OMG OMG OMG, you guys are so gorgeous! Thank you for such lovely comments from last week! Here are some more photos from our walk in the park, because.....
I MADE MY SKIRT.
And this is a crafty queen blog after all, right?
During several baby naps a few weeks back, I started flipping through my "Sew What! Skirts" book to see what wrap skirts could easily be made in an hour or two. This one is half a circle skirt with a waistband, and probably could take an hour in one sitting, but as a new Mama, it took 3 days. BUT, it's a cutie! And really wasn't hard to make up, with no pattern, just your measurements!
For the past month, as I've becoming more confident with breastfeeding and holding my (constantly growing) Baby Darling, I've been thinking about what fashion I can gear towards for summer. Baby Darling & I have spent so many days cuddled up in our pyjamas learning about each other and falling in love, that leaving the house dressed hasn't been a priority at all. But the biggest change for me fashionwise: Two piece ensembles are your BREAST friend.
Now, I wear dresses usually, right? And all year my body grew and grew with Baby Darling, I was still able to wear dresses, in fact... they were the best kind of pregz outfits for me. BUT, not anymore. SAD FACE. So, dear sewing friends, I will be spending the next few weeks brainstorming about the breastfeeding/comfortable holding baby fashion, and if you have any tips please let me know!
This wrap skirt was my first sewing stop off, only because I know my tummy and waist are still in flux. I'm graced with good genes (I think!) and great breastfeeding skills, so my uterus shrunk back to normal pretty quickly, and now it's just the extra skin that's moving around... so the wrap skirt can accommodate that easily before I'm back to my normal size. And I might not get back to my normal size! For the time being, I think adjustable and stretchy clothes are the way to go. But, totally please let me know if any style of outfit worked for you post baby!
I chose the striped fabric thinking it would look interesting as a wrap skirt, and I'm pretty happy with the diagonal & contrasty look of it. It's just an op shopped remnant that I've had for years, might have been from Sydney perhaps?
The Facts
Fabric: Light linen, $4, thrifted
Pattern: Self drafted, but using Francesca DenHartog's Sew What! Skirts book
Notions: just thread
Year: 2012
Time to complete: 1 hours over 3 days
First worn: November 2012
Wear again? Yes!
Total Cost: $4
SO looking forward to a few more sewing room adventures while the babe sleeps, might try the overlocker/stretchy fabric combo next!
Love to you on your weekend! xoxo
Oh what beautiful pictures... and a gorgeous skirt of course!! :-)
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you are talking about, I have had the same problem. I was all dresses through my pregnant stage and then baby comes and you need quick access to feed so dresses no more. I would love any ideas you have on what to wear.
ReplyDeleteI didn't comment on your last post but was thinking of you - congratulations! Your baby looks gorgeous (mother of two boys - love boy babies!) The biggest tip I was given about breast feeding and clothes (apart from 2 piece) was wear patterned tops so if you leak it is not so obvious. Love the wrap skirt - the stripe works really well in it!
ReplyDeleteI totally hear you with the wardrobe dilemma! :-( I'm still getting my head around that. Would love to go the wrap skirt path, but in Wellington that's an invitation for everyone to see your underwear the minute you step outside the house. *sigh* I'm finding shirts with skirts, or shirt dresses (can belt them in as weight goes away), and knit dresses with crossover bodices work quite well. Just have to avoid anything with too many fiddly little buttons for when you need to get access in a hurry.....!
ReplyDeleteIt's quite an adventure really, isn't it?! :-)
Ahh, this is so pretty! I really like it!
ReplyDeleteLovely! Nice to hear your settling in. I went for lots of skirts and breastfeeding singlets for summer, but patterned if possible as my skirts always ended up with milk marks not just my top. The good thing with the singlets is putting a lovely loose soft drapey blouse over the top to pretty it up.
ReplyDeleteThese are a couple of nursing tops that probably could be made up quickly and still look comfy & stylish - wish they'd been around when I had my sons 20+ years ago:http://www.jalie.com/criss-cross-nursing-top.html and http://www.jalie.com/jalie3132-nursing-tees-sewing-pattern.html
ReplyDeleteI had my first baby in August and since I'm not as handy with a sewing machine as you I ended up buying a lot of vintage shirtwaist dresses but what I have also found handy (and am crafty enough to do) is to take some of my regular singlet style dresses and cut the seam at the top of the shoulder to add in a button/valcro or pretty ribbon to tie together as a bow on the top of my shoulder depending on how much leeway i had.
ReplyDeleteMy wardrobe moved from largely dresses to largely skirts and tops over the past 7 years, all because of breastfeeding - 3.5 years of it all told. That's a lot of time to be away from dresses! But they are there waiting for you when you get your body back to yourself - and then you'll miss the feedings, believe it or not. Don't be too quick to try to fit back into the old clothes, because even if your weight goes back down, your shape is sometimes different, so hopefully you won't be discouraged - it's just another phase in your beautiful life post-baby!
ReplyDeleteYou are both looking so good, and your skirt is so pretty! You are so right, separates are the only way to go. I think I wore loose Tshirts a lot :) My memories of those breast-feeding days are pretty blurry now!
ReplyDeleteI'm breastfeeding my 4th right now, and I wear nothing but dresses. Knit V-neck, wrap or surplice-style dresses work well, especially if you put a camisole underneath to help not having to show your whole breast. I cut a cami off so that it falls right below my bra line, and then up goes the cami, down/over goes the dress, and I can nurse without showing a lot of skin.
ReplyDeleteThe pics are beautiful! I love the wrap skirt.
Lovely skirt! And such gorgeous photos of you and your sweet baby. When I was feeding I found skirt/top combos good, and also wrap dresses, deep v-necks (in stretch fabric) and button-front dresses.
ReplyDeleteLoving your skirt! The skirt/top combo is def easier for feeding, otherwise you need to make button front shirt style dresses because I found those wrap dresses expose far too much when unwrapped for feeding, and it's difficult to do them back up when you're finished if there's no one else with you to hand the baby to (it's hard to do things up one handed!). I also found that v-necks or faux wrap dresses worked for feeding, but tended to stretch out over time. I love the Jalie nursing top pattern with an overlay on the front - that could be easily modified into a simple tshirt style dress.
ReplyDelete