist very well, so take my word that it looks a lot like the pattern envelope. The fabric was labeled rayon-lycra jersey but I’m not convinced. It feels more synthetic than other rayon jerseys in my stash.

Bottom line: this was easily altered for nursing, and works well for that (a snugger size would be more difficult). It definitely requires a knit with four-way stretch due to the way the front pieces are cut out. It also needs a thinner, drapier knit than the cotton-lycra jerseys I prefer to sew and wear.

Another Ottobre top altered for nursing

This is this winter’s oh-so-comfortable outfit, although the camera is telling me it’s not as flattering as I thought. :P Yes, I realize my pants are too long; I should know better as I’ve made about a dozen versions of these. I just goofed this time.

 

Basic details: Tunic is Ottobre 5/2007 #12, pants are Ottobre 3/2003 #43. This grey cotton velour (fabric.com) is the softest I’ve ever felt, and I almost felt guilty using it for me instead of the baby. Almost. I’m sure the scraps are big enough to make him something. The grey & black striped cotton velour (sleeves & bodice front) is a couple years old; I can’t remember if it’s from SewBaby, Wazoodle, or SewZanne’s. I used black cotton-lycra jersey for the underlayer (more on that in a minute) as well as the ties and bindings; I’m pretty sure those scraps were left from the za-zillion black dance pants I made out of SewZanne’s wonderful cotton-lycra jersey.

Besides shortening the pants not-quite-enough, I altered the tunic pattern for nursing by creating an overlayer and underlayer for the bodice front. The overlayer is the bodice front lengthened about 1/2″ with 3/8″ clear elastic stitched into the narrow hem. If I had used the same fabric for the underlayer I might not have lengthened the pattern piece other than to add a hem allowance. The underlayer is the bodice front piece with scooped out armholes & neck; these edges are finished by serging on 1/4″ clear elastic for better recovery. I used the jersey as a second layer of cotton velour would be rather thick. Here’s an inside view:

To nurse: lift overlayer and move underlayer towards center to expose only what’s needed.   This is the same basic nursing opening I used in the brown & turquoise top and it’s one of my favorite types of openings. I’ve sewn this with the front layers attached at the neckline and with them separate; both work.

Jalie 2787

I took a quick break from Easter outfits yesterday and made myself a new top to wear today! This is Jalie’s criss-cross top, following the directions for making it a nursing top. I used a cotton lycra knit. I finished all edges (except the hem) with narrow elastic lace, just because I had exactly the right color.

This isn’t a very flattering picture; it was taken after wearing my top all day and I forgot to pose in a way that shows off the flared sleeves, which I really like. But I guess the wrinkles show what the top will look like after wrestling a baby, baking cookies, and chasing small boys around all day!! In short, the layers definitely don’t stay put on me. I’m sure they are meant to move with the body, but I found that I’m not flat enough for the criss-cross to lay flat, and I’m also not buxom enough for the layers to stay below my bust. At least the neckline stayed high enough to be decent, except when the baby pulled it down. The nursing access worked fairly well, especially considering there isn’t a lot of ease in the design.

I made size V with no alterations. I think it fits pretty well through the shoulders, but it looks like I should taper to a larger size below the waist. It also should be 1-2″ shorter; if you look closely you can see it’s riding up. Will I make this pattern again? Maybe! I like wrap tops, but I’m not sure I could make this one again without it obviously being from the same pattern.

Ottobre t-shirt, altered for motherhood

I started with the pattern for a 3/4-sleeved t-shirt (#2) from Ottobre 2/2007 and a print cotton lycra jersey I found at www.fabric.com last spring. The original pattern has 3 pieces; my version has 4 (I don’t bother tracing patterns for binding, instead I measure & cut with a rotary cutter & ruler). Other than adding nursing access, my only change was to add a little bit of flare and length to the lower top.

I made changes to the front pattern piece to create new patterns for both under and over layer. The under layer has a scooped out armhole that can be pulled aside for nursing access. I removed a ‘J’ shaped piece, starting about 1″ in from the end of the shoulder seam and curving down to a point on the side seam about 3-4″ below the armhole. If you are larger than me, you’ll probably want to scoop out more; just be sure you have at least 2″ of overlap between the bottom of the armhole on the under layer and the lower edge of the over layer. I like to finish off the armhole by serging on 1/4″ clear elastic for recovery, but you could just finish it with a plain serged stitch or a zigzag. I don’t recommend binding or folding under the raw edge as the bulk could show from the outside.

To make the pattern for the over layer, I just shortened the front to the length I wanted for this design. I wanted this one to end shortly under the bust, so I used the front yoke piece from the maternity top for reference (my current belly shape makes try-ons difficult ). There are several ways to finish the bottom of the over layer. If you’ve made it longer, you can hem it the same way you plan to hem the rest of the top. If it’s shorter, it’s a good idea to add some sort of elasticity to make sure it stays closer to the body to keep you covered. For this top, I added a band of coordinating solid cotton lycra jersey cut about 1″ shorter than the lower edge of the over layer and also stitched 1/4″ clear elastic to the band seam allowance.

Once the over and underlayers were prepared, I pinned them together and treated as a single front piece. Keep in mind that I like to sew dangerously; you might prefer to baste the pieces together. Either way, construct the rest of the shirt as usual and voila: a custom nursing top!

Because hindsight is 20/20. . .

• It doesn’t show in the picture, but I did use the vented sleeve hem as described in the directions; I’m not sure if I like it or not and it certainly gave me fits while sewing.
• I think the over layer should be shorter (maybe by an inch?) but I won’t know for sure until I can actually try on the top.
• I should have added a little more than 1″ to the length of the top; I was going for a empire waist/tunic style and it doesn’t look long enough~yes, being able to try it on will answer that question.
• I’m not sure about the flare that I added; I was aiming for an a-line shape and I think I missed. . .but again, it’s hard to tell until I can try it on.

I’ll probably take this top to wear home from the hospital. I made a pair of chocolate brown pants using Ottobre 3/2003 #42 (for about the 10th time!) but since they are a cotton velour it will likely be too warm, and I’ll take a well-aged knit skirt from Lands End instead.

Sewing Update

I just realized I haven’t posted any news from the sewing room lately. I have been busily stitching, things for me even, but the only thing that fits right now isn’t going to be photographed.

I started with a couple of nursing camisoles. . .well. . .right now they are still regular camisoles/tank tops made from Ottobre Woman 2/2007, design #1. I used FOE and decorative elastic instead of a fabric binding though. After baby arrives I will cut a slit down the center front (finishing the edges with a narrow zigzag if I get a chance!). . .I have learned from past experience that it is better to wait until I have shifted from pregnant to nursing bosom to get the placement right. These will (obviously) be worn under other tops for the purpose of keeping my middle covered while nursing. I’ve also used this same kind of slit in knit tops I wanted to wear under jumpers or overalls; it’s less bulky than a regular nursing top.

Then, I moved on to nursing bras. . .I have made 3 so far and need to make at least a couple more. Ahhhh. . .what a difference having the right size makes!! Not to mention the fun of wearing nursing bras that aren’t boring white. (if you really want to know what colors I made. . .you’ll have to come do my laundry next month while I’m laying on the couch enjoying my babymoon with #6!) I almost always order my bra making supplies from Anne at Needle Nook; I highly recommend both her Bra Elite pattern and her customer service! She will send fitting bras before you sew so that you know you’re making the right size (I never would have guessed the right size this time) and she’s also quick to answer any questions you might have during the sewing process.

And finally, today I finished making a dress to wear for baby’s baptism. I hope~I was winging it to add nursing access to Kwik Sew 3214. It’s hard to find something nice to wear in late September/early October; summer dresses are out of season but winter dresses are too heavy. Anyhow, this dress is a basic sleeveless knit dress; my first thought was to simply scoop out the armholes but I was worried that would result in the top of the dress shifting around. So instead I added an invisible zipper to the top of each side seam (about 5-6″. . .I’m not very big). I have no idea how well this type of nursing access will work! I made the dress lower calf length; knee length would be more flattering on me but if you’re busy fiddling with the top of your dress you don’t want to also be fiddling with the hemline too. I then made the tie front jacket (3/4 length sleeves) to keep things discreet while unzipped. . .oh and to keep my arms warm too. Both pieces are made of a small floral print burgundy rayon-lycra jersey. Very soft, stretchy stuff!!