DIY Maternity: Blouse from Men's Dress Shirt

Another Maternity Refashion! I actually made this shirt a few months ago when I was barely showing. I didn't like the end results at the time because it felt so big so I hung it up in my closet with a sigh. Well, my belly is bigger now and I think the shirt is pretty cute! 

BEFORE: A Large Men's Dress Shirt (Goodwill $3.50)

 AFTER 

I used a combination of Megan Nielsen's blog tutorial for the babydoll top and the collar from this tunic top. 

 It actually took me a while to get the shirt to a place where I liked it (read: Brittany was very frustrated, threw it in a heap, left it overnight and then came back to the project). 

I made the bust part a bit too small for my pregnancy boobs and had to add fabric on the sides (a bit of a nightmare). 

Then the bottom was too boxy. 

So I used elastic in the back to give it a bit more shape and stretch and then added a yellow ribbon on the sides to tie in the front. 

At 22 weeks pregnant, I think it fits pretty well! I felt cute in it today! 

The yellow adds a pop of color and the tie adds some needed shape to the blouse. Plus I still have lots of room to grow (on the bottom at least! I made need to tweak the bust a bit so it will continue to fit me as the girls grow!)

DIY Maternity Dress: Upcycled Men's t-shirt

Here's another DIY Maternity project from one of my Goodwill finds! I forgot to do a "before" picture (got a little too excited with the scissors) but the skirt is made from an extra large Mens t-shirt I got for $3.50. I have had the tank top for FOREVER (before I was married 6 years ago) and recently only wore it for pj's, so it got a new life with this dress too. I made the belt for another dress and it works perfectly with this color combo. 

I followed this tutorial for the dress. I have actually made a TON of two-fer dresses (I mean, I have a whole category on my blog for two-fer creations) but this tutorial was really clever. The unique thing about this dress IS using the men's t-shirt for the skirt because men's t-shirts are longer in the back than in the front. So, as my belly grows, the hem should stay (relatively) even. Clever, right? 

 As you can see, I should have yanked my skirt down a little bit in the back for the picture (darn my big caboose) but the front IS longer than the back. My 15 week bump is still pretty little right now but as it grows, the hem *should* round out nicely. 

I don't think I'll be able to wear it for the whole 9 months (I didn't use the elastic for the waist like in the tutorial [though I did use the stretch stitch on my machine to ensure that I wouldn't pop stitches as I grew] because my fabric wasn't wide enough--in fact, I was worried for a few minutes that t-shirt wouldn't be big enough) but I think it will be good for the end of spring/beginning of summer months.

I love how the dress turned out! It is really comfortable and will be good for hotter days by itself, or for cool, wet days (like today) with a cardigan and leggings. 

DIY Maternity: Top from Men's T-shirt

I upcycled one of my Goodwill finds today! I had so much fun with this project and I love the results. 

 Here's before: A medium Mens t-shirt I bought for $3.50.

 It is 95% cotton 5% spandex so it has a nice softness and stretch. 

 I followed this really simple tutorial on DIYMaternity and here is the finished result!! I love it! It is so comfortable and I think it turned out pretty darn cute!

(It looks lavender in the sunlight but the true color is darker, like the picture below)

(It looks like I am sticking my butt out in this pic...maybe it is really just that big...sigh...)

Here is a pic of the side. I added a little girly tuck to the top of the sleeves. 

The shirt has such a nice stretch to it; I will be able to wear it for many months to come! 

I have several more projects coming up! I am having way to much fun sewing my maternity wardrobe. 

DIY Maternity Jeans + 14 week bump

I made some maternity jeans today! My regular jeans (read: my "fat jeans") have been cutting into my belly for a week or two now and I needed a new solution for a little bit of money.

 I used this tutorial to alter a pair of GAP jeans that I got for $4 at Goodwill. 

(I hope the link works. It was being finicky tonight)

 Then I used this tutorial to hem 3 inches of length off the jeans (being 5' 2'' it is almost impossible to find pants that actually fit in the legs) while still keeping the original look of the hem.

The whole process took me about 2.5 hours. It would have been a lot faster if I hadn't had to rip out so many mistakes. Oh well. 

I think the end result is great! They are so comfortable and fit perfectly. I hope I can wear them for a good few months (though when I am huge, they probably will be too small). Hopefully I will get some good post-partum wear out of them too. 

My belly at 14 weeks. I am officially in the 2nd trimester! Woot! I've gained around 4-5 pounds so far. 

(I got this sweater at Goodwill today too for $3.50)

I am planning on doing more maternity clothing refashions in the near future (I got lots more "goodies" today at Goodwill!) so keep an eye out for more posts SOON!