If you want to make an elegant-looking fabric rosette, with no raw edges showing, first sew a long tube (maybe 30" or so) of fabric, about 3/4" to 1" wide. (The length of your tube will determine the size of the finished rosette -- err on the long side if you are unsure.) Press the seam allowance open, the turn the tube right side out and press it flat, with the seam along one edge.

1. Tie a single knot near one end. With needle and thread, stitch the knot, from beneath, to a scrap of buckram or heavy-duty interfacing (not the iron-on kind), at least as wide and tall as you want the final rosette to be.
2. Take the long tail and pull it upwards, then take two securing stitches through the inside edge of the tail, near the knot.
3. Working around the knot, pull the tail around again and take two more securing stitches, near the knot.
4. Twist the tail -- or don't, this is an organic process and really just based on how it looks as you go. Take more securing stitches.
5-7. Work your way around, twisting or flipping the fabric as you wish, taking more stitches through the buckram or interfacing, to secure the rosette. Keep going around in a spiral, trying to keep the shape roughly circular, until you are satisfied with the size of the rosette.
8. Flip the rosette over and trim the buckram as close as possible to the stitches you've made.
9. Tuck the end of the fabric tail underneath the rose, secure with stitches, and trim.
10. A lovely finished rosette!

Here's the tutorial for the dress I designed to be useful for maternity, postpartum, and nursing -- but it's easily customizable! If, for example, you want a nursing dress but not maternity, just lessen the width of the skirt pieces for less ease. If you want a maternity dress but don't plan to nurse in it, you can make the top however you want. The shirring under the bust helps give your waist some shape if you are postpartum, but easily stretches to accommodate a baby bump, too. And, I really think this dress works year-round -- just throw on leggings and a cardigan in cold weather! I could not ask for a more versatile piece of clothing in my wardrobe for this season of mothering. I hope it's a blessing to some other moms out there.

For the sake of brevity, I'm going to assume that you are familiar with the basics of sewing knits and the extra sewing techniques I outline in this tutorial. I wish I had the time and space to explain everything in detail, but if you have questions about anything, please don't be afraid to ask for clarification or help! Just leave a comment or send me an e-mail (address is in my Blogger profile). Also, although I proofread this tutorial thoroughly, if you come across any mistakes, I would be deeply grateful if you would let me know!

Supplies Needed:

• sewing machine
• 3 yards of light- to medium-weight knit fabric (For your reference, I am 5'10" and normally a US size 8 or Medium, and I made this dress out of 3 yards of 66" wide (though badly off-grain) fabric with barely any leftover. If you are much smaller or larger, you'll need to adjust yardage accordingly.)
• 1/2 to 1 yard of lightweight knit for underlining the bodice front, if your fashion fabric is lightweight
• matching thread
• pins
• sewing scissors
• chalk or other marking tool
• tissue paper or pattern-making paper
• clear elastic (optional)
• 1/8" wide elastic
• elastic thread
• jersey needle
• twin needle(s) (I used both 2,0 and 4,0 sizes)
• dress form or someone to help you with fitting

Also, all seam allowances are 1/2", unless otherwise noted.

OK, let's get started!

First, you need to take five measurements. Measure yourself around your underbust (A), measure from underbust to desired hem length (B), measure from the middle of your shoulder seam, passing over the apex of the bust, to the underbust (C), measure from the base of your neck, across your shoulder seam, to approximately where you'd like your cap sleeve to end (D), and measure across your bust front, from apex to apex (E).

Cutting out the skirt

(When I have made this dress, I drafted half the skirt straight onto the fabric using chalk and pins, cut out half, folded the fabric over at the midline, then cut out the other half of the skirt. I then used this first skirt piece as a pattern to cut out the second. If you prefer to make a paper pattern, you can draft onto paper first.)


Take measurement A and divide by 2. Now, multiply that figure by 1.5. Add 1" for seam allowance. We'll call this measurement F. This is how wide your front and back skirt pieces will be at the top (dashed line between the dots).

Lay your fabric out flat. Mark measurement F out on your fabric with pins or chalk, and also mark the center (star). Next, take your measurement B and add around 2" seam allowance (more if you are unsure about how long you want it -- better safe than sorry, and we'll be marking the hem later). From the left side of the top of the skirt, measure down the length of B + 2" in a gentle A-line shape (wider if you want more fullness at the hem, narrower if you want less). Go back to your top F measurement and gently curve from side to center, dropping below the line maybe an inch and a half or so (there's a more scientific way to do this, but I eyeball it and it turns out fine). ;-) From the center, measure down the length of B + 2" in a straight line. Connect the edge and center of the bottom of the skirt with a gentle curve. Cut the half skirt out (solid lines), then fold the fabric over along the center midline (dotted line), and cut the remaining half using the first half as a guide, being sure to match the print if your fabric has one. Using this skirt piece that you just cut as a pattern, cut out one more identical skirt piece. These are your front and back skirt pieces.

Cutting out the bodice


There are four pieces to the bodice: the left and right side of the bodice front, the faux camisole, and the bodice back. To draft the bodice front piece (I do this on tissue paper, since the pattern pieces are smaller), draw a straight line the length of D + 1" seam allowance. At a right angle to the first line, draw another line the length of C + 3" or so (you'll be trimming this later, just make sure it's plenty long to cover your bust and meet in the middle). Along the bottom, draw a line the length of F divided by 2 + 1/2" seam allowance. Then connect the third line back to the first line to form a trapezoid shape.


For the back bodice, draw a rectangle. The long sides will be the length of F. The short sides will be the length of C + 3" (or whatever you added). At the top of the bodice back, mark the center (star) and cut out a slight curve for the back neckline, around four inches across (it will be turned under 1/2" for a total of a 5" wide neck opening -- measure a knit top you already own if you want to double check how wide to make it for you personally).


For the faux camisole, simply copy the neckline curve of a tank top you already own and like. Add a bit of length to the straps and draw straight lines down to the bottom edge (make it about as long as C + 5" -- we'll be trimming and fitting all this later). The width of the faux camisole should be slightly wider (maybe 1" to 1-1/2") than the apexes of the bust (measurement E). This is to minimize the visibility of any lines -- if they ran straight over the fullest part of your bust, where the bodice fabric is pulled tighter, the edges of the faux camisole might be more obvious.

NOTE: The second version of my dress was made of a more lightweight knit and so I decided to underline the bodice front pieces and the faux camisole for modesty's sake. My fear was that the edges of the faux camisole would show through the bodice pieces, and I don't want it to be obvious to everyone that I'm wearing a nursing dress! If your fabric is also on the lightweight side, I would recommend underlining as well.

Sewing the bodice

Bind the neckline of the faux camisole. To finish the long edges of the faux camisole, I used my serger but didn't turn under and stitch or anything -- you want this part to be as unobtrusive as possible. Drape the faux camisole on yourself (or your dressform) where you want it to be positioned (fig. 1), and then carefully place the bodice front pieces over it (fig. 2), lining up the top of the bodice front with approximately where your shoulder seam will go (don't forget to allow for seam allowance) and aligning the bottom edges at the middle of your underbust, forming a deep V with the neckline. Pin the straps of the faux camisole in place, then baste in place and trim excess fabric off the straps as needed.


[Sooooo sorry about the horrible iPhone photos! Hopefully you get the idea!]


[Straps of the faux camisole pinned in place after fitting on myself; ready to baste in place.]
Lay out the bodice back piece right side up. On top of this, lay the bodice front (from now on including the faux camisole which has been basted to the right and left pieces) right side down, matching up the shoulders at the neckline. Trim the bodice back as shown below, to line up with the bodice front (it's trimmed on the right side, not yet trimmed on the left). With right sides together, stitch shoulder seams (I would recommend reinforcing these seams with clear elastic or self-fabric strips). Try this on and make sure everything is laying OK, then pinching under your arm, decide how much of an opening to leave for your armhole (my armholes were a total of 16", or 8" down from the shoulder seam).


Next you need to hem the sleeves, and lucky for you I messed up this part so no photos! Just my hastily drawn diagrams, which are probably clearer anyway. :) Laying the bodice flat with the shoulder seam at the top, measure down the desired length of your armhole opening + 1/2". From there, baste (1/2" away from edge of fabric) the side seams together to the bottom of the bodice. Go back to the top of the basting and make a 1/2" snip to the basting stitches (fig. 3).


Then turn the sleeve holes under 1/2" and stitch with your double needle (I used the 2,0 size for arms and neck; 4,0 for skirt hem). Go back to the bottom of your armhole and stitch from the edge of the hemmed sleeve to the bottom of the bodice, curving in about 1-1/2" under the arm and then angling back out to meet edge at the bottom of the bodice (represented by the red stitching line in fig. 4). Trim excess fabric.


Almost done with the bodice, which is definitely the most complex and time-consuming part of the dress! Just turn under the neckline 1/2" and stitch with a twin needle. (It will be a little tricky to turn under the curved back neckline, but just stretch the fabric as needed when you pin in place. I do recommend reinforcing the back neckline with a self-fabric strip or clear elastic as you're stitching it in place.)

Try on the bodice and align the front bodice pieces to meet in the center of the faux camisole under your bust where you want the underbust seam to be. Pin in place, remove bodice, and then baste front bodice pieces to the faux camisole at the underbust line.

Try on the bodice again and wrap a measuring tape or ribbon under your bust, distributing the fullness of the fabric evenly and making sure the side seams run down straight under your arms. Have a helper pin or mark the underbust line for you. Remove bodice, straighten up the markings, add 1/2" seam allowance, and trim excess fabric, making sure your trimming is symmetrical (do this by laying the bodice out flat and matching the side seams, then cutting through both layers of fabric starting from the middle of the bodice front and ending at the middle of the bodice back).


[Back to my awesome iPhone photos! You can see here how I matched the side seams, folding the bodice at the center front and center back, and trimmed about 1/2" below the yellow chalk line.]

Attaching bodice to skirt

With right sides together, pin bodice to skirt top, matching side seams and center front and center back. (If the openings don't quite match perfectly, just stretch the knit slightly until they do -- no big deal.) Baste.

Take a length of 1/8" elastic and run it around your underbust, pulling enough to give some stretch but not uncomfortably so. Cut the elastic with no overlap. Mark the middle of the elastic, then mark the middle of each half. Starting at one of the side seams, pin the elastic over the basting stitches that join the bodice and skirt. Stitch over the elastic and basting stitches as you stretch the elastic so that the three marks align with the center front, opposite side seam, and center back of the bodice (see below). Finish up by stretching the end of the elastic back to the side seam where you started.


Finishing details

Soooo close to being done! Next, with your elastic thread in the bobbin, stitch about 2" of shirring below the underbust seam (you can do more or less depending on whether you are high- or low-waisted). I did eight rows of shirring, each 1/4" apart (see below).


Try on your dress and have your helper mark the hem for you. Trim as needed, then turn up the hem 1" and stitch with a double needle. ALL DONE!

I recently had to convert another batch of bras to nursing bras and I felt I could improve upon my last tutorial, which I made shortly after Edmund was born. Since I posted it, I've had some lovely and excited e-mails from ladies who have found it to be helpful. Janel of Simply Nel told me how she added elastic to the strap and cup to keep it in place, which makes the bra more like a store-bought nursing bra. I thought it was a great idea and I'm sure you'll agree. Here's the revised, and I think, much-improved tutorial!

I started out by ordering three dozen 1/2" nursing bra clasps in beige, black, and white from Sew Sassy. I also ordered 3 yards each of 1/2" plush elastic in those same colors (at the time I placed my order, the strapping elastic in that size was only available in white, so the black and beige finishing elastic that I got has a picot edge trim on one side -- not a big deal.) I figure this should last me through many more years of nursing.


The ubiquitous "T-shirt" bras that have plastic rings above the cups are ideal for this transformation. If this is the type of bra you have, start by unpicking the stitching at the top of the bra cup. (If your bra doesn't have a ring between the cup and the strap, I address that at the end of the tutorial.)


Next, unpick the stitching behind the slider on the strap, where shown.


At the top of the bra cup, slide on the bottom half of the nursing clasp and pin in place. Zig-zag stitch where you previously ripped out the stitching, catching the loop in back. (For all machine sewing involved in this tutorial, I generally stitch, backstitch, and stitch again, for extra strength.)


Take the top of the elastic strap out of the slider, releasing the plastic ring, and slide it through the top of the nursing clasp (making sure it's facing the correct direction). Re-thread the elastic through the slider and re-stitch where you previously unpicked the thread, as shown. (Don't be like me; make sure you're stitching the correct two bits of elastic together. Yes, I had to do some ripping out during the making of this tutorial!)


Next, thread some elastic through the bottom of the top nursing clasp, as shown. (If you are using a plush elastic, make sure the soft side will be facing your skin.) Stitch in place.


Hook the nursing clasp together. (Don't be like me; make sure the strap is not twisted.) Now, this next part is a bit hard to describe, but just use your fingers to guide the elastic down to the bottom of the bra, where the cup meets the back (as shown). Don't stretch the elastic or make it too loose, you just want it to fit the inside of the bra cup. Pin the elastic in place.


On the outside of the bra cup, stitch in the ditch where the elastic is pinned. A zipper foot will be helpful here.


Then go back to the inside of the cup and trim the elastic close to the stitching. Use a little Fray-Check, if you like. All done!


Now, if your bra doesn't have that handy plastic ring, you can still probably convert it. This bra just had a continuous strap from cup to back. First cut the strap about 1" above the cup, then put the bottom half of the nursing clasp on the strap and fold it to the back to create a loop. Stitch in place.


If you don't mind sacrificing some of the length of your bra strap, you can just do likewise to the top part of the strap. However, if you want to keep its maximum length, cut a short length of elastic or ribbon to create a loop. Thread the top of the nursing clasp through the elastic, then sandwich the cut end of the strap between the ends of the elastic loop. Stitch in place, then proceed as in the tutorial above.

I hope you find this useful! I've been "test-driving" the models and they are super-comfortable. I can't feel the elastic inside the cup at all. Vive la breastfeeding! ;-)