Maternity Style: Goldilegs Jeggings

Specs:

• Pattern: Goldilegs Jeggings by Stitch Upon A Time
• Skinny leg, Size XL
• Adjustments: 8 inches off length, 1 inch scooped out of lower belly
• Fabric: Cotton jersey and stretch denim
• Pictured at 21 weeks pregnant

Okay, friends. I decided a while ago that I would not buy any maternity clothes because they tend to be cheaply made and not at all my style. I wore holes through the thighs of all of my maternity pants the first time around, so my first order of business was to make comfy, work-appropriate pants.

I am a teacher and work in a semi-casual setting. My typical style is skinny jeans and a tunic or long sweater, so the narrow-leg Stitch Upon a Time Goldilegs jegging seemed perfect. I’ve still never really successfully made my own pants, so jeggings felt like a good gateway bottom to attempt.
I muslin-ed my first pair in powder blue corduroy from Blackbird. While the fabric is beautiful, I forgot how awful wide-wale cords look on my legs and how really not suited it was to a skinny-legged pant. It worked out okay, however, as I had a ton of fit-adjustments to make and the pants were never going to be wearable anyway.

For my two “good copy” pairs, I used stretch denim in black and indigo from Blackbird. Both had just enough stretch for the pattern and I was a little worried about fit. I cut an XL according to my measurements, and fit just fine. I actually think I would cut a size smaller if I were to make them again.

I am pretty short (5’2”) and knew I would need to shorten the pants. And boy did I! If you are tall, do not worry about lengthening this pattern. I shortened by two inches in the thigh, two inches in the calf/shin and took two inches off the maternity band (for a total of four inches off the height measurement when cutting). I still had to chop off two inches at the hem later. (I took a total of eight inches off the length, if you are keeping track).

I also decided to scoop out an extra inch in the front belly area. These jeggings have a high-rise as far as maternity pants go. Even with my extra inch in the front, the denim comes up over my belly. As a result, I find that the pants slide down more than other maternity pants I have worn. If I were to make these again, I would scoop out another two inches of the front belly (and would probably have to sacrifice the fly altogether) so that the denim sat below my bump. If you do this, I recommend adding extra length to you maternity belly band in the front so it comes up over your belly still. This means that you would no longer cut out a straight rectangle in jersey, but a sort of lemon shape with a curve to account for belly volume.

In my third, black pair, I tapered the ankle slightly. This pattern comes in a flare and straight leg, but I prefer my jeans skinny. I trimmed off a half inch on each side of both front and back pieces (for a total of two inches off the whole circumference) and graded it back out to the side over three inches of length.

The instructions for this pattern were comprehensive and super simple to understand. Even if you have never made pants before, you shouldn’t have any trouble putting these together. While these pants look like jeans, they are crazy fast to whip up. By my third pair, I didn’t have to look at the tutorial anymore and sewed the jeggings up in about five hours, from beginning to end.