Maternity Clothes

Maternity clothes are expensive! I did a little research and found ways to modify clothes and turn them into maternity clothes! I did some clearance shopping and bought 2 long sleeve shirts for $3.00 each. They are normally a $15.00 shirt. A long sleeve maternity shirt is generally $20-30 or more. I went to a craft store and bought 1/4" elastic band to make the ruching that is found on the sides of maternity shirts that make them "maternity" shirts. I bought the shirts about 2 sizes bigger than what I would normally wear so that I would have some room to grow into them and be able to wear them for a while. You can buy a shirt 1 size bigger or even a shirt that fits you now and do this to those as well. Just make sure it is long enough that with a little ruching, it will still cover your cute baby belly!

I took the regular shirt and measured about 4 1/2" from the armpit and pinned the elastic. I then stretched it out to about 2 1/2" from the bottom of the shirt and pinned that end in place. I got it all set in my sewing machine and put a few stitches in the first end to keep it in place. I stretched it all the way out and would grab a section a few inches from the machine and would do a few inches at a time. Doing too much at a time will make the shirt fabric slide out from under your elastic.

Another thing I had happen just a couple times was the elastic would slide up into my presser foot. The easy way to fix that is by holding onto the material behind and in front of the presser foot. Be sure to hold the material behind it well since that is the elastic part that is already sewn and will want to pull away. Simply lift the presser foot to release the elastic. If just lifting the presser foot doesn't release it, just use a pin to just push it down.

As you are sewing along, be sure to continually check by stretching the elastic all the way out again to make sure you are staying on track. Once you're done... voila!! You now have a maternity shirt for 90% less than what it would have cost to buy one. 

My next project is a pair of jeans I also found on clearance! Check back to see how that project turned out!