How to Hack Edith into a Nursing-Friendly Top

Edith is one of our easiest patterns to start sewing for yourself, especially if you're fairly new to sewing. As if being a super comfortable oversized top wasn’t enough, we also discovered that it works great as maternity wear—without any modifications at all.

Since Mirelle (@orkidedesign_) was pregnant at the time, she also began experimenting with hacking the pattern to create a nursing-friendly version. The result was a practical and comfortable everyday top. In this tutorial, she’ll show you how to make the same adjustment to your Edith top.

 

You’ll need:

• Elastic. 6 mm (¼") or 10 mm (⅜") wide. The length should be 90% of the width of the inner front piece.
• Extra fabric.The inner front is not included in the fabric requirements for the pattern. You’ll need additional fabric equal to the height of the extra front piece.
• A curved ruler. Optional, but helpful for drawing the new necklines.

1. Prepare the Front Pieces

a.) To make a nursing-friendly top, you’ll need to trace the front pattern piece twice; once for the inner and once for the outer front. Mirelle used the PDF version and simply printed the front piece twice and cut them out in the same size. In this case, size 40.

b.) Next, take the following measurements from yourself (or the intended wearer):

• From the shoulder down to just below the bust. In this case: 35 cm (13¾").
• From the shoulder down to the desired depth of the neckline, deep enough to easily access the breast for nursing. In this case: 20 cm (7⅞").

Now transfer the first measurement onto the paper for the inner front piece. Add 2 cm (¾") for the elastic that will go along the bottom edge. So in this example: 35 (13¾") + 2 (¾") = 37 cm (14½"). Mark this point.

c.) Draw a horizontal line at your marking. This line is the new length for the inner front piece.

d.) Cut along this line. You’ll use the top portion—the lower piece can be discarded.

2. Adjust the Neckline on the Outer Front Piece

a.) Now it’s time to adjust the neckline on the outer front piece, using the second measurement you took. Add 1 cm to account for the height added by the binding. This piece will be the visible front layer, so the neckline needs to be lowered enough to allow easy access for nursing. Measure and mark your neckline depth from the highest point of the shoulder. In this example: 20 cm (7⅞") + 1 cm (⅜") = 21 cm (8¼").

b.) Use a ruler to transfer this measurement to the center front. Make sure your ruler is perpendicular to the shoulder line. This will mark the lowest point of the new neckline.

c.) Use a curved ruler to draw a smooth curve from the center front up to the shoulder. If you don’t have a curved ruler, a regular ruler works too, you’ll just need to adjust the curve by eye as you go.

d.) Cut along the new neckline. Well done so far!

3. Adjust the Shoulder Seam on the Inner Front Piece

a.) To prevent the bindings of the two front layers from overlapping, we also need to shift the shoulder seam on the inner front piece. Measure 2 cm (¾") down from the highest point on the shoulder.

b.) Take your curved ruler again and reshape the upper part of the neckline so the new mark blends smoothly into the rest of the curve. Trim away the excess to reveal the new neckline.

4. Prepare the Neck Bindings

Since you’ve now changed both necklines, you’ll also need to adjust the bindings to fit the new shapes.

For the outer neckline:

• Measure the neckline along the folded edge of the front piece and subtract 1 cm (⅜") from the shoulder seam.
• Do the same for the back neckline—measure along the fold and subtract 1 cm (⅜") at the shoulder.
• Add the two measurements together and calculate:
  Neckline length × 0.8 = binding length (on fold)
• Draw out this length on your fabric and add 3 cm (1¼") to allow for a clean finish later.

For the inner neckline:

• Measure the neckline of the inner front piece along the fold.
• Then calculate:
  Neckline length × 0.8 = binding length (on fold)
• Draw out this new length and add 3 cm (1¼") to make the sewing process easier.

At this point, you should have:

• An outer front piece with a deep neckline,
• An inner front piece cropped just below the bust,
• One neck binding for each front piece.
  Now cut out these pieces, along with the back piece and your sleeve of choice—time to start sewing!

5. Bind the Inner Front Neckline

Take the inner front piece and its corresponding neck binding. Follow steps 5a–6d in the original sewing instructions, but only for the inner front neckline.

6. Hem the Bottom Edge of the Inner Front

You’ll be adding elastic to the bottom edge of the inner front. Choose whichever elastic width you prefer—6 mm (¼") or 10 mm (⅜") —and make sure the length is 90% of the width of the bottom edge (or adjust based on your preference).

To calculate:
Bottom width × 0.9 = elastic length
In this example, the bottom edge was 54 cm (21¼") wide, so:
54 (21¼") × 0.9 = 48.6 cm (19⅛")

Mark the center of the elastic with a pin to help distribute it evenly as you sew. Finish by folding the elastic to the inside and topstitching from the right side.

7. Layer the Front Pieces

Place the outer front piece on top of the inner one, with the right side facing you. Then follow the original sewing instructions as usual, but make sure both front layers are included when sewing the shoulder seams, side seams, and sleeves.

Good luck with your nursing-friendly Edith top!