Elizabeth Lee Designs - Planning your Nursing Wardrobe

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Planning your Nursing Wardrobe

Planning and sewing your nursing wardrobe and can be an exciting adventure! With an average ready made nursing dress costing anywhere from $80 and up, the cost of wardrobe can be very prohibitive for a new family already stressed with the added expenses of providing all the basics for a new baby Unfortunately, a new mother's wardrobe often ends up being on the lower end of the list of priorities. One of the most important things that will help you bounce back and feel good about yourself after the birth of a baby is a great basic wardrobe that fits well and is flattering to your new figure. Sewing it your self can help you save money. By planning fabric purchases around sales and by investing in a few basic patterns, your dollars will stretch a long way! You can also add your own creative touches, selecting the fabric and accessories to give you an outfit that is truly your own! Nursing Classics and Babe Too! patterns are designed to help you create a beautiful and functional wardrobe designed for this special time in your life. To help plan your wardrobe, we have included a few suggestions. Hope they help!

1. Analyze your needs. This is an important first step... Ask yourself a few basic questions. What is my lifestyle? Will I be a working mom or a stay at home mom? Do I travel a lot? What type of situations will I be in where I might want a nursing outfit? In asking these questions you can really discover your own needs and then gear your wardrobe to these situations.

2. Make a list based on your needs. This is the fun part! Don't limit yourself just write down everything you wish you could have if you had unlimited time and money! Think of casual situations, dressy situations, work clothing, nightgowns etc... Once you have your "master list" highlight the items that are the most important to you and you can work towards sewing those items first! Buy your patterns first and then try to sew 1-2 items per month as your budget allows! Before you know it, you will have the nursing wardrobe of your dreams! If you are planning on more children, the nursing clothing you make now will be a great foundation for years to come! Here are our basic suggestions:

Make 3-5 casual tops.
Everybody needs clothing to "bop" around in! I live in jeans and T-shirts, so #107 (also, available Ready-Made) and #207 are my favorites. If you like an oversized look with leggings or slim pants, #110 or #207 is great! #205 is a great new classic that is perfect for all seasons.

Make at least one dressy dress.
Even if you think you never go anywhere dressy, the purpose of a well planned wardrobe is to make sure you have whatever clothing you need to go anywhere and do anything! You never know when you'll need to dress up... and our dresses make it so easy to take baby along and look great at the same time! When you go out in public it is even more important to have the convenience of nursing clothing! My personal favorite is #108, made in a nice fabric. #109 is beautiful on almost any figure type. #101 looks great with suits. #106 is very professional looking! #203 or #204 can be very elegant when fashioned from dressy fabrics. Nettie can also be a good choice.

Make at least one casual dress.
Sometimes you need to wear a dress, but you don't want to look too dressed up! Almost all of our dress patterns can look dressy or casual depending on the fabric you choose. We suggest #108, #203, #204 or #207 in the dress length. If you like sundresses, try #105, #204 or Deb for easy fitting styling.

Make a swimsuit and a cover up.
Even though this is probably not something you will need everyday, there is nothing worse than having the opportunity to do something fun and missing out because you didn't have the right clothes on hand. Sure you can swim in a regular swimsuit, but if you ever have to nurse your baby, you'll be so glad you had this one all made and ready to go!

Make one or two nightgowns.
Our favorite is #104 because it is so easy to make, so easy to nurse in, so comfortable and SO pretty, but #105, Deb, Val and Alma are all great choices. When you have a new baby, sometimes it is just too much effort to get dressed in the mornings... and these will all keep you comfortable even if unexpected company drops over.

Make a baby sling. It is great for public nursing!

3. Pick some basic colors to work with! Few People think far enough in advance to plan a color scheme, but if you really want to coordinate your wardrobe, pick a few colors to work with and then plan everything to work with those colors. Look through your current wardrobe and see what jackets, skirts, etc. you already have. An ideal wardrobe blends in with your life-style and your own personal tastes. By choosing colors that compliment your current wardrobe, you will find it easy to mix and match your jackets and accessories without having to make a major investment to accessorize your nursing clothing.

4. Get started sewing your wardrobe! Once you have made your plans, decide what patterns will work best for you! Order your patterns now so you'll be able to get started immediately! If possible, it really helps to sew BEFORE your baby arrives. By taking advantage of our bonus pattern program, you can get all the patterns you need for less than the price of ONE ready made shirt! Get a little notebook and write down your wardrobe plan as well as yardage information etc. Glue fabric swatches in it so you can match colors when you get in the store! Buy your fabric and start sewing! You'll be able to nurse your baby everywhere you go!

These are our suggestions for a BASIC NURSING WARDROBE! Once you have made the "basics" you can expand your nursing wardrobe to provide enough clothing to truly fit every situation you might experience.

Special Needs:
Working Moms: You can plan your wardrobe depending on your work environment.. casual or dressy! Many of our patterns work well with jackets and can be dressed up or down to work great in any situation. Our suggestion: 5 nice tops or blouses "just for work" that coordinate with separates you already have in your wardrobe! Patterns that work well: #101, #106, #107, #207, #108, #109, #110, #204, #205. You can also use these patterns to make dresses if they are appropriate.

Buy any four Nursing Classics or Babe Too! patterns and get your fifth pattern FREE!

	Make 3-5 casual tops. Everybody needs clothing to "bop" around in! I live in jeans and T-shirts, so #107 (also, available Ready-Made) and #207 are my favorites. If you like an oversized look with leggings or slim pants, #110 or #207 is great! #205 is a great new classic that is perfect for all seasons.
	Make at least one dressy dress. Even if you think you never go anywhere dressy, the purpose of a well planned wardrobe is to make sure you have whatever clothing you need to go anywhere and do anything! You never know when you'll need to dress up... and our dresses make it so easy to take baby along and look great at the same time! When you go out in public it is even more important to have the convenience of nursing clothing! My personal favorite is #108, made in a nice fabric. #109 is beautiful on almost any figure type. #101 looks great with suits. #106 is very professional looking! #203 or #204 can be very elegant when fashioned from dressy fabrics. Nettie can also be a good choice.
	Make at least one casual dress. Sometimes you need to wear a dress, but you don't want to look too dressed up! Almost all of our dress patterns can look dressy or casual depending on the fabric you choose. We suggest #108, #203, #204 or #207 in the dress length. If you like sundresses, try #105, #204 or Deb for easy fitting styling.
	Make a swimsuit and a cover up. Even though this is probably not something you will need everyday, there is nothing worse than having the opportunity to do something fun and missing out because you didn't have the right clothes on hand. Sure you can swim in a regular swimsuit, but if you ever have to nurse your baby, you'll be so glad you had this one all made and ready to go!
	Make one or two nightgowns. Our favorite is #104 because it is so easy to make, so easy to nurse in, so comfortable and SO pretty, but #105, Deb, Val and Alma are all great choices. When you have a new baby, sometimes it is just too much effort to get dressed in the mornings... and these will all keep you comfortable even if unexpected company drops over.
	Make a baby sling. It is great for public nursing!