FO: McCalls 6510

I hate trying on maternity clothes.  They fit poorly, they're made poorly, and they're not really me.  And who wants to wear things that fit poorly when you're semi-uncomfortable most of the time as it is?  I've only been to a maternity store once during this pregnancy, and that was enough.  I did try on this kaftan style top that I sort of liked, but it was too big in the chest and too small in the hips.  (Seriously?  Too small in the hips?  Pregnant women are supposed to have hips!)  It was $35, and I thought that I could certainly make it for less and get a much better fit.

Source

I found some beautiful charmeuse during Gorgeous Fabric's Cyber Monday sale for $8 a yard, and bought two yards.  I also discovered that I had McCalls 6510 in my pattern stash.

Although this style is close, it wasn't quite right.  And I obviously needed to make some maternity adjustments also.

I started with view A, and then modified it a lot:

• Changed the neckline to a v-neck, and narrowed it by about half an inch on each side.  
• Made the sides fall straight down from the shoulder, ending at a right angle at the hem, instead of curving in.  I altered the seam lines based on my measurements. (No tight hips here!)
• Added 4" in length.
• When I cut the front, I put the point of the v-neck on the fold, but then rotated the bottom of the pattern piece so it was about 3 inches away from the fold.  This way, it added more fabric in the front panel without changing the side seams.  It also made the front hem slightly curved in the middle, making the hemline appear straight, instead of arced by the baby bump. 
• Added a belt above the bump by inserting button holes above the seam lines. 

Basically, I just kept the shoulder seams.  And here's how it came out:

I love it!  I wore it on Christmas and New Years.  It was comfortable and festive.  It's a little different than my normal style, but still me.  It fits a thousand percent better than the cheap one in the store, and I feel proud for making something that fit me (for less money, too!). 

I'm happy with my improvements on the original shirt and with the way I modified a pattern to get what I want.  My husband is a little worried that I'm spending time making things that I'll only be able to wear for a couple of months, but I think the biggest benefit of making maternity clothes is the confidence it gives me to alter and modify patterns to fit me.  Plus, I can always modify maternity garments to fit me after baby, if I'm not sick of looking at them by then.