Sewaholic Maternity Crescent Skirt
HELLO!
I feel justified in my block capital greeting to you as I have pretty much disappeared since Me-Made-May, and with good reason too…
As the title of this post suggests, I am pregnant! That is the first and foremost reason I have been neither sewing nor blogging. I am currently 16 weeks, and am due around New Year. I had horrible morning sickness from week 7 (right in the middle of Me-Made-May), plus I had that crazy, incredible fatigue that hits when you’re pregnant, where even getting up to make a cuppa requires a twenty minute rest afterwards, and maybe a sleep. It sounds like an exaggeration, but the tiredness that comes with pregnancy is crippling.
And on the subject of crippling…. at about 6 weeks into the pregnancy, I fell down the stairs at a friend’s house and landed right on my coccyx. I can’t be x-rayed to see if it is broken, but I would say it almost certainly is fractured as 10 weeks later it is still painful when I put weight on it it, like when I sit or lie down. Couple that with morning sickness, and the first trimester of my pregnancy has been miserable and boring.
There is another reason for my lack of desire to sew as well, albeit minor in comparison to the above, but it is this: after participating in Me-Made-May this year, I realised that I have a lot of me-made clothes. I couldn’t even fit them all in to the month. I kind of felt that this was all a little unnecessary, and that I had been sewing for the sake of it, in the same way that in the past I would buy a new dress just for the hell of it, I found I’d been sewing new clothes just for the hell of it, too. So even though early pregnancy and a coccyx injury floored me for a few months, I wasn’t really that bothered because my impetus to sew had died down significantly.
Anyway, here I am with a new sewing project to show you: the maternity version of the Sewaholic Crescent skirt. I already have FOUR of these skirts, but of course, I can’t wear any of them at the moment. I thought the design of this skirt could be very easily adapted to accommodate a bump, and I’m going to show you how I adapted the pattern to make it bump-friendly.
How to adapt the Sewaholic Crescent Skirt to a maternity skirt:
1. You will need some double-knit (interlock) jersey in a co-ordinating colour for the front waistband (not back) of the skirt – approx 50cm.
2. Set aside the original pattern pieces for the front and back waistband. For this version you will need the front facing pattern piece and two sets of back facings instead.
3. Place the front waistband facing on the fold of your jersey. You will need this to come up higher than the original pattern piece to cover your bump, so from the top corner of the side, draw a straight line to the fold using tailor’s chalk. Draw around the side and bottom edges of the pattern piece.
4. Now flip the pattern piece upwards so that it is a mirror image of where it was before, and draw around the edges again, leaving you with this shape when you remove the pattern piece for cutting.
5. After attaching the pockets and gathering the skirt front and the two skirt backs, DO NOT SEW TOGETHER AT SIDE SEAMS. Instead, attach the jersey front facing to the main skirt front piece. Finish the opposite edge of the facing (I used red bias binding for all of my raw edges and seams – if you fancy doing the same you will need a whopping 8 metres of the stuff!). Fold over, stitching in the ditch to secure.
6. Take one set of back facings and attach to the skirt back pieces, right sides together. This is now your back waistband and no longer acts as a facing. Then attach the zip to the other set of facings as instructed by Tasia in Step 16 of the original pattern instructions. Once the zip has been inserted, attach the facing to the back waistband pieces as instructed in the pattern.
7. Now attach the front of the skirt to the back pieces at the side seams, hem, and you’re done!
Here is a view of the inside of my finished skirt, from the side:
When I showed Mr Tweedie the inside of my skirt, he said incredulously ‘That’s the inside?‘, as if to say ‘Why have you gone to so much effort on the inside of the skirt when no-one will see it?’. And the answer to that is: because I know it’s there, it makes it feel a bit more special and interesting, and of course all of you know it’s there too! The skirt is as plain as plain can be, because it forms part of a miniscule capsule maternity wardrobe, but just because it’s plain on the outside doesn’t mean I can’t jazz it up on the inside! Here is the back, inside:
And here I am wearing it (with my top rolled up for the purposes of the photo, honestly!) and Little Tweedie trying to get in on the action in the background:
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What a clever modification! And congrats!! So sorry to hear about your injury… I hope you heal quickly and feel better soon. 😦
Thanks so much! Let’s just hope the coccyx improves before childbirth… 🙂
Aw congratulations, that’s wonderful news! And what a fantastic capsule wardrobe skirt, you’ll wear that to death I’m sure. I think the inside of it looks wonderful, despite what your husband thinks!
I can really sympathise on two counts: I injured my coccyx whilst skiing when I was about 17 and it was the most painful injury ever. I seem to remember just waiting it out as it wasn’t broken or anything, but my god it was painful, I really feel for you. Also, there is NOTHING as bone wearingly knackering as looking after a toddler whilst you’re pregnant! I SO sympathise with you on that one! Good luck on both scores! x
Thanks Jane! Yep, pretty knackering looking after Little T as well! Thanks for the sympathy – from someone who knows from first hand experience! 🙂
Congratulations! Thanks for sharing how your modified the skirt. Keeping it starred for “one day” :). It looks great and comfortable, which I imagine is most important when you’re pregnant.
Thanks Melizza! It is comfortable, I’ll let you know how it is when I’m 9 months gone! x
Awh congratulations! I’m so sorry you felt bad in the first trimester and then on top of that injured your coccyx – ouch ouch ouch! This is a great adaptation of a pattern – being 19 weeks myself I may just have to try it out!
Congratulations to you too (again!). Let me know how you get on if you decide to try the skirt for yourself! x
Congratulations! Very exciting news!
And genius alteration, too.
Thank you Liza Jane! 🙂
Congratulations! Looks like the similar age gap between my two children, albeit nearly 30 years ago. You’ll be tired for the next few years I reckon (haha!) but enjoy every minute – it flies by while they’re so young. Many years ago I fell in snow onto my coccyx and it was very painful (though not fractured) for a while so I sympathise with you. Hope it’s better soon and that you’re feeling well again. Great pattern adaptation for the skirt too!
Thanks Anne! 🙂
Oh my gosh, how exciting! You are a very stylish mama!
Thanks Erin! x
Congratulations! That’s a genius alteration, I’ll keep it in mind should we ever go for no2!
Thank you! Definitely a winner if you already happen to have the pattern, better than buying a maternity pattern! 🙂
Oooh, I am wincing in sympathy atthe thought of the coccyx injury – I hope it heals soon. And congratulations! Great news. I hope you are getting over that awful early pregnancy tiredness. i love the skirt adaptation but even more, I love the INSIDE! The red trim is fab. I think I have one maternity pattern left here from my own sewing – if you want it, email me!
x
Thanks Debbie! I am over the worst of the tiredness now. Once I get my iron supplements I should start to feel even better! I will email you re: the pattern – very kind of you, thank you. Hope you & your little one are well, and the not so little ones too… 🙂 x