How to Sew a Maternity Skirt

Being pregnant doesn't mean you have to put fashion on hold for nine months. In fact, modern maternity clothes can be very fashionable and stylish. Unfortunately, though, a new baby also often means new expenses for a family. Making your own maternity clothes can cut down on costs and allow you to save up for the new arrival in your family. Making a maternity skirt is not much different from making a regular skirt. There are just a few changes to the standard pattern, and you can have a cute maternity straight skirt in no time.

Things You'll Need

• Sewing machine Fabric (about 1 yard of tweed, wool or cotton and about 1/2 yard stretchy knit fabric) Pins Ruler Invisible ink pen Measuring tape 1-1/4 yard elastic

Instructions

Preparing the skirt

1. Measure around the widest part of your hips under your belly using the tape measure. This measurement will be used to determine the skirt's width in the next step.

2. Take a measurement from your waist to the point on leg where you wish your skirt to fall, and subtract about 8 inches from that number. This will be your length measurement.

3. Take your width measurement, and divide it by two and add an inch to all sides. The added inch is the seam allowance.

4. Draw two rectangles, each using the measurements you took on your cotton, tweed or wool fabric, using the ruler and measuring tape. These are the panels for the main part of the skirt.

5. Draw a rectangle that is 10 inches long by your width measurement, including seam allowance.

6. Cut out all your fabric.

7. Pin the stretchy knit fabric to each of the tweed or wool panels, with right sides of the fabric together, and sew them together. Do this for both of the panels.

Sewing the skirt

1. Pin the two new panels long ends and right sides together, and sew them together. Do this on both sides. Your skirt should now be an un-hemmed tube. Press all the seams open.

2. Fold over and press 1/2 inch of the knit fabric's edge.

3. Fold over another 1-1/2 inch of the knit fabric, press and pin it.

4. Sew all around the edge, leaving an inch-wide opening to put in your elastic.

5. Take the elastic and string it through the opening.

6. Sew the ends of the elastic together, and sew the opening shut.

7. Hem the bottom by turning up 1 inch and sewing it up.

Tips & Warnings

• This article makes a skirt that expands up to 45 inches, but if you need more room, feel free to add more elastic.