"Dressy Pumping"

Before I got my pump, one of my biggest concerns was how and where I would wear it.  I wasn't all that thrilled with the thought of having it clipped to my waist.  After all, I've inherited a pear-shaped body-type (gee, thanks mom), and I certainly didn't want anything drawing more attention to my hips!

I also wondered what I would do on fancy occasions.  Where would I put my pump if I was wearing a little dress?   Pea's cousin's recent wedding provided the perfect opportunity to come up with a solution, and I thought I'd share.

Like I said, I'm a pear-shape.  Because of this, I always gravitate toward A-line dresses.  This turns out to be a good thing, because I found the folds of the skirt are perfect for hiding a pump.  The dress I wore to the wedding was a blue lacy number, with a tan lining underneath.  I decided the solution would be to sew a small pocket for my pump right into the inside lining of my dress.  (Click any photo to enlarge it for a closer look.)

First, I measured my pump and cut my fabric.  I wanted it slightly wider than my pump, so I could slide it easily in and out when I needed to.  I also made it quite a bit longer than my pump, so it wouldn't fall out the top of the pocket when I danced.  (I just used some old cotton in my fabric stash, since I knew no one would see it but me.  A pretty fabric would have been nice to use too - like when you wear pretty underwear and feel special all day.  Sorry, a bit of over sharing there!)

Once I had the strip measured out, I turned the raw edges over slightly and hemmed them a bit so they wouldn't fray. Of course, when cutting the strip I made sure to leave a seam allowance for this step.

Once done sewing the strip, I laid my pump on top just to double check it for size.  To be honest, the one in this picture ended up being a bit narrow, so I quickly sewed up wider one. 

Once I had a "pocket" my pump would fit into, I put on my dress and decided where I wanted the pocket to go.  I marked it with a pin, turned the dress inside out, pinned on the pocket and tried the dress on.  This was the hardest part, and I pinned it several times before I got it placed just right - low enough that I could get to it when I needed to, but high enough to disappear into the folds of the skirt.  (But then again, I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive - so just right is a hard place for me to get to!)

Next, I CAREFULLY sewed the pocket to my lining.  This was the scary part.  The lining was a slippery, silky fabric that wasn't easy to work with.  And it would be just like me to accidentally sew through the outer layer of the dress as well.  But luckily, by going slow and being careful, I stitched it in just right!

Done!!  I checked my new creation by standing on my bed in front of the dresser mirror.  Can you see the pump?  I sure can't!

I intended to get a "real" picture of my dress in action at the wedding, but unfortunately things didn't work out so well.  I ended up with a terrible headache, probably a migraine, that had me tossing my appetizers before we even got seated for dinner.  We had to take a taxi back to our hotel, and I was probably asleep before the bride and groom even had their first dance.  Oh well, at least I looked nice at the ceremony.

What is your favorite way to wear your pump on fancy occasions?