Maternity garment, blanks and method for making same

A method of making a lower torso garment having an abdominal pouch and support panel for lifting and supporting an abdominal region of a wearer comprising the steps of:

• knitting a series of courses to form a tubular structure, and
• periodically modifying the series of courses to form a discrete pouch area defined by additional courses being fed therein adding material fullness in the pouch area, and to form an elongate curved section substantially surrounding a portion of the pouch area, such that the curved section has a greater resistance to stretch than the pouch area, then
• knitting a series of courses to the tubular structure defining a leg forming portion of a garment, then
• cutting and removing from the leg forming portion first and second spaced fabric portions to define front and rear garment panels, each panel including first and second leg portions, and
• attaching front and rear garment panels together along and between the first and second leg portions, to thereby form a completed garment.

A method of making a lower torso garment having an abdominal pouch and support panel for lifting and supporting an abdominal region of a wearer comprising the steps of:

• knitting a series of courses to form a first continuous tubular structure, while
• periodically modifying the series of courses to form a discrete pouch area defined by additional courses being fed therein adding material fullness in the pouch area, to form an elongate curved section substantially surrounding a portion of the pouch area, such that the curved section has a greater resistance to stretch than the pouch area, and a crotch region extending from and having a lesser resistance to stretch than the elongate curved section, then
• knitting a series of courses to form a second tubular structure which is the substantial mirror-image of the first tubular structure, then
• slitting each of the tubular structures longitudinally to define front and rear garment panel halves on each of the tubular structures, and
• attaching the front garment panel half of the first tubular structure to the front garment panel half of the second tubular structure, and attaching the rear garment panel half of the first tubular structure to the rear garment panel half of the second tubular structure, and attaching the structures together at their respective crotch regions, to thereby form a garment.

A garment for lifting and supporting the abdomen of a wearer comprising:

• a knitted front panel adapted to cover at least a portion of a front of a wearer's body between the waist and juncture of the thighs;
• a rear panel connected to said front panel along first and second front and rear panel sides and a crotch region to define first and second leg openings, said rear panel being adapted to cover at least a portion of a wearer's buttocks,
• a crotch region joining said front and rear panels and adapted to cover a corresponding region of a wearer's body,
• said knitted front panel including an integrally knit pouch-shaped abdominal section substantially surrounded by a generally U-shaped support panel, said abdominal section including a greater number of courses per inch than said generally U-shaped support panel and said support panel having a greater resistance to stretch than said abdominal section, and said generally U-shaped support panel being positioned between said abdominal section and said crotch region, to provide lift and support to a wearer's abdomen.