Size Made: I made a small in this pattern since I wasn't quite sure what the overall fit would be (and how large I will get over the next few months). Since my fabric was a little on the thin (and cheap) side, I thought I would get away with as little strain on the fabric as possible. If I used a more expensive fabric, I would have considered cutting the extra small; however, this fit just fine!
Fabric: 1 yard of black, stretch cotton knit from Hancock Fabrics.
Notions: The pattern called for 1" elastic, but after forgetting my elastic, I sewed the casing first and ended up buying 3/4" black elastic to get the job done. You will also need 1/4" inch elastic to ruche your side seams as well - I used black so that it would not show through the somewhat thin fabric.
Difficulty of Pattern: This pattern is definitely for an intermediate beginner. If this is one of your first projects, I think I would make a few other patterns that didn't involve sewing the elastic into the side seams before I tackled this - especially if you are pregnant (and your patience has somehow disappeared). The pattern itself is super simple and with a little practice, you could make it in no time flat!
Time to Complete:
Cut Pattern: Approximately 5 minutes - there are only 2 pieces!
Cut Fabric from Pattern: Approximately 5-10 minutes just to make sure things were even and I was not tugging on the knit fabric.
Sew and Assemble Skirt: This was by far the best part! The entire skirt sews up in about 30 minutes! (It does help if you get your materials ahead of time - like the elastic. Oops!)
Machines Used: I used both my serger and the sewing machine for this pattern. The serger was not only helpful for the side seams, but I also used it for hemming the edge as a rolled hem so that the lightweight fabric would have somewhat of a lettuce edge. The sewing machine was used to create the pocket for the elastic and also to ruche the side seams and attach the elastic.
Alterations/Changes Made to Pattern: When I was cutting out the pattern, this thought came to my mind "Wholly cow! This thing is going to be way to long on me." I pressed through despite my urge to whack off a good 5 inches from the bottom before I started sewing and I'm glad I did! The ruching really pulls the shirt up and since it hits so high, the length was great. (Just for your reference if you are making the pattern, I'm 5'2".)
Yeah/Nay: Absolutely! I'm glad I made the pattern in black first since it's the perfect staple to add to my maternity wardrobe. Can't decide what color to make next, but I'm thinking about following one of Megan's suggestions in the back of the pattern and extending the length to make it more appropriate for an evening on the town with my husband!
~Tiffany
So cute! I have this same skirt in the works as well. I sewed up the side seams last night after my kids were in bed and then I got too tired to finish and had to go to bed at 9 pm (really looking forward to finishing the first trimester). Maybe I can finish mine tonight. I have all the Megan Nielsen maternity patterns to try out, so I love the reviews!
ReplyDeleteI'll keep the reviews coming! I would love to see yours. What color did you do it in?
DeleteMy first one is black, too. Or will be when I finish it. I wasn't able to overcome the first trimester exhaustion to finish it before I had to have abdominal surgery, and now I won't be able to get down there to finish it for a few more weeks. Yeah, I wouldn't recommend surgery while 12 weeks pregnant if you can avoid it!
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