Easy Hand-sewn Nursing Tube

I now rarely get the chance to craft. When I'm not looking after the baby, it's either chores or sleeping. I decided to try making a nursing tube because I don't like the usual bra with clasps and the bandeau I purchased wasn't a good fit. I came up with this after combing the internet for designs and tutorials. It's like a hybrid of the overlay top and the nursing bandeau/tube. And since I only had nuggets of time to do this, I made the process super simple and sewed by hand. I didn't even use any measuring tool.

This works with stretch fabric. I used the one I bought for my wedding dress's lining, which the seamstress said was the wrong kind. Luckily it's stretchy. 

Here goes. I determined the size by stretching the fabric tight across the bust area. (Fig.1) I made it go all the way down to the belly button. That should make a rectangular or square piece. Then I cut three of that. (Fig. 2) This is a good time to deal with raw edges before moving on. One piece will become the back part while the other two will go in the front, which I ruffled by using running stitch on the sides. Form the ruffles by pulling the thread until the cloth is about two-thirds of its original length. (Fig. 3) I assembled the pieces, concentrating the ruffles in the middle part, where the opening should be. (Fig. 4 is an elevation and my best attempt to illustrate how the layers go. Hope that helps.) I back stitched them all together then turned the whole thing  inside out. (Fig. 4 and 5)

This is one of the few things I made that I actually was able to use. I'm planning to make another using  a better fabric and with more polish.