Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: Nursing-friendly Tops

Hi! This is my first post since becoming a mom! These past weeks have been a rollercoaster, but I am happy to report we are all healthy and doing well.

I made two tops for this post, but let me give you some context first. When I gave birth to my daughter, I suddenly lost all sense of modesty in favor of practicality. In simpler words, my boobs have been out more often than not in the last few weeks. Some women may be able to keep some sense of glamour in postpartum, but I can't count myself among those yet.

Fast forward to today. My baby and I have proudly overcome these challenging weeks, and I am finally allowing myself to believe we can go a long way in our breastfeeding journey. I am not planning on staying topless, so I have started to invest in a nursing-friendly wardrobe. In part, I feel it is wishful thinking: you know the saying "dress for the job you want"? I want to keep breastfeeding for a long time, so I better find ways to dress the part!

There are multiple nursing outfits in the market, but I don't want all my clothes to scream, "These boobs are made for feeding!" 

Enter this t-shirt pattern. It is nursing-friendly thanks to the cross front, but it is still versatile enough to be worn even when not breastfeeding. 

I made the first version with a ribbed knit, which is very soft and light. I intended to make a lounge set with it, thinking that this texture and colorful pattern fit a pajama. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough fabric for the set, so I thought about making some coordinating pants with another fabric, using remnants of this one for accents such as pockets or piping. Nevertheless, once I finished and tried the top, I decided it was a shame to keep it behind closed doors! It is very wearable, easy to coordinate with any pants or leggings, and a good light layer for Florida winters.

The project is very easy to put together: it has only four pieces (one back, two front, and the waistband). I was able to cut it and sew it in several 10 or 20 minutes sessions, advancing two or three steps at a time while my daughter napped. She even accompanied me sleeping in the carrier while I was sewing the last stretch! I loved this moment and asked my father to take a picture. Who knows, maybe she'll want to sew one day, and I will tell her this was her first lesson!

I finished it faster than I anticipated, and since I already had the pattern on hand, I decided to sew another t-shirt with the heathered knit fabric left out from my October post



This fabric is a little heavier and stretchy, so I could have gone for a smaller size. It is something I will take into account on future occasions. I realized this too late when trying the unfinished top and saw that the sleeves were too long and clingy. So instead of finishing them with a simple hem, I cut them and improvised some cuffs, adding a slightly elegant touch. I can wear this top a lot, dressing it up or down depending on the occasion. 

I am glad to add these two pieces to my nursing-friendly wardrobe, knowing I can use them for months beyond breastfeeding!

INES  @bynunis


Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: KNITS, RIB KNITS, & SWEATER KNITS.

Comments

  1. I want to make this top for my daughter-in-law. What pattern is it? thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi! It is from Lulu Ferris! It is a subscription website but there are lots of patterns and tutorials. This one is called "Camiseta de lactancia"

      Delete
  2. Excelente. Explicación sencilla y muy linda de como afrontas esta nueva etapa de tu vida, sin abandonar lo que te gusta hacer. Espero disfrutar las creaciones de Vera en el futuro (ojalá salga a Mami y no a abuela) ☺

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Week 4: Jeansmaking- What They Made

This is it, the final round! And we certainly did not go easy on our three remaining contestants this time. This round they had to make their own pair of well fitting jeans. I think they all did an absolutely outstanding job! Take a look what these ladies accomplished & be sure to vote for your favorite! (Link at bottom of post.) And, don't forget to show us your me-made jeans on Facebook or Instagram. Details at the bottom of this post. Danesha from  Classyfied Life So first I must say that this entire challenge has been just that...a challenge! Two weeks ago there was hurricane Irma and I was blessed enough to not lose power and then I went out into the aftermath to capture some photos of my submission. Then two weeks ago I had a big trip planned so I had to do EVERYTHING  in two days . Then the BIGGEST challenge of all...THIS week! I got the challenge and I was super excited to have an extra few days and then before I could even get started I ended up in the eme

Made By A Fabricista: A great tee shirt pattern – or three!

Hi fellow sewists! It’s Andrea  @happy.things.here and I’m here today to talk tee shirts!  I love a good tee pattern…or two…or four. Despite having more than enough of them in my pattern collection, I’m always up for trying a new one. And I also have my favorites and tried and trues (TNTs). I love the versatility of a good tee pattern – dress it up with fancy fabrics to make a work wardrobe piece, use a high quality solid to add some basics, or anything in between. Today I’m sharing three patterns I’ve used multiple times and with many different kinds of fabrics - all a little different and all great beginner patterns too. First up is the newest addition to my pattern collection – the Upland tee and crop top by Rivet Patterns. They are a newer designer who I recently discovered when this tee pattern caught my eye. I love that it has multiple bodice options including a classic design tee and also a crop version with different separate and uniquely shaped bodice pieces. I first made the

Made By A Fabricista: Dreamy Florals | A DIY Dress Inspired by Son de Flor's Spring Collection

Hi everyone!  When I saw this floral print linen/cotton blend make it’s way onto the to-be-described table I knew I had to make a dress from it.  I’d been staring dreamily at all the dresses from the brand Son de Flor who had just put out their spring collection and thought, maybe I can throw together something inspired by them!  I grabbed three yards of that floral shirting and a yard of SWC5682w to line the bodice with.  I used Simplicity’s S8946 for its simple bodice block.  This pattern has a gathered rectangle for the skirt, but I’m a sucker for a circle skirt so that’s where I decided to start.  I folded the fabric twice and cut out the longest circle the fabric would allow.  Then got to work on the bodice, sewing up the darts and attaching everything. Now, I don’t love installing zippers.  I ha d a lot of trouble getting them to sit right, and no matter how much mental gymnastics I do when first pinning one side is always put in the wrong way.  So while I did have to unpick and