New Dress!

Usually I buy dresses at the thrift store. I haven't been to the thrift store lately, though, and I rarely find dresses that fit right and are good for nursing in. Sooo, today I pulled out some fabric (that I got at the thrift store for $2.50!) and decided to try to make something. I was going to buy this pattern  but I can't nurse in it. Since I'll be nursing for who-knows-how-long and then some, I figured I should keep looking for a nursing pattern, or make one. 

I have never made anything actually wearable before, so I'm pleasantly surprised by how it turned out. It's jersey, so it's very forgiving. I took lots of measurements and traced it on the fabric with a sharpie and then cut it out. I added two french darts to the front piece, which doesn't show because of the nursing panels in the front. The panels were a little tricky but they're basically just two strips gathered a bit where they attach at the sides of the waist and sewn in at the tops and in front of the arms. Underneath, on the front piece I originally cut, there are two diagonal openings for nursing. To nurse you just lift up the side you want to nurse from and voila. There are some obvious problems, which are that I didn't really know how to finish the arm holes (I just folded over twice and stitched, but it's a little messy).  I also haven't hemmed it yet, so that's just the raw edge at the bottom. I planned for it just above the knee but I cut it long so I could figure out what to do with it. 

I could totally wear this on a daily basis. I need to make a slip, though, because all of the ones I have are inadequate. One is too small now and one just doesn't work -- too short and two flimsy. One problem about jersey and the line is underwear lines, which just need to be avoided at all costs. A proper slip would help prevent that, for sure. 

Since this was pretty simple to make, maybe I'll post instructions sometime. I am SO happy to have a dress I can nurse in. I have another piece of fabric but it's a wool blend and it will have to be dealt with in a more complicated manner. It will probably have to be lined, and I don't know if the panels in the front will work out the same. It will obviously need to be fitted a lot more carefully, and I don't have time at the moment to work it out. And then I will also have to put a zipper in it, which I haven't a clue how to do. Someday, though :) In the meantime, I think I'm going to keep a lookout for jersey or other knits and give this another go.