How to Sew a Maternity Panel Into Pants

Your waistline will increase each month during your pregnancy; a maternity panel will make pants more comfortable.

Maternity clothes can be quite expensive, and, let's admit it, some people even feel awkward wearing them at first. Some would prefer to be able to wear their favorite blue jeans, and some have to have certain types of pants to continue working as long as possible. A simple solution for those with basic sewing skills is to add a maternity panel to pants or jeans they already have.

Things You'll Need

• Maternity panels
• Jeans or cotton slacks
• Sewing machine
• Thread to match garments
• Scissors
• Seam ripper
• Straight pins

Instructions

Add a Maternity Panel to Jeans

1. Use a pair of your favorite, well-fitting jeans, or purchase a pair from a yard sale or thrift store that you like. You are going to cut them up, so there is no turning them back after the pregnancy.

2. Measure in from the side seam on the front of the jeans to just above the pocket, about 3 inches, and draw a line straight up to the waistband and through it. Do both sides of the front of the jeans. Draw another line just under the zipper stitching. This will start the cutting line.

3. Cut this portion of the jeans away. Start at one side, cutting through the waistband and rounding your cut down to the bottom of the zipper and back up the other side and through the waistband. Make sure your measurements are avoiding the brass snaps on the jeans, if they have them.

4. Lay this cutaway piece of the jeans on top of the maternity panel, matching up the tops. Cut the sides and around the bottom of the maternity panel 1 inch larger than the jean panel. This will be the seam allowance.

5. Starting at one side of the jeans, pin the panel to the top of the jeans, making sure the right sides are together. Sew a straight stitch from the top waistband down, fitting the maternity panel in place as you go. Continue sewing and fitting the panel in, all the way up the other side. The panel may want to "pucker" or buckle as you work it around. Sometimes this is unavoidable, so just do the best you can.

Add a Maternity Panel to Cotton Pants

1. Turn the pants inside out. Fold the cotton pants out so that the two front halves are together and the two back halves are together. Measure from the crotch of the pants up the front middle seam about 7 inches. This should be the general area where your belly starts! Measure a straight line across to the sides of the pants.

2. Cut straight across the pants, just to the side seam. Use the seam ripper to remove the stitching on the side seams. Work straight up to the waistband, then cut through the waistband.

3. Use the seam ripper to remove about an inch of stitches on the remaining side seams at the hip area. This opens the seam up about 1 inch to allow for sewing the maternity panel in place. Lay the portion of pants you cut away on top of the maternity panel, making sure to line the tops (waistbands) up.

4. Cut the sides of the maternity panel the same size as the pants panel. Cut the bottom of the maternity panel 1 inch longer than the pants panel. This is the necessary sewing allowance.

5. Pin the maternity panel to the front side of the pant, right sides together. The maternity panel top will be facing down at this point.
   Sew a 1-inch straight seam across the pants and maternity panel. Fit the side seams of the pants and maternity panel back together and sew a straight stitch following the same seam allowance the pants originally had.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase maternity panels at major sewing and notion chains or online (see Resources, below). If you can't find maternity panels, you can cut your own from a half slip. Just make sure it has give. Cotton slips will not work.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• An online source for maternity panels.