• Some truly 'Ultimate' Pyjamas

  • Hello out there! It’s been a while. If you follow me on Instagram, you may already know the reason for my radio silence on the blog… I had a baby!

    Born at the end of February, I had a gorgeous baby boy weighing a hefty 9lb 9oz (go me!). So I have been busy adjusting to motherhood and torturous sleep deprivation! And I am so incredibly in love with him.

    Before I gave birth I had a little bit of spare time, as I ended up being 9 days late. So I managed to squeeze in a couple of makes (and A LOT of fabric shopping)! My idea was to make a couple of things that I could take in my hospital bag for going into labour.

    Obviously I wanted a comfy pair of pyjama bottoms, in a big enough size to fit me with a bit of a tum. I decided on the Sew Over It Ultimate Pyjamas. In fact, I ended up getting this PDF pattern for free after joining the Sew Over It PDF Club. Win!

    I also thought these would be useful for the newborn days where days roll into nights, and I live in pyjamas! And P.S. I love pyjamas.

    The fabric is a super soft and comfy brushed cotton in this blue and green check/tartan from Backstitch. Blues and greens being one of my all-time fav colour combos.

    The pattern was really straightforward – a nice simple make that would be ideal for any newbie sewers out there. The main thing I had to be careful with was pattern matching, because of the check fabric. This turned out amazingly well… I actually impressed myself!

    These photos have been taken 2 months post natal, so the pyjamas are now a bit on the big side (happy to report!). And unlike other makes, I have written this post after properly road-testing. I have worn these so much – and can vouch for them being super comfy and perfect for mooching around the house.

    Pattern: Ultimate Pyjamas by Sew Over It

    Fabric: Brushed cotton check/tartan from Backstitch

    Size made: Medium

    Alterations made: None!

    Winning at pattern matching the front seam!

  • A Coco Fit for a Baby Bump!

  • Being a Tilly and the Buttons super fan, I even surprised myself for taking this long to try a Coco dress! I might be heavily pregnant, but thought I’d make one now just for fun, to see if it would work.

    I just decided to just try making a larger size than I normally would, with no fancy maternity alterations. Then crossed my fingers and hoped for the best!

    I had been eyeing up this fabric from Backstitch for ages. So when I popped into the shop over Christmas I decided to finally treat myself. I figured this would be ideal for a Coco – a nice medium weight without too much stretch.

    I loved how quick and easy this was to make – especially with the help of my trusty overlocker. I really wan’t sure if this would work as a maternity dress, so I was a little nervous to try this on when I finished. Very luckily, I think I I pulled it off!

    It fits over bump, but not too tight – this was the thing I was most worried about. When I make this again, I think I’ll try shorter sleeves to give it a bit more of a cute, girly look.

    The only area I think that could have been improved is the neckline, which gaped slightly. But I have this problem with most patterns. I nearly made the adjustment before cutting, but thought that I might be a bit bigger all over at the minute (definitely am!), and would rather make too big than too small. Never mind – I’ll adjust for my next Coco!

    I wish I’d tried this pattern sooner, as it really is a fab dress. I think it *just* works for my stage of pregnancy, but would have been perfect for a bit earlier on – and obviously stunning without a bump too.

    This make is going to be perfect for seeing out the rest of pregnancy in the colder months. Just add tights! Oh, and gold brogues. Standard.

    Pattern: Coco Dress by Tilly and the Buttons

    Fabric: Ponte Roma Jersey from Backstitch

    Size made: 4

    Alterations made: None!

    Alterations for the next Coco: Narrow shoulders/neckline

    Birdseye view over the bump

    All the heart eyes for my new brogues

    Matching nails 🙂

  • A Maternity Staple - Megan Nielsen Erin Skirt

  • My first make of 2017! Yippee.

    I realise this isn’t exactly the most exciting make to be showing you all, but it wins points for being a top maternity wardrobe staple with an exceptional fit – just what I need right now!

    I figured it was high time that I tried out the Megan Nielsen maternity patterns – so kicked things off with the Erin maternity skirt. I bought the pattern as PDF from the Megan Nielsen website – and also bought the Cara maternity top (to be made soon!). There were literally just 2 pattern pieces for the skirt (well, 3 if you make the frilly version), couldn’t be more simple.

    I just used a plain black jersey from Backstitch which was more medium than lightweight. It wasn’t too expensive either 🙂 It did cross my mind that plain black might be a bit boring, but I wanted to make this skirt as a staple for my maternity wardrobe – something that can be dressed up or down, or worn for work or going out.

    Making the skirt was super quick and easy – especially with the help of my trusty overlocker! All in all it took me about 2/3 hrs to make this. So it was a nice quick-sew project to get my new year sewing started.

    I would like to make another one of these, perhaps in a more interesting/patterned fabric… but in all honesty… time is running out. Keep an eye on the blog as I rattle out some final maternity clothes before I go pop!

    Pattern: Erin Maternity Skirt by Megan Nielsen

    Fabric: Plain Black Ponte Roma Jersey from Backstitch

    Size made: Small

    Alterations made: None!