This weeks Crafty Bloggers' Club post is from Abi.  You can find more of her makes on Instagram @sewingatnumber51

Hey everyone I’m Abi from @sewingatnumber51. I used to love visiting Crafty Sew and So in St Martins Square Leicester as they are one of my local fabric shops and they have always had such beautiful fabrics that I can’t resist so I was really excited that Kim asked me to be a part of the Crafty Bloggers Club. When I told her I was pregnant she suggested that I could adapt the Crafty Sew and So Pintuck Cami. This is a pattern I have had my eye on for a while, a cami top is such a stapple wardrobe piece.

I chose the most gorgeous Hepburn Red Floral Viscose Poplin from their website and I absolutely love how soft it is. I chose to make it in a viscose as it is nice and light and as I’m due in August I will need maternity clothes that are light and easy!

Whilst talking to Kim we agreed I would hack the cami into a maternity top and make it into more of a tunic length to cover my bump and to pair with leggings (the only thing that I can wear comfortably right now!)

To begin I traced the pattern off and measured as a small, then I altered the front and back pieces. To create this into a maternity top I swung the front pattern piece out more to create more of a swing over my bump. As the pattern is A-lined anyway it is a really easy pattern to alter for maternity wear. For the back pattern piece I just traced off the curve down the side seam edge to create a straighter line (remove the shaping.) I then just added 20cm to the hem of the front and back pattern pieces to create a more tunic length top.

Now to get started on the pattern and the first thing is to accurately trace off the notches for the pintucks at the front. Obviously it is so important to get the notches right so that the pintucks are symmetrical and neat. It has been many years since I have done a pintuck but Crafty Sew and So have a great blog tutorial that was so easy to follow and helped me create mine. I did originally plan to sew them in a matching red thread however I decided to create an extra feature of the pintucks and sew them in contrasting black thread to accent the black in the print. This decision then meant topstitching them was a nervy moment, luckily they sat lovely and some careful pressing out I was really pleased.

The rest of the cami top was simple: joining the side seams on the top and the facing, sewing up the straps and turning them through (a great tip I have for turning things like this through is to tack some string or thin rope to one end, dangle it down the inside of the tube and then gently pull through.) Next you just need to attach all of these together along the neckline and press out for a nice clean edge.

Finally, it is time to hem. I rolled and pinned the hem and went along this time in a matching red thread so this would blend into the fabric.

Here is the final garment, my lovely hacked pintuck cami into a tunic. This piece is such a staple wardrobe outfit and was so quick and easy to sew.

You can dress this up or down I paired it up with a light cardigan and my trusty leggings as it was a chilly day when I took these photos.

I love the pintuck feature on this pattern, it adds such a nice detail (and a little sewing challenge.) I also love the versatility of this pattern as you can sew one up in a cotton poplin or lawn for a more casual top, a viscose or even a nice satin to make it more of a dressy top.

This is going to be a great asset to my maternity wardrobe, I have a few more in the pipeline as they will be great post-partum as well. After reflecting on this top, I also thought how it can be easily adapted to be nursing friendly. As you sew the straps in as separate pattern pieces, you could add in some hooks on the ends instead of sewing the straps into the facing making for easy access.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post, I have loved this blog project and I hope you have too.

Take care, Abs and bump x

* If you would like to be part of the Crafty Bloggers' Club, click on this link and get in touch!    https://craftysewandso.com/pages/crafty-bloggers-club

“Crafty Bloggers' Club Contributors are given products and materials to test from Crafty Sew & So. We hope you enjoy their honest and impartial reviews of the products. All opinions are their own.”