Alas, as week 12 approaches, I must prepare myself for the inevitable return to the world, er, I mean workforce. While I have lost the majority of the pregnancy weight, I still have about 15 lbs to go before I can wear my pre-pregnancy wardrobe. This literally translates into "I have nothing to wear" as the early pregnancy and maternity wear swims on me or is not nursing/pumping compatible. So, what to do but sew up a few wardrobe essentials?
Any new clothing items will have to be nursing and/or pumping friendly, tops that are easy to maneuver open and closed or up and down, dresses with bodices that open, and bottoms that fit.
First on this list is a pair of pants from V2975, an out of print wardrobe that was purchased when I had ambitions of sewing a maternity dress and before I realized I had no energy to do so.
The pants are wide legged, contoured yolked, with slant-front pockets and cuffed. Unsure of myself with my new breastfeeding measurements and mindful of the Big 4's notorious use of ease, I cut the 16, whose finished measurements correspond with mine, used 1.25" seam allowances on the inseam and outer legs (just in case)and added the usual 3" in length.
I chose a lovely silvery grey cotton stretch sateen - thinking it looked an awufl lot like the fabric of the modelled clothes. Notice, for a moment, the pictures of the pants on the model. This does not show 4"+ of ease through the hip. Rather, it appears the fullness really shows through the knee and lower leg. On the model, they appear quite fitted actually. Just what I was hoping for...Excuse me while I vent for just a moment:
Dude. WHY do these pattern companies LIE?! I mean, why do they draft with SO much ease that it makes it virtually impossible to just sew and wear the freaking clothes? These pants are so huge that they approach clown pants. I was skeptical that the 16 was going to work, actually, thinking it may be too small, but OMG, they won't even stay up on my 44" hips! I don't know that I will finish them because of the limited time I have. I may just cave and go to the GAP like average Americans and live with the ill-fitting, over-priced, too-short, crappy fabric pants available.
There, I feel better now. I am going to *try* to post a photo once I attach the waistband and turn up the cuffs (there is a whole lot of fabric at the bottom getting in the way and affecting the drape without them).
4 comments:
Adriana is so beautiful.
About the lying pictures :))
Yes, they lie. The only way to know is to measure the pattern pieces. I have basically stopped using patterns with seam allowance included- mostly because I get my monthly BWOF, but also because this has made me lazy :)) It is easier- a lot easier- to correctly measure this way, and I don't like 5/8" SA anyway. I use either 1/4, 3/8" or 1/2".
Ahh, look how big she's already gotten! She is such a cutie pie. :-) I'm sorry your maternity leave is over. :-( That really stinks about your pants. It is totally rediculous how deceiving the pattern companies can be with the picture vs the actual pattern. I hope you can find something suitable in either RTW or making a new pair of pants.
Shame you have to go back to work after such a short time. Your baby is so beautiful. I totally agree regarding the sizing of patterns, but careful because they are either huge or smallish. Rarely true to size.
Oh man, they really do lie. It's frustrating when you can't sew and go! She is awfully cute.
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