Floral Maternity Sash [S.O.P. Series]

Here’s the deal.  There aren’t many days that I feel content with my body, or well put together, or get anywhere near the feeling of being “lovely”.  My usual look is wedging clothes on that kind of fit my little torpedo belly, showering is definitely optional, and I generally have traces of yesterday’s mascara trailing my eyes.  Having young children with a busy schedule and being pregnant means I am in survival mode.  I’ve never been much of a girlie girl, nor a coordinating outfit fiend, and frankly the idea of going shopping with the girls at the mall for outfits is torture.

 

As this is my fourth pregnancy, and hopefully our third baby, this will be my last chance to capture pregnancy in photographs.  For our first pregnancy with Quincy, I was dutiful in weekly pictures and put together The White T-shirt Experiment to track my growing belly.  Similarly, when I was pregnant with Eloise, my Brother vs. Belly Battle series was a way to show big brother’s growth alongside my second pregnant belly.  After the loss of our third pregnancy – one that I had taken belly photos of and had plotted similar fun projects to show growth – my perspective changed on tracking every moment of growth.  Here I am now in pregnancy number four – one we have called the H-G Hope Baby – and I’ve hardly taken any belly shots.  Documenting my body’s changes, or symptoms, or cravings, or anything could just be jinxing a good thing.  Miscarriage still haunts me, though the pain is greatly lessened from its original rawness, but it has kept me camera shy and not wanting to record much of the details of the pregnancy, lest I have to mourn those details in the case of another loss.

 

You’re probably wondering now – but what’s this about a maternity sash?  People that found this link through Pinterest or Ravelry are like, “Come ON!  Get to the pattern already!”  Well, I needed to share why this sash is so important, not just the how of making it, and also why the photos associated with this sash and dress mean so very much to me.  Daily Maggie is anything less than lovely, and feels run down and broken some times with the weight of so many responsibilities.  So this little sash I made is a thing of beauty; something that makes me feel lovely amidst the worn down days that are less than lovely.  And the lacey gown I made to wear for photos is me saying that it’s finally okay to celebrate this pregnancy.  So there you go: this post is more than just a simple pattern to make something beautiful – it’s a reason to celebrate beauty despite past grief.  I hope it brings joy to you or to whomever wears it, because that’s what it has done for me.

 

 

A huge THANK YOU goes out to my friend Samantha for capturing moments where I felt lovely and strong and content with where life has landed me.  You can find her photos and projects on her Facebook Page called Adventures of a Tattooed Mermaid, and I highly recommend you book her for a session if you are local to West Michigan.

 

 

 

FLORAL MATERNITY SASH

Materials

• Fine Hemp or Twine Cord (about 15-25 yards)
• Worsted Weight Yarn (various colors for the flowers)
• Crochet Hook Size J
• Button (for the sash closure)
• Darning Needle (for weaving in ends)

 

Abbreviations

• r = row
• ch = chain
• st = stitch
• sl st = slip stitch
• sc = single crochet

 

Hemp Cord/Twine Note

I chose to use a coarser hemp cord because of its stiffness. Often times with soft yarn, it doesn’t work as well as a belt or sash because it stretches too much and will twist and turn as it pleases. It makes a big difference using a stiff cord that won’t stretch a lot and will remain in place like a proper belt.

 

Sizing Note

The sash is meant to rest above your belly, right below your boobs. As every belly is different, the sizing can vary greatly depending on if you’re carrying low, or high, etc. Simply measure around that above-belly-between-boobs spot to find the circumference, and then keep measuring your beginning set of chains to try to get it as close as possible. Also make sure to account for clothing you may wear under the sash; for example, are you going to wear the sash with a thin shirt, or a bulky sweater? Since the base of the sash uses a hemp cord – which does not stretch nearly as much as a typical yarn would – it will have less give in its circumference than your usual yarn projects. My measurement around was 32 inches, so I aimed for about 31.5 inches on the beginning chain since I’d be adding a button loop on the end. Try your best, but it may take a few attempts and testing it out to make sure it fits the way you want – especially since everyone’s tension in crochet can vary, too!

 

Maternity Sash

Using Hemp Cord & J-Hook

R1: ch 65 (see “sizing note” section as your number of chains may vary a great deal) then sc across, beginning in 2^nd ch from hook.

R2: ch 1, turn, sc in ea st across. Finish off with some extra hemp cord to create a button hole.

Button Hole: I used the beginning tail and the finishing tail to tie a button hole on the end; just be sure to size the button hole according to the size of your button. Other options would be to use a length of lace or ribbon to tie the back, or extra hemp cord. You could also use a stretchy elastic band (aka a hair tie) as a button loop, which gives you a little more flexibility in the fit of the sash; just be sure to find a colored one that matches your hemp cord or flowers.

Flowers

Using Worsted Weight Acrylic Yarn & J-Hook

After making the band above, I added six different flowers, all varying shades of blues and teals.

The center teal flower is a large rose from Lion Brand’s website for free, although you’ll need to register with their website in order to access it. I used 23 ch’s with a J-hook.

The other five flowers are all made using my Cutsie Crocheted Flower Pattern, also using a J-Hook.

 

Permission to Use this Pattern

You may use this pattern for personal or commercial use, but please reference this website as its creator and link back to this pattern page.  The pattern (including any photos associated with it) may not be reproduced or posted elsewhere in any capacity.  Also, the photos marked as “Courtesy of Samantha at Adventures of a Tattooed Mermaid” are her images; please respect her creative genius and contact her about image use.  Thank you!

 

What or who helps you feel lovely?  And where do you find bits of beauty?

 

Feeling a smidge more lovely,

~M

 

P.S.  Want to make a similar lace maternity gown?  I’m working on creating a post about what I did to create mine.  Stay tuned!  (Sign up for email updates, and you’ll get one when the post is ready!)