Sewing for the Belly: Poetry and Motion Tunic

I’m beginning to think my new maternity wardrobe is get more sizable than my normal one. I’m just banking that a lot of these pieces will work without a belly as well….?

This top is another from Twinkle Sews, and it’s my favorite that I’ve made so far. The fabric is silky soft cotton knit that you want to wallow in your bed with (like wallow as in make sheets out of it), and the cowl neck + ruffles are just so feminine yet casual and comfy, which basically is MY kind of maternity shirt.  It’s actually pretty lucky that I like it so much, because this one was looking like it was headed to my Total-Failure-Pile for a while.

Of all the Twinkle Sews patterns I’ve tried, this one was the easiest (for images from the book see here).  But the size…oh, the size!  I made a 12 which is based on my current measurements minus my belly, and it turned out enormous. I had to take it in significantly, like several sizes significantly, and then I actually took out the original drop sleeve and put in normal sleeves because they just weren’t liking all that taking in. But I ended up loving the final size and fit, so I suppose alls well that ends well.

The color was also sort of a disaster to begin with, because I found the knit in the Hancock’s value fabrics for $3 dollars a yard, but shoot–it was white. So no biggy, I just dyed it purple with some extra Rit dye I had on hand. But it turned out so….purply. Like Barbie purple, and I just wasn’t diggin’.  I made the shirt anyway, and just sort of hated it. So I dyed it once more with a cocoa brown and achieved a nice eggplant purple that I love. It’s amazing how the color change made such a difference in the way I felt in the shirt.

Pattern: Twinkle Sews:  Poetry in Motion

Difficulty: Easy peasy

Size: 12

Fabric: silky smooth knit cotton from Hancock’s value fabrics

Total cost: $6 (I’m not including the price of fabric dye because I had it on hand).

Oh and PS, how do you like my new gold pumps I scored at the thrift store?! Aren’t they amazing?! I feel like they’re a little bit too cool for me, but I still had fun wearing them on Sunday. And by the way, just so I don’t feel like I’m deceiving you, I would never actually wear pumps with jeans. I think the look is great, but I’m just not that diva. Flats and sneakers for me, thanks. You know, FYI.

And PPS, here’s a shirt I squeaked out of the leftover purple knit (pre-brown-dying).  Once the Miss found out that they purple shirt I was making WASN’T for her, she pleaded with me to make her one too.  She wanted “a purple and pink shirt with ruffles that twirls good.”  Ain’t no thang, Chicken Wing!