Saturday, September 2, 2017

Well, Hello!

Well, hello there!  I didn't mean to be absent from this space for such a long time.  But it seems my posts are fewer and far in between as time goes on.  However, I have good reason for being silent for some time...


 Baby!  Yes, baby number 2 is on it's way.  I found out I was pregnant the second day of summer vacation (I'm a teacher) and have spent the whole summer taking it very easy.  It was fabulous.  I thought my timing with my daughter was great before.  I had her in April and got to stay out the rest of the school year. But I think this timing is even better as I got to spend my entire first trimester at home.  I'm back at work now but it's going well.  Baby is due early February.  I will have to go back to work the last month of school or so (womp, womp - American maternity leave).  But then I'll get all of next summer, too.  I've felt like my baby bump is enormous this time around, but looking at these photos I realize it's not.  Ha!  It's just a little bump.  I took these photos a couple of weeks ago so I think I was around 15 weeks at that time.  I am a little bigger now!  We still don't know it it's a boy or girl yet, but we'll find out in a few weeks.  Jane says she wants a little brother, believe it or not.

Since I was home all summer thinking about my school year and new arrival, I spent lots of time sewing for a bump.  I was actually making the orange dress in my photos when I found out I was preggo.  And I thought it would be a great dress for skimming over a little bump, with a few alterations.  So I made four versions!  I figured this would be a great dress/top for a growing bump but also would be nice for after pregnancy.  To the review...


Pattern Description:  The pattern is Simplicity 8333, a jumpsuit/dress pattern with a crossover bodice for knit fabrics.  I thought it looked like an easy pattern for summer when I first decided to make it.


Sizing: 4-20.  I made a 12.  I am typically a 14 but I usually size down when I make a knit pattern.


Fabric Used:  All knits, of course, but different knits behaved differently.  My favorites are the orange dress and the red/pink longer dress.  Those knits are a rayon blend and had strong recovery.  The black and white tie-dye top is a bamboo knit from fabric.com.  I works well for a top but would be too drape-y for a dress.  The green version is my least favorite.  It's a rayon jersey (Dakota jersey from fabric.com) and is too thin and wrinkly.  I think maybe it's a cotton/rayon blend?  Can't remember.  Anyway, I like well enough but I think it looks sloppier than the others.



Likes/Dislikes:  I love the bodice with the cut on sleeve.  It's the main reason I made these.  The skirt is modified from the get-go.  When I cut the pattern, I noticed that the skirt pattern piece was just a perfectly straight rectangle which does not work for someone with saddle-baggy hips like myself.  So I used the top of the rectangle as a guide and made it in to a-line shape to accommodate my hip measurement.   They all have pockets except for the top version.  I know people don't like pockets in jersey, but I love pockets no matter what.  



Alterations/Deviations:  In addition to the skirt modification I mentioned above, I also added elastic in to the neckline of all versions.  When I sewed on the neck binding, I threaded a long piece of 1/4" elastic through the binding like a casing.  I pulled the elastic slightly and sewed at the shoulder seams so the back neckline is nice and taut.  I just pulled the elastic ever so slightly at the front bodice to keep a little tension on the front neckline before sewing the bodice to the skirt.  It worked well on all versions except the green one (because the knit is so droopy).  I'm so pleased with the elastic in the neckline because that neckline is not going anywhere!  I also sewed one snap at the front where the bodice pieces crossover to hold in place.  My plan is to also wear these dresses after pregnancy while I'm nursing.  The elastic should keep everything from stretching out and I can undo the snap easily.  I cut all the back bodice pieces on the fold, too, except for the red/pink version due to amount of fabric. 


All the dresses have hem and sleeve length differences, too.  The orange dress is the shorter sleeve in the pattern and the skirt length is per the pattern plus one inch.  So it's a pretty short skirt as is, fyi.  The green dress I cut the longer sleeve and added several inches to the hem thinking I would wear this one to work.  I made the top version next.  And then the pink/red version is about ankle length because that was every bit of fabric I had.  That fabric is one I bought when Hancock was closing down.  I miss Hancock!


Conclusion:  Nice, easy knit dress pattern.  Perfect for a growing bump, but I stress growing.  The elastic waist does hit the top of my belly and I know once my mid-section gets a little bigger I won't want to wear any of these as is.  Maybe with a raised and curved waist it would work for an entire pregnancy.


22 comments:

  1. Yeah for new baby on the way!!! I love all the versions of this pattern and think you should squeeze out a few more tops. Remember how tired you get of that maternity wardrobe by the end. Also love your timing too...and finally I think you're going to love the tie-dye version alot as you get bigger...it seems to have the most room to grown in. Again, congratulations! I'm sooooo happy for y'all!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Later reply- but you are right! I wore the top version a couple of days ago and its just perfect. I think I need another one. I might try and raise the waist seam up a little bit to make more room for a bigger bump.

      Delete
  2. Congrats on baby number 2! How exciting. Also love all your versions of this - looks like it will be perfectly comfortable for the next few months.

    ReplyDelete
  3. All of them look great! Congratulations on baby number two!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congratulations! I love your blog and am inspired by your unbelievable output of work! All beautiful and perfectly done. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. So cute, and congratulations!! I love the long red/pink/orange dress especially, but they all look wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Congratulations on baby number two! It was a nice surprise to see a post from you. The new dresses are gorgeous. Love the bright & colourful ones especially.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow, congratulations! You're looking well...wishing you good health throughout!

    Great dresses. The orange one is my favourite. I like your method of changing the skirt pattern. I have that same tie dye fabric but I am not sure what to do with it because it is so drapey.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's very drapey fabric, but so nice! It washes well, too. Doesn't really show any signs of wear. Thank you!

      Delete
  8. great use of that pattern, all look fantastic, and congrats on the new addition.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Congrats on the new one on its way! How exciting! That pattern looks great and I love your fabric choices and the addition of elastic at the neck. I passed it over, but am going to have to take a look at it again....

    ReplyDelete
  10. I had passed over this pattern due to the low neckline, but I love what you did with the elastic to keep it in place. Super smart! I especially love the maxi dress version--gorgeous fabric! Wishing you a healthy pregnancy!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congratulations!! I absolutely loved every minute of being pregnant and it is so much fun being able to make your own maternity clothes. This is pattern is such a winner. My favorite fabric is the orange floral. It's so bold and bright and looks fantastic on you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Shirley! I love being able to sew my own maternity clothes!

      Delete
  12. Congratulations to you and your family! You look wonderful! I am a fan of every version you made, though a bit partial to the tie-dye one cause it looks so good. I look forward to seeing what you will create while expecting!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. That's amazing news!! Congratulations. I found out the sex with all 3 of mine, so much easier to prepare!! All the dresses look great and will be fab post baby.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes, we are finding out. We are not the kind of people who can wait!! :)

      Delete
  14. Congratulations! How exciting.

    I love all these dresses - I actually really like the green one, it looks all swooshy and drapey but I do see what you mean about it not being as neat as the others. Those bright oranges are giving me life.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great news on your pregnancy - congratulations! I love all of these and the elastic in the neck band is a fab tip!

    ReplyDelete
  16. These are all so cute, and congratulations on baby #2! How nice to have been able to spend the first trimester at home! That is the way to go for sure! It's too bad about the green jersey; it's such a beautiful color on you, and the red floral is so chic!

    ReplyDelete
  17. So my comment is much later than I had planned - but wanted to share my congratulations as well! I love that you have made such good use from one pattern. Clever woman!

    I'm also crushing on your strappy brown sandals (+ your whole shoe collection). I know I've seen these before - which brand are these? I would love to find similar black sandals.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amy! This is the worlds latest reply... But the brown sandals are Tevas! They are so comfy, I've still been wearing them while pregnant. Sorry I didn't see this earlier!

      Delete