Is it bad for me to admit to owning jeggings? Is it a fashion faux pas? I bought them on a whim and then forgot to return them when I discovered that they reveal waaaaaayyyyyy more woman than I am comfortable with. Then I discovered that they are comfy, and then I started to wear them with a short dress, and I realized they did a great job covering my grandma pantyhose. (waaaahhhhhh!!! Please tell me I’m not the only 29-year-old on the planet who has to wear these nasty things when pregnant!)
Also exciting, they still fit me. Well, they used to.
um… yeah. It’s time to kick off my Semi-Handmade Maternity Wardrobe Challenge and I am starting with the seriously easy jegging makeover!
Step 1: Remove the waist/waistband
Because these pants are low-rise, I only needed to remove the waistband. If I was working with a higher waist, I would cut down below the waistband to make way for the expansiveness. How far to cut? Try them on. Check the bump. Lower the curve as needed. Just don’t forget to account for your seam allowance too.
(denim maternity skirt “muslin”)
- Example 1: My denim skirt (from last pregnancy)
- Example 2: Maternity Dress Trousers on DIY Maternity
- Example 3: Shwin & Shwin’s maternity pants.
Step 2: Add maternity waistband
There are a number of ways to make a maternity waistband. The most basic is simply a tube of stretchy fabric. The fabric should contain spandex or lycra so it has “good recovery”. It snaps right back into shape. i.e. your pants won’t fall off.
You can also add some elastic to your waistband to help hoist them up better.
- DIY Maternity sandwiches wide elastic inside the knit waistband.
- Domestic Bliss uses the knit waistband as a casing for her 3 inch wide elastic waistband.
- Modest Maven inserts elastic at the top of the waistband tube.
It takes a bit more finagling to design the waist that mimics the natural curves of the pregnant body. The best resource I have seen for this is at The Princess Seam.
Step 3: Wear it.
Really. Not so bad, eh? I think these pants took me 1 and half hours to sew… while wrangling my two youngers… and making lunch for my husband.
See more of the Semi Handmade Maternity Wardrobe Challenge here.
I thought about buying a pair of jeggings to wear with a blue tunic-style sweater I have. Last year i wore it with black pants and felt all drapey. However, I have big thighs, and you are nice and slender (at least your pictures suggest such) so if you feel they reveal to much “woman” as you put it, this mid-plus size girl will not be purchasing jeggings.
However I bet they become the new comfy pants when prego. 🙂
I do think plus size girls can pull off “skinny” pants, but they have to fit right. The problem with my jeggings is they show panty lines. Which I can’t handle, nor can I go commando. But under a long tunic? Or under a dress? I love the look. i’ll show you sometime. 🙂
Yay! So excited for your wardrobe project 🙂 I love when sewing and life getting better intersect… Recipe for goodness! Can’t wait to see what’s next!