quick criss cross maternity top diy

This top is a very practical and pretty shirt for the growing belly. As your belly expands the shirt will grow with you! I love the swingness to the front and the surprise opening to the back. And when you are all done with being pregnant, just take in the sides a few inches by tapering it less from the armholes and you have a tighter swing to the top! The top just keeps on giving.

Supplies:

1.5-2 yards of anything from stiff to flowy fabric (more flowy is preferably)

another top to mimic, one you like the fit of that is the same fabric as the fabric you are using.

scissors

pins

sewing machine

thread

fabric chalk or pen

Instructions:

1. Lay and trace a shirt that you like the fit of in the shoulders and arms area on top of your fabric or paper first, make sure the shirt is made up of the same material as your fabric. Make sure to trace the armholes and the sleeves as accurately as you can. After tracing just the front of the shirt, taper slightly outwards from the bottom of the armhole down to the bottom of the shirt (make it whatever length you want), like the picture. Cut out the sleeves and front of the shirt. Measure the armholes and make sure they are the same length before you cut.

2. When cutting out the back, take the newly cut front piece and trace it onto the fabric. Add a slight curve from the edge of neckline almost where it meets the shoulder to the bottom of the shirt, like the middle picture below, make two.

3. Pin and sew the front and back pieces together at the side seams and the shoulder seams, right sides together. also sew together the little section's edge of where the back pieces meet at the neckline.

4. Hem the shirt an eighth or quarter of an inch and again, leaving the hem little so it can curve nice and flat around the edges starting at the top of one of the curved pieces, down and around to the front and back up to the other curved piece.

5. Cut out the sleeves by mimicking it from the picture below, and making sure it is as wide as your shoulders (biceps area) at the top points and your lower arm at the lower points. Make sure the curve at the top will measure as wide as the sleeve opening. Try on the sleeve before you sew it on. If you are uncomfortable with sleeves try this tutorial HERE instead.

6. Sew the sleeve’s seams closed, making two tubes. Then hem the bottoms of the sleeves by folding a quarter of an inch under then a half inch. You don't have to do that exactly, but something similar.

7. Attach the curved openings of the sleeves to the armholes, pinning right sides together by placing the sleeve turned right side out into the shirt that is inside out. Pin first to make sure the openings are close to the same size. If anything the sleeve opening can be bigger and you can gather it a little at the top of the sleeve where the high curve is. Sew.

8. Here is how to make and attach the neckline HERE. If you want to make it even more simple but less professional finish, just fold under quarter inch and sew. Keep it it little so it easily makes it around the curves.

9. Finish off the neckline by folding it over, inside and topstitching it down into place.

**And when you are all done with being pregnant, just take in the sides a few inches by tapering it less from the armholes and you have a tighter swing to the top!