Hi all. Amy here. If you know me, you know I'm...frugal. Some would call it resourceful, some would call it cheap. Mainly, I hate waste. It makes me crazy to buy things and throw them out, or things that are marketed to a specific purpose with the idea that you'll only use it once. That's why, when I got pregnant with my first child I made it a goal to not buy any maternity clothes. For one thing, I thought most of them were fairly unappealing and not really to my taste, but also I hated the idea of wearing them for a short time and then getting rid of them. So I made do with a lot of yoga clothes, men's shirts and a few tried and true leggings. I scrolled through years of Closet Core tags on Instagram to show you some inspired sewists who clearly had the same idea. Most of these versions are just the straight-up pattern we released with no modifications but you could certainly make some tweaks to accommodate your growing bump.
EBONY TEE & DRESS
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Our Ebony tee or dress is the perfect swingy layer that will grow with you. Featuring a flared hem and scoop neckline it will expand as you do, and made in a stretchy knit is just the kind of pajamas adjacent dressing one needs during pregnancy. If you wanted to make this nursing friendly you could lower the neckline and add a bit of elastic.
CHARLIE CAFTAN
The Charlie Caftan is the perfect loose layer to cover your belly. The inset center panel is a nice detail to define your shifted waist and if you make it with the optional ties it adds a pretty detail under the bust. Make the maxi version for the optimal cozy house dress and in a warmer woven would totally shift into the fall and winter.
KALLE SHIRTDRESS
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The Kalle shirt and shirtdress is probably the most versatile pattern in this bunch. With three lengths and two placket options, you can make yourself a whole wardrobe out of just one pattern! Add the sleeve expansion for winter options and throw on a little matching belt to show off your expanding bump.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
The high rise and elastic waist on our Pietra pants and shorts make it a great addition to a maternity wear wardrobe. I found in the second and fourth trimester I liked having something supportive feeling against my belly as that's when your ligaments are shifting and changing. The flat front and high waist of Pietra would be a great belly band and the roomy pockets make sure nothing is jamming against you. Our Elodie Wrap Dress is easily expandable and you could easily modify the neckline to accommodate breastfeeding. And finally, one intrepid sewist made herself some jean shorts out of our Ginger jeans pattern and I have to say as someone who is not pregnant and has no plans to be pregnant...that elastic waist looks COMFY (noted.) Special shout out to Kallie who I think made pretty much all of our patterns during her pregnancy. I have loved following her sewing journey and we are sending her all the good vibes for a healthy home stretch.
Have you made any Closet Core Patterns for your pregnancy? Did you make any mods? Let us know in the comments!