{"id":77813,"date":"2021-10-27T07:03:13","date_gmt":"2021-10-27T11:03:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/?p=77813"},"modified":"2021-10-25T18:24:19","modified_gmt":"2021-10-25T22:24:19","slug":"tutorial-convert-a-knit-top-pattern-to-maternity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2021\/10\/tutorial-convert-a-knit-top-pattern-to-maternity.html","title":{"rendered":"tutorial: convert a knit top pattern to maternity"},"content":{"rendered":"

We saw Nicole’s beautiful maternity Marais Knit Top<\/a> in the Liesl + Co. Friends<\/a> Facebook group and contacted her straightaway. We are thrilled that she agreed to write this tutorial on how to alter a knit top pattern for maternity wear.<\/em><\/p>\n

I gave away most of my maternity clothes after my daughter was born in 2018, so now that I’m\u00a0expecting my third child, I thought I’d try my hand at altering some patterns to become maternity\u00a0items. As it turns out, when starting from a knit top, modifications are straightforward.<\/p>\n

The basic\u00a0idea is simple (and common in RTW maternity clothing): Add length to the pattern front and use\u00a0elastic to gather that extra length into ruched side seams. There are several great candidates in\u00a0the Liesl + Co. pattern collection. I’ve modified the Metro T-Shirt<\/a> and the Marais Knit Top<\/a>, but the\u00a0same idea should work equally well for the Chai Tee<\/a> or Maritime Knit Top<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n

\"Easy<\/a><\/p>\n

Note: I started with the Marais and learned a little along the way, so the notes and measurements\u00a0below are from my Metro T-Shirt.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Choose your pattern<\/h2>\n

This modification is intended for a knit top with relatively straightforward\u00a0side seams and fabric\u00a0with some stretch. That doesn’t have to mean just a t-shirt. The Marais, with its bodice pieces\u00a0and bust darts, provides a bit more shaping but still works just\u00a0fine as a maternity top.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Determine your size<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t go with your waist measurement for size! If you’ve made the pattern before your\u00a0pregnancy and were pleased with its fit, that size is likely fine to start with. But do re-measure\u00a0your bust. You may find that you need to size up there, if nowhere else. If you (like me) measure\u00a0between two sizes, consider whether you’d be more comfortable with a looser or snugger fit, and\u00a0consider the degree of stretch in your fabric.<\/p>\n

Step 3: Alter your pattern pieces<\/h2>\n

There is only one alteration needed to turn your knit top into a maternity top: Add extra length for\u00a0belly room. About 5″ of added length to the pattern front will give generous room for growth\u00a0in a stretchy knit. Be sure to maintain the 5\u201d difference between the front and the back if you make other length alterations. For example, if you ordinarily shorten your tops by 1″, go ahead and shorten the back pattern piece, but add 4″ to the front piece. Whether you decide to add 5″ of length or a different amount, this measurement will be measurement a<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Split your pattern at the lengthen\/shorten line to adjust the length for the front (and back, if\u00a0applicable) pattern piece and redraw the side seams, as explained here<\/a>. Note that the gathered front and your belly will make the redrawn side\u00a0seams nicely forgiving, so there’s no need to sweat getting it just right.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

From here you can also add any other alterations you’d ordinarily need. You can see from my\u00a0Metro T-Shirt pattern pieces that I’ve included a broad shoulder adjustment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Once you have your altered front pattern piece, determine where you’d like to start and finish the\u00a0gather to take up the excess pattern length. I eyeballed this from some purchased maternity tops,\u00a0which seem to start the gather 3-5″ from the underarm seam and end it anywhere\u00a0from the hem to 3″ above the hem.<\/p>\n

Mark your desired start and finish spots on your pattern\u00a0and fabric and measure the distance between them. This distance is measurement b<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Now, to determine the length of your elastic, subtract measurement<\/strong> a<\/strong> (the total difference between the length of your front and back pieces) from measurement b<\/strong> (the length between the starting and stopping points of your gather). Then add 1\/2″ or so to that number. This will give you enough elastic on either end of\u00a0the seam to make it possible to hold it in place while you stretch.<\/p>\n

Depending on the seam allowance of\u00a0your pattern, either 1\/4\u201d or 1\/8 \u201d elastic might be appropriate. You’ll find that 1\/4\u201d elastic is easier to hold and sew,\u00a0but harder to keep inside a narrow seam allowance.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The gather marks on my metro tee were 14″ apart. I therefore cut my pieces of 1\/8 \u201d elastic to be 9\u00a01\/2\u201d long (14 – 5\u00a0+ 1\/2 = 9 1\/2). Taking into account about 1\/4\u201d of unstretched elastic on either end of the\u00a0seam, that 14″ of fabric would shrink to 9″ on the side seam, and the lengths of the front and\u00a0back pattern pieces would match.<\/p>\n

Step 4: Sew the elastic into the seam allowance of the shirt front<\/h2>\n

Because it will be within the seam allowance, you can do this on either the right or the wrong\u00a0side of the fabric. With the elastic on top of your fabric and the needle down through the elastic,\u00a0stretch the elastic (but not the fabric) so that it and the fabric are the same length. Keep an even\u00a0stretch on the elastic both in front of and behind your needle, keeping the elastic on the very edge\u00a0of your fabric. You can use either a serger or a sewing machine with a zigzag stitch to attach the\u00a0elastic.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Once you’ve sewn elastic into both sides, it’s worth a quick check to make sure that the front and\u00a0back pattern pieces are now very close to the same length from underarm seam to hem before\u00a0proceeding.<\/p>\n

Step 5: Make your shirt<\/h2>\n

That’s it! From here, you’ll assemble the shirt following the pattern instructions.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/a><\/p>\n

The only additional trick is to ensure that the stitches from attaching your elastic are inside the side seam. If you’ve used your serger to attach the\u00a0elastic and the pattern assumes 1\/4″ seams, you may need to cheat a little and make your side\u00a0seams just a bit wider to make sure no thread is visible on the outside of the shirt.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Looking to sew maternity clothing for yourself or a loved one? You don’t need a special pattern! This tutorial by Nicole walks you through adjusting almost any knit top for maternity wear.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6023,"featured_media":77823,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[20843,20853,140],"class_list":["post-77813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tutorials","tag-marais","tag-metro","tag-tutorial"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/maternity-hero.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5jZS5-kf3","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":68117,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2019\/01\/tried-and-true-pattern-liesl-co-maritime-knit-top.html","url_meta":{"origin":77813,"position":0},"title":"tried and true pattern: liesl + co. maritime knit top","author":"Rachel Le Grand","date":"January 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Do you have a Liesl + Co. sewing pattern that you turn to again and again? 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