How can i alter the Steffi jacket pattern to fit my growing pregnant belly?

[nikki-shell]

I plan on altering the Steffi jacket from Burdastyleand would like do it so i can wear it throughout my pregnancy.

Since i live in Australia and the weather will be warming up soon (i hope) i'd like to make it as a summer jacket.  Do you have any fabric suggestions?  Something light but that will hold the shape well.
As for the alterations i've had suggestions to crop the jacket to above my bump or to alter it like this jacket.
I'm favouring the second suggestion so far, any other ideas?  Let me know by monday and i'll show you what i come up with next week.

[stacysews]

Well, I've been thinking about this one.... basically you'll have to redraft the front pieces of the jacket only (since this is the only part of you that's growing).  I think if you slash and spread the front piece from under the bust to the bottom hem this should do the trick.

[ScotSkipper402]

Dark denim? Tropic-weight wool? Pique?

[nikki-shell]

I've been working on a muslin for the Steffi jacket this week.  For this version i decided to cut away the front of the jacket from the bust to the side seams at the hem.  I also shortened the sleeves.




I'll show the finished garment next week then i plan to make another Steffi but with a different alteration.  You can read more about it here.  Then i will start working on Jane, i plan to alter the waistband of the shorts to accommodate my bump and for later the top to allow for breastfeeding.

Any suggestions for either my Steffi or Jane alterations are encouraged.   Any clue how I can change the Jane  top into a breastfeeding friendly top?

[nikki-shell]

After a serious bout of pregnancy 'DUH' brain i managed to get my Steffi jacket finished except for the lining, you can read more about it here
 and see my How-To here.




(I sooooo need a haircut!)

This week i'll be making the Steffi
 jacket again but this time i'll be giving it an entirely different alteration, i'm thinking of making it into a bolero.  I may leave off the collar or change it somehow and i'd still like it to fasten at the front somehow. What do you think?
After this i'll be making the Jane
 pattern (pajamas), altering the shorts slightly so the waistline will sit underneath my bump and i'd also like to alter the top to a nursing top.  I'm thinking of somehow making it like a nursing bra with the flip down cup that clips onto the strap or another suggestion that has been made is to make an opening under the bust and have it fasten with snaps or something else which is easy to fasten with one hand.  Let me know of any suggestions you have.[/img]

[stacysews]

It looks great!

[nikki-shell]

My second alteration of the Steffi jacket from Burdastyle.
This time i cropped the jacket into a bolero and curved the front pieces which i then fastened with a red button from my stash.  The jacket is made from some recycled denim i found at the thrift store and some cute apple print cotton for the lining. 





You can read more about how i made this jacket here and see my how-to here.

See here for my next project.

[SpottedFrog]

Lots of boob & baby talk, if your squeamish skip this post!

I nursed both my girls and I'll tell you something: to keep those nursing pads in place at night is important! I tried a number of things but wound up wearing some camisoles I found at Target.

They were all strech lace (soft!) with separate cups and a little spaghetti strap. I just pulled the strap off the should for whichever side I was nursing on. After a great run the first night I went back and bought 4 more. They were even pretty! They did not support at all, but I didn't leave the house in then either (lol!). The cut of the camisoles was very much like your classic triangle cup bikini swimsuit top, but with a body section. The snugness and strech was what made them a winner.

This worked better than: the "nursing" pajamas because they were less bulky. Better than the cute pajamas similar to the Jane you like because they didn't strech at all (think about rolling on your side in those, the boob shifts, the top doesn't, this means milk all over). Better than the sports bra (too tight for all night). Better than a regular nursing bra (again, uncomfortable for 24-hour wearing).

And mostly off topic: in an emergency a panty liner cut in half makes a pretty good bra liner, just put the cuirved 'sealed'; end down. : )

I hope you have a happy pregnancy & a great birth experience!

[nikki-shell]

Thanks Penlowe for your reply.  I'm not buying new clothes (see www.nikkishell.type pad.com/wardroberefashion) so make all my own.  I'll take on board your suggestion of stretchy snug fitting fabrics and will look into making something suitable.