3rd Place - Angela Coffman, Missouri

I stitched the ankle length, long sleeved version of Nursing Classics #104 from 60" wide white cotton knit. The fabric has tiny lacy tucks knitted into the pattern. I used scrap lace and elastic from other sewing projects which brought the total cost of my nightgown to less that $5.00 It was also so easy to sew that I finished it in one day (in between dishes, laundry and reading stories to my 2 year old daughter, Heidi of course).

The finished gown reminds me of the feminine, lacy gowns in the movie "Little Women". My favorite feature of the gown is the secure nursing openings. I have several store bought gowns and they gap open when I sit or stand. Your pattern has the necessary fabric allowed in the front of the gown to keep the openings secure. The openings are also in a better place. My store bought gowns have openings that are too low and too near the center to nurse easily, especially when lying down. This gown is just perfect. I will never buy a nursing gown again.

I have sewed from several of your patterns making 3 dresses, a berber coat, an nursing sling and lots of T-shirts. All of your patterns have been fabulous and your sewing guides are like having a close friend there to teach me little tricks to great sewing. Sometimes I have laughed aloud when reading your encouragements. -- they were just what I needed!

4th Place - Natisha Harr, Texas

This entry came from a very beginner seamstress so we thought it might inspire you to get started yourself! Hope you enjoy what she has created! This was my very first sewing project and very first nursing project. It is a 307/207 combo dress with side openings for nursing access. I stayed up all night finishing my dress and my girls dresses so we could wear them to church for Easter Sunday service. This one was the hardest for me, because it was my first. It was really easy once I figured out what to do.

This is a combo of the 107/207/307. It is a dress with the top layer that lifts up for side openings. It has a belt in the back to bring in the fullness. I made my baby a dress with the left over material so we could match. When ever we wear the dresses everyone says how cute it looks because we

This is my third nursing dress that I have made and my very favorite. This floral print dress is fashioned from Nursing Classics #204. I fell in love with the material and knew I wanted to use it on a really flattering pattern and one that I knew I would like a lot. I chose to make it for Mother's Day 2002 and stayed up all night finishing it so I could wear it proudly to church on Mother's Day. The first photo is a picture of me and my four kids. Even though the 204 was a little more complicated than the others, I enjoyed making it because it felt good when I was able to understand the instructions and it looked right after I did it. It was really very easy to follow the instructions, even for someone like me who has a very hard time understanding what is supposed to be done. The ELD patterns are very easy for me to understand. And the support system on here and at NMSL helped a great deal with all three of the dresses I have made. This dress is wonderful for aking you look slimmer, with the tie in the back that draws in the extra material, and the nursing access is very easy to use. I love the full skirt. It make you feel like a little girl again in your twirly dress.

This is a picture of the purple nursing shirt I made from the NC#207 with the tulip front view.

5th Place - Rebecca Tabitha Daniel, Michigan

Wow.... I love your patterns! I first came to know about your patterns about 2 years ago. I'm slowly building up a new nursing wardrobe with my second baby. I've had to scrap most of my nursing clothes (which were from retail stores) from my first daughter. After 2 ½ years of nursing Hannah, my nursing clothes needed to be buried! Also, I have a longer torso so most retail nursing clothes just don't fit ( nursing slits are always too short or too high up). It's so nice being able to make my own clothes and have nursing accesses exactly where I want and need them.

I've fallen in love with ELD pattern #207. It's so much fun sewing the tulip style front of view #1. I fits made a shirt in this style (size medium) while I was still pregnant. I didn't expect to need a bigger size across the bustline and did to my surprise. I then made this same view in a large, and in a dress. I love both of them! he smaller size shirt is more snug and gives and tighter look, and the bigger size dress feels like I'm wearing comfy pj's all day!

After church one Sunday, my husband took pictures of the girls and me in our yard. I am wearing the dress made from pattern #207 view. I chose to make the dress a longer length and used the extra pattern piece you provide for that. I also used the feature to add the extra fabric to cover the nursing slits. I try to nurse as discreetly as possible and liked having the extra assurance that I wouldn't be exposed as much whether during nursing or if a panel happened to be lifted up. The dress cost me about $12.00 to sew. This dress is my favorite by far! It is roomy and provided much movement ease. Since I'm still holding on to the last 20 lbs of my pregnancy weight, it's nice having a comfortable dress to wear. I made the dress out of a beautiful cotton knit - a brown background with roses outlined in black and red roses throughout. My husband even complemented me on the fabric.

Throughout my pregnancy with Abigail, your patterns were a good source of therapeutic relaxation. Just being able to sew and focus my thoughts on one thing worked wonders for me. Early in my pregnancy with Abigail, I was diagnosed with complete placenta previa. Many other things happened in my life that were stressful and I found solitude in sewing. It was my release. If I could get a few moments alone, I wasn't too tired, I'd sew a little at a time. I had to pace myself because my body demanded a lot of rest. I only made a few shirts. Tim told me I was nesting each time he saw me at the sewing machine (which by the way, lays claim to the dining room table).

See how easy it is to nurse discreetly with this pattern!

In my 3rd trimester, the cpp completed moved! It was an answer to much prayer. With all that was on my plate, I needed a release somewhere. The Lord chose that release to be with my baby. Each child is special in their own way. The beautiful natural birth we had with Abigail and being able to do kangaroo care and nurse immediately was all I needed to heal from the last year's stresses.

I love nursing. I feel so good about it. To me it feels wonderful and more meaningful having nursing clothes made my own hands to wear at such wonderful and intimate moments with my baby. I'll keep these clothes forever ( call me nuts if you want) because they are part of me.

I have a table filled with fabric in my living room. I keep adding sale fabrics to my collection and already have an ELD style/pattern picked out for each fabric. I'm enjoying my new nursing clothes and am excited about sewing more! Keep the wonderful patterns coming.