Make Maternity Pants from Pants

I am the world's laziest and most amateur sewer.  I had one of those wild, pregnancy, nesting, I can do anything moments and I made my own maternity pants out of a pair of pants I already had in my closet.  I mostly wear skirts in the summer and when I'm pregnant but a pair of khaki pants are a good stand by.  I took a million photos to try and show you how I did it.  Click on any of the photos for a closer look.

I put on a pair of pants one size larger than my pre-pregnancy size and while I was wearing them I stood in front of the mirror and drew a line under my belly--yes I wrote on my pants with an ink pen, I didn't have a fancy disappearing ink pen like a real seamstress.  You can see the pen marks in the photo above.

Then I measured my favorite pair of maternity jeans from the top inseam point (i.e. the crotch) to the top of the waist band.  You will use this measurement to see how large to make the panel.  What, huh?  Just keep looking at the photos, it will might all make sense.

 Cut out the zipper as close to the zipper as possible.  

Sew the fly closed.

Have lots of help from cute kiddos and a really messy craft table with hardly any room to work.

Have your husband come and rescue the kiddos when you start to really think through how in the world you are going to get this sewing project to work out.

Cut the extra fabric out just above the pen markings and don't panic...these pants are trash now anyway if this thing doesn't work!

Find a stretchy tank top/camisole you don't wear and use it for the panel.

Turn it upside down, right side out.

Pin and sew starting from the front and working all the way around the back and stop at the front.  Huh?  Just look at the pictures and try to understand how a lazy, amateur sewer makes it all happen.

 Admire the back and how nice it looks.

Now, try and figure out how you are going to get the front to look as nice.

Pinch, fold, contort, pin and shove through your Target sewing machine.

 Admire the front with amazement.

Try on and smile with no make-up and a messy table in the background.

I did it--I made maternity pants out of pants. 

I am linking to Works For Me Wednesday, even though I wasn't completely sure when I started this project that it would work!