MAKE MATERNITY PANTS BASED ON  YOUR FAVORITE PANTS

Maternity clothes are not great. there are thousands of regular clothe styles out there, but just a few of maternity clothes, they don't fit well, at least not me. I decided to male a pair of pants for work from one of my favorite pair of pants, they have a slim leg, and are close fitting in the rear without being like a legging. It was super easy. I didn't add pockets, since tops are usually long. 

All you need is tracing paper, i use kitchen wax paper, pins, fabric of choice, your favorite pants, lycra fabric for tummy band. 

Take your favorite pants and spread one leg out on a flat surface. Pin your tracing paper on the front of the lag, close to the seam. Make sure to include the crotch area. You don't need to include the whole length up to the waist, since this will not be needed, only trace from where the elastic band will start down. This is shorter on the front that the back.

Trace with a marker around the seams. 

 Do the same for the back of the leg. The crotch on the back is wider, or deeper, so you may need to add paper here to have an accurate pattern. Mark on both paper parts a common area, the hip, or inner leg, so when you are constructing, you can match this.

 

Since the back of the leg is wider than the front,, it will not lay flat, so you have to wrap the paper around the leg.

 Trace and cut your pieces,

 Cut your pants from the fashion fabric. The front top is shorter than the back, for the belly.

Measure around your tummy to determine the width of the panel. This is lycra, or swimwear fabric.  The front center part is deeper than the back.

Sew the center back seam.

Put one leg inside the other with right sides together and sew the center seam.

                                                                Almost done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               Sew the band to the top of the pants. Turn the top raw edge under and hem with a zig zag stitch, hem your pants, and they are done!!! Easy!!!!!!!!!!

DIY Maternity Jeans (from regular jeans)

 13 weeks, and my clothes don't fit at all. I took my scissors to an old pair of jeans to fashion a quick pair of maternity jeans to wear now, and probably for another few months. It was really easy, and it beats the  hefty price tag of maternity stores. Here it goes.

What you need:
pair of jeans
 T shirt
Wide elastic. I used 3 inch wide elastic. This will keep your pants up in place.

First, put the pants on, and check where you want the elastic panel to start. This is as far as it will zip for me, so that is where I will cut them.  You will need 0.5 inch for seam allowance.

Mark a line, curving down, where you want them cut. 

 

Pin the pockets in place, cut the band on the back and cut along the mark on the front.  Remove the belt tabs.  Remove the zipper as well, since you don't need it, and it adds bulk.

 

                       Sew the fly closed, and the top of the pockets, where they were pinned.

Now for the knit band. Cut the bottom front of the t shirt in a curve, just like the front of the jeans.

Cut below the sleeves. You need this long, because it will be folded over.

Measure the elastic. I needed 35 inches, to fit where you cut the jeans. Measure around the upper part of your hips.  Sew the ends together to form a loop. 

Now make a sandwich. Jeans right side out, Tshirt right side facing the right side of the jeans, elastic outside Tshirt. Pin in place, making sure that the elastic is even throughout.  You can pin in the center front and back first, then both sides.

                                       Sew with a 0.5 inch seam allowance, catching all layers.

                                              This is how it looks from the right side.

 Fold the band over to the inside and pin in place.  From the right side, sew close to the ditch. And That's all it takes!!!!!!!






                                          You can wear it all the way up, or folded down.

                               Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!!