A MATERNITY TOP EXPERIMENT...

...I made a maternity tee shirt for a co-worker who is also a very good friend.   I've loved  Megan Neilsen's ruched maternity shirt - (MN1006) since it debuted - I always thought it was so very cute.  So when my friend announced she was expecting, I really wanted her to have one of them.

Besides, I was really interested in knowing more about the anatomy of Neilson's unconventional maternity top; i.e., how the pattern's design accommodates a baby bump since it's really just a tee shirt.  Curiosity got the best of me, so I sprang for the cost of the pattern, (found it on sale at nancysnotions.com in case anybody's interested.)  I choose a light weight cheetah or leopard  print (never can distinguish the difference) because I thought it would make a jazzy maternity top.  Although the print is pretty, this was not a great fabric choice.  It's the type of fabric that sticks to itself making it difficult to manipulate - sort of like constant static cling ughhh; and random cut thread is attracted to it - like a magnetic double ughhh.  I went ahead and finished the top, despite the quality of the fabric, to enable me to check the fit when I see her.  I'll tell her that she can use it as a clingy PJ top while I choose another fabric for the post fit version.

See how the sleeves are stuck to themselves???  I hate fabric like that, but didn't pay close enough attention to that when I selected it.

Of course I tried on the clingy top - just to see how it would fit.  Mmmmm, I not sure, but I might need to go up a size or two with the next one; and maybe make the neckline a little narrower. . .