Upcycled Retro Pin-up Style Maternity Dress

Not a title you thought you would see/hear together right? lol.  My 10 year high school reunion was a few weekends ago and besides just being to cheap to go buy maternity clothes 5 weeks before was due to deliver my last baby, I also just didn’t like what was out there.  I do love me a nice comfy maxi dress, but honestly most maternity dresses feel like a TENT!  And well, I didn’t want to wear a tent to my 10 year reunion.  I love retro style pin-up dresses, and when I saw this pattern for a ruched maternity skirt (over the belly pencil skirt) I fell in love.

The only problem was that she no longer sells her patterns as .pdf’s & I didn’t realize that until a few days before and I didn’t have time to get the paper pattern shipped!  Luckily I am pretty comfy sewing with out patterns so I decided to wing it.  The top of the dress is a shirt I got from the thrift store for $2.75 & the skirt is 1 yard of 60″ wide knit I got from a yard sale for $1.  The wide belt I already had so the total cost of this project was a whole $3.75 + tax on the shirt only.  Not to bad and I got a lot of complements ;).

The skirt I cut to rectangles the width of my hips & the length from where I cut the top off to where I wanted it to land plus seam & hem allowances.  I cut the front 4″ longer & then gathered the front piece from my hips to a few inches below my top edge so it matched up with the back & sewed the side seams together.  Then with a the help of a friend I put it on inside out & pinned down both sides tailoring it my shape. I decided I wanted it a little shorter so I added some elastic ruching to the sides, again in the tummy area only & hemmed the bottom! I then attached it to the top & all done!!!

For a much easier project, if you are aren’t comfortable with tailoring, I recommend using this ruched maternity skirt sewing pattern and attaching it to the top of a shirt that you like the fit of.  Just remember to cut the top off 1″+seam allowance below your bust. to leave room for a good fit.  It wasn’t an option on mine & though it worked the ladies were very crammed into the top, lol.

I am 34w1d along in these pictures, I also look forward to turning into a non-maternity dress after the baby arrives.  Not only did I rock this dress, but I wore 5″ heels to go with it because yes I am just that crazy!  I got them on sale for $8 with tax (I love coupons!) and the sales lady said I was brave for trying them on alone, a little crazy for buying & wearing them, lol.