Challenge Create: Adult Edition |week 1|

So, this is the first week of Challenge Create, and if you missed it before, I am one of the 4 (5) contestants participating. I feel happy to get the chance to dedicate some time to sewing to myself, especially now, in this wonderful moment of my life, with a new baby on the way. 

The first theme is Inspired by Nature, and I assumed this challenge in two ways, and they are divided into the two pieces I created. When I first thought about Nature... Spring... I thought about poppies. They really take me back to my childhood and I remember I loved seeing them popping in when Spring arrived. Unfortunately, I almost can't find them anymore. I searched for various fields and I only found a few on some road sides. Sad! But I still used it as my inspiration and chose my fabric for the shirt/tunic with them in mind. It is a dark blue chiffon, with some sort of polka dots that are not red nor orange. 

Of course, I am sewing maternity clothes during this challenge. And I started with a tunic that I can use now, and after I give birth. It will also be okay, when the time comes, to nursing. It's long and wide enough to grow a bit more with the belly, and to give it a better shape there's some hand sewn puckering on the front top, and across the back. To finish it off and fit it to my figure, I've sewn a belt. It keeps the front close enough for decency and if I take it out it will open just enough for nursing. 

My photographer (aka husband), forgot to take close ups with the macro when we did the photoshoot, I guess the cold weather took the best of both of us. So, I had to photograph these details after I got home. 

And now that I have told you about the tunic and first inspiration road, let me tell you about the second way I looked at "nature inspired" and the shorts. 

Nature = Mother Nature = Maternity... of course! Nature is right now working its way on me and I couldn't let it pass on unmentioned. And I used this inspiration in my shorts. I first thought about making maternity pants, but I already had a pair and what I really missed in my wardrobe, now that warmer days are around the corner, are shorts. I drafted the pattern out of my existing maternity jeans, but instead of using a large belly band, I switched it in my piece for a smaller band with a wide elastic. The construction of the shorts was pretty much the same as you sew jeans,I can't precise what fabric is this that I used because it was donated to me and it's been in my stash for a while. It's not denim or chambray, but feels quite similar to it. 

To personalize my shorts, I wanted to somehow add a maternity symbol so I searched google for one. I came across an image that I absolutely adored and tried to recreate to one of my pockets, with a free hand drawing using red and black fabric markers. It's a mother, holding her baby. In the other pocket, I have stitched _ _ _ MATERNITY=love _ You can barely see it, but I know it's there and love the details. The shorts are fully topstitched, and have front pockets that we failed to detail photograph too. And since I still have a bit over 3 months to get fat, I made them a little roomy for now. 

I just love how the belt looks and how it shapes the belly. It is very comfortable and (because I have tried it right after this session) it looks great under a cardigan or a sweater. I love that I can use the pieces separatedly if I wish to, and that both pieces are still wearable after pregnancy. That is absolutely a bonus. 

The weather got so cold right when we had some time for the photos. I was freezing as we took them, so as soon as I thought we had enough, I would go running to my cardigan and getting myself into the car... And he was still photographing... ahahaha... Hence the boots (I had planned using this lovely slightly high heels in dark blue), tights and t-shirt underneath the tunic.  I couldn't risk to get a cold or something. 

I hope you like my look. And if you haven't yet, go check my fellow contestants and don't forget to vote for your favourite, if it happens to be me, I'll be happy but if I am not, don't worry, it's fine! =D Check out the works from the sew along ladies and vote too.