Dress to Nursing Cover

My sister is having a baby a few weeks after me. I've had to reel it in on gift-giving and advice-giving. I don't want to overwhelm her or break my bank, but it is extra fun to talk pregnancy and coo over baby clothes with her. One gift that I absolutely was dead-set on giving her was a nursing cover. 

There's a whole range of opinions about breastfeeding, and then a whole sub-range of opinions about using nursing covers. I'm not taking a stand on the issue, except to say that each mom decides what's best for her and her baby. 

After I had Daisy, I made myself a lightweight, cotton nursing cover, which I used all the time!

A few months later, the straps of one of my favorite sun dresses broke. I put it away thinking, "Someday I'm going to make my sister a nursing cover out of this." That's a little crazy to plan ahead, but it's lovely fabric, and it's a large enough cut to make something pretty big, so a nursing cover it is! It's possible that I would have used it for something else eventually, but I had my mind set on a nursing cover for my sister. 

The dress was an empire-waist dress, so I just cut off the top and worked with the skirt. I didn't take photos or record most of my steps along the way. I had to change the design a couple times to make it longer in the front and shorter in the back. In the end, it turned out great. 

Daisy and I posed for some pictures. I told her I had a pretend baby under there. 

Just another way to up-cycle something you love (my sundress) into another great, useful piece (a nursing cover)! 

A couple weeks before my sister's shower, she actually asked if I could make her a nursing cover. I had to give away the secret and say, "Already did!" She loves it. I hope it works well for her and her little one!