We are often asked in our Facebook Group for tips, suggestions, or hacks for modifying patterns for maternity. We are so excited to share our newest release, Women’s Corinne Maternity Add-On, and how it can be used to modify any of our patterns for maternity! This pattern is available in our extended Grey-Navy sizing, but it will work for those patterns that only went up to size Red as well!
First, pick up your Women’s Corinne Maternity Add-On here. This add-on includes a sleeved front bodice piece and a sleeveless front bodice piece. You’ll use whichever bodice corresponds to the pattern you are using or the options you have selected from that pattern. For example, if you are modifying the Women’s Tess pattern, but are making the sleeveless version, you’ll use the sleeveless front bodice piece. If you are modifying the Women’s Pepper pattern, you will use the sleeved front bodice piece. Print, tape, and cut out your front bodice piece in your measured size (As noted in the tutorial, maternity sizes are chosen based on upper bust and full bust. You don’t need to measure or grade for your waist. You can choose to grade in or out for your hips if you prefer.).
Next, you will cut (or fold, so that you can re-use this piece) straight across the front bodice at the armscye, as shown below. The bottom portion will be your modification piece. You can throw away the top portion or save it for use in the future!
Print, tape, and cut out the pattern you would like to modify for maternity. Again, choose your size based on your upper bust and full bust, disregarding the waist measurement. For this example, I’ll be showing both Women’s Tess (left) and Women’s Pepper (right).
Lay the pattern you’re modifying out in front of you. Place the Corinne maternity add-on on top, aligning at the armscye, as shown below. The pattern being modified (in these examples, Tess and Pepper) is in white below, with the maternity add-on in gray. Note that I’ve aligned the sleeveless maternity bodice with the sleeveless armscye cutline on Women’s Tess.
Measure the difference between the hemmed top length on the pattern you are modifying and the hemmed top length on the Women’s Corinne, as shown below.
Add this amount to the pattern you are modifying. To add the length, simply cut straight across your pattern piece, then spread the pieces apart the necessary amount. Trace your new pattern piece with the added length. This is shown in red in the last photo below.Β Tip: I like to add this around the waist area so that I’m maintaining the intended lines of the original pattern.
Place the maternity add-on on top of the now lengthened pattern, aligning at the armscye. Trace along the neckline and armscye of the original pattern, then trace the maternity add-on along the side seam, finally tracing along the hem and center seam of the original pattern. Smooth any “bumps” along the side seam where you mashed the two patterns so that the transitions are smooth. Don’t forget to transfer your notches to the new piece!
Finally, use the instructions included in the Women’s Corinne Maternity Add-On to add the elastic. You will treat this as the front bodice as you follow the construction steps in the tutorial of the pattern you modified!
Nicole has been testing for us for quite some time, and we were so excited she could continue to wear our patterns during her pregnancy as well! She used the Corinne Maternity Add-On to modify Women’s Ava (green) and Women’s Pepper (red) for maternity. Isn’t she absolutely stunning?!
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