Nursing Dress Adventure (for sure)!

      So I wrote this post while I was expecting but was a little leery about publishing it before I actually tried it and it actually works!! It was extremely simple and zero hassle....

-the inexperienced 2 week nursing mother

     

        As maternity clothes wearing comes to close for me a new chapter begins- nursing approved clothing... I'm not sure which will be more challenging. I love wearing dresses, especially ones that have boat necks so I knew that wouldn't last with nursing.....or perhaps it can??? I found this adorable dress from Sweet Mommy-  and just thought the entire concept was the most amazing idea ever!!! Why can't Americans be as ingenious as the Europeans(or anyone else in the world!)

It is simply 2 invisible zippers in the princess seams!!!!

I really just didn't want three million knit crisscross dresses. So I spent a lot of time trying to figure how how they make it work and see if I could construct my own dress for way less the cost. I began by going through all our patterns in search of a dress with princess seams. I found this New Look pattern that looked practically the same

I cut out a little larger size than I would normally to make room for the two invisible zippers. I used regular zippers from JoAnn's but then realized they were a little stiff, wearable, but stiff non the less. I found Zipper Shipper mesh zippers....they are headed my way and I will try them on the next dress. update-This mesh zipper is much more pliable than your normal zipper, I will use the mesh zippers for the princess seams and regular for the back seam. So I began by cutting out the fabric (what a surprise right?)

As you can see I did shorten the bodice a bit I believe 1.5" just to be a little forgiving with a after baby look. I must admit it is a bit of a challenge creating a non maternity dress and in your 3rd trimester ;) 

This is where I added in the zippers before doing anything else

 So I began by just pinning and make sure your zipper IS upside down you definitely don't want the zipper tabs to be at the top while closed(you want it to hide under the dress tie when completed) Update- I did do it a little differently on my following dress making the lining first, in order that the bodice could be lined. Here are a few pictures showing how to line it then add the zippers

So you can see that the top is already lined I simply am sewing the princess seams and my zippers are in the princess seams

By the way these mesh zippers are AMAZING and much easier to use! I highly recommend them!

Then I sewed the shoulder seams- be sure to clip the edges to ensure as little bulk as possible where the zippers are-

Ta-da!!!!!!

Can you even tell there are zippers there?!?!?! 

Then I added the skirt and it is a pleated skirt I didn't follow the pattern for the pleats and simply added one pleat under each zipper(to help distract from the pp tummy) and in the back one under each dart(in the back)

Now since this was my first try and no sleeves were added so I plan on wearing a light sweater I didn't mind if the zippers on this one puckered a little. 

The finished tie is 70" long and 3" wide.  

I wore one on Easter and it was great!