Pregnant Elisabeth in Frankie Mae Top

Miss Frankie Mae Top

Elisabeth Breckley Maternity Style Leave a Comment

    • Pattern: Miss Frankie Mae Top  by 1 Puddle Lane
    • Style B – Long Sleeve + Size 10 US/14 AUS
    • Adjustments: 1” added for height, which I do for 99% of patterns.  Cuffs added to sleeves due to preference.
    • Fabric: Burnout sweater knit from Sincerely Rylee Fabrics
    • Pictured at 37 weeks pregnant

Hello – I’m Elisabeth, blogger and sewist at Stitching and Making!  Today I’m sharing my take on the Miss Frankie Mae Top by 1 Puddle Lane.  At 37 weeks pregnant, I’m very interested in tops which are not only flattering now, but in (hopefully) 3 weeks after my baby is born.  I decided on this pattern since it seemed to fit the bill, and I was right – at least for the fitting now part. 🙂

Using sweater knit was an easy choice, since it is winter here in Chicago.  Of course the burnout aspect of this particular knit is not exceptionally warm, but it still feels wintery enough to me and is comfortable indoors.  I also went with sweater knit because it is very stretchy, which I hoped would help accommodate my bump since this top is not specifically maternity.  It easily fits with no issues!

I love that this top is just a little different than the standard swing style shirt.  I’m not always a fan of asymmetrical details, but for some reason I think it works really well here.  Also, I like that the back is two separate pieces; sometimes I need a swayback adjustment, but I do not need one with this top.  I’ll certainly be sewing more of these after my pregnancy as well.

In term of adjustments I did make, I added 1” in the bodice and sleeves due to my height (I am 5’8”).  I do this to most patterns so it is a very standard adjustment for me regardless of pregnancy. I also added cuffs to the sleeves because I prefer the feel of cuffs vs. hemming there.  Also this meant that the top could be constructed solely on my serger which is a nice bonus! Working with fiddly burnout like this isn’t easy on my sewing machine. I chose not to hem the bottom because the burnout curls nicely on the edge for a more relaxed look.

Since my pregnancy size (which I made here) is roughly 2 sizes larger than my pre-pregnancy size, I noticed that the sleeves are a bit wide for my taste.  If I wasn’t pregnant and had made the smaller size, I don’t think this would have been an issue. So in the future if I make this size again I will likely grade to the smaller size for the sleeve width.  But it isn’t a huge deal either way. I may chop these off into short sleeve for the summer anyway.

The only real “downside” to this pattern is that it isn’t 100% nursing friendly, if you plan to nurse after baby is born.  Pulling down the neckline doesn’t work well with this fabric choice, but lifting up would be fine. Or making the change to lower the neckline would work as well.

That’s about it!  I’d certainly recommend this pattern, as it clearly fits me quite well even this late into the game.  I would consider that a winner!

Chime in!