Get Pin-Spired

For some reason this pregnancy I have been having a tough time figuring out what to wear. And believe me, it is not for lack of options. I have been trying to mix and match what I already have to create a fun pregnancy wardrobe. It is always good to get inspiration from the internet. And where do we turn when we need to hunt something down on the internet? Pinterest! I have a Fashioning board, which is often where I turn to when looking for fashion inspiration. So this weekend, I turned to it for some advice and came away with this outfit.

I have been hunting and hunting for a mustard cardigan and finally found one at Target this week. I added in a navy stripe shirt that I also purchased there. (Neither of these items are maternity.) I paired these tops with some maternity skinny jeans from Old Navy. I topped it all off with a skinny belt above the bump.

Merona V-neck Cardigan

Merona Boatneck Stripe Tee

Old Navy Maternity Skinny Jeans

Ther you have it, fashion inspiration at your finger tips! Thanks Pinterest. I will be linking up with:

T Shirt to Cardigan

Have you ever noticed that when you are looking for something specific it is no where to be found? I have been on the hunt for a basic cardigan/zip up hoodie to wear home from the hospital and those early nursing days. And do you think that I could find one in town that met my criteria? (Okay, maybe I didn't go to every store, but I hit all of the obvious choices.) It was time I took matters into my own hands. I purchased a basic v-neck shirt in XL and went to the sewing machine.

It was very easy and I am thinking this is just the start of my t-shirt to cardigan refashioning days. Here is a quick tutorial so that you can make your own as well.
T-Shirt to Cardigan Tutorial

1. Cut your shirt in half down the center front.

2. Sew ribbon along each edge on the right side of the t-shirt. (I used a very small seam allowance here. Probably around 1/8 of an inch.) Be sure to leave about an inch of ribbon at the top and bottom.

3. Turn the ribbon to the inside of the shirt. Press with your iron. Take the extra from the top and bottom and turn under to the inside.

4. Sew along the ribbon on the outside edge. (Again, I used a small seam allowance.) Also, make sure that the ribbon ends are tucked under while sewing to create a finished edge.

5. You can leave your cardigan like this, or make some sort of closure. I choose to make an elastic loop and button closure at the top of the cardigan.
6. Start with elastic cord. (The one I used is actually sold for jewelry, but  I use it for this purpose.) I cut a couple of inches and tied it off to make a loop.

7. Sew the loop to the top inside of your cardigan.

8. And finally sew a button to the other side.

An easy and nifty little project. Perfect for maternity, breast feeding, or just hanging out.

I am linking to the following parties this week:

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Tutorial Tuesday: DIY Ruched Maternity Shirt

I recently bought two of these ruched maternity tees from Motherhood. I love them. They are some of my current favorites. While looking them over, I decided that they would be easy to copy. I purchased three tee shirts in one to three sizes too big. (The bigger size will allow for the extra width and length your maternity shirt will need.) Then, I sewed elastic up the sides. (Be sure to hold the back of the elastic while stitching and keep the front of the elastic pulled as well.)

The Motherhood shirts started the ruching right above the bottom hem and ended it about 5 inches from the sleeve seam. I used a pin to mark 5 inches down from the sleeve seam. When I reached the pin, I back stitched and cut the elastic.

Note to self, the bathroom lighting is  not good for pictures.

And easy as that, you have a ruched maternity shirt, or three.

Not the most flattering of angles for a pregnant woman. :o)

Here is a close-up of the ruching.

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