RTW to Maternity Jeans Hack

Early in my pregnancy, I scoured the internet for maternity hacks on RTW garments. There are a lot of tutorials out there, especially for jeans. However, I quickly realized that most were not going to work for me. So, I simply decided that maternity jeans would be one of the RTW investments I made.

Fast forward to now, when the weather is getting cooler, my belly is getting larger and I'm wanting some comfy jeans for the weekends. After one very disappointing jeans shopping excursion (ie: $210 for glorified jeggings??? um, no), I decided that perhaps a hack was indeed the way to go.

So, I took one pair of broken in jeans that I didn't feel too bad about chopping up since they were nearing the end of their lifespan...

And I added a jersey panel in the front...

And back... 

Now, I would not call the following a tutorial - I neither wrote up instructions nor photographed what I did step by step. This method is simply what seemed like common sense to me to do, and please feel free to make suggestions on what could be done better or differently.

First, I removed the waistband. Then I put the jeans on (unzipped) and basically traced from one side seam to the other, dipping around my bump with tailor's chalk. I  trued the line with a curved ruler and then drew a second line about 1/2 inch above the first for a seam allowance. Then I cut the bump piece out.

Next, I used that cut out piece to create a pattern piece, adding several inches (6 or so) to the top, so that the band would come up to the point where my belly begins to narrow.  I also cut a back band - I made it a bit smaller than the width of the back waistband I was replacing to account for the stretchy jersey.

Jeans piece and pattern piece

Then I used my pattern pieces to cut two fronts and two backs out of stretchy jersey so that my band is two layers thick. That way I can wear the band up over my belly or folded over.

Lastly, I simply serged the band pieces together at the side seams and top, flipped right side out and serged the whole thing into the jeans.

Here you can see it with the maternity panel folded over...

I do have a few complaints with my own hack, in particular, and maternity jeans, in general. They don't really stay up very well. Knit fabric really isn't particularly equipped to hold up denim, and the lack of a fly/waistband that sits on a narrower waist above wider hips really makes an impossible situation for the jeans staying put. I never realized what a bum deal men get with no waist to anchor pants in place. So, I feel like, if it was not for how wide a band I made, I'd be in danger of a plumbers' crack incident. I may try putting elastic in the top, but I don't know how much it will help.

Second, hacking jeans that fit closely before pregnancy is going to be problematic once a woman's hips begin to spread during pregnancy, usually beginning as early as 12 weeks. These were my broken-in, looser fit, wear-around-the-house jeans. They are definitely a bit more snug through the bum and hip than they were. This, actually, is one of the reasons I found a lot of the hacks on the internet not really appropriate for me since a lot of them don't take into account making room for anything but a growing belly.

All that aside, I will get some weekend wear out of these, and I may or may not chop up a pair of skinny jeans. We'll see if I need or want them in the next few weeks.

I know, I know. Still not looking all that bump-ish, am I? And this was taken just on Sunday. Phin was teasing me about underachieving in the bump department at the moment this was taken. But I still kind of love this picture for some reason.