A couple of blog posts ago I showed you some pattern pieces for puff sleeved tees.  I decided to mash together the SBCC tonic tee bodice with sleeves from the Pattern Emporium Hello Gorgeous tee. Given that I was using pattern pieces from different patterns, I thought that I should sew up a hopefully wearable muslin to check how they went together and to see what the fit was like.

I used some scuba-ish scraps that were in stash for the muslin, but was forced by the shapes of the scraps to cut it with the greatest stretch going up and down rather than around. The girls could barely shimmy into it, although Stella found it easier than Clare.  She’s about one size smaller.  The fabric does have stretch in both directions, but not enough!

Even though the wearable muslin turned out to be a pretty but mostly unwearable muslin, it showed me that the pattern mash would work, and both girls liked the fit of the tee and the shape of the neckline. Back to the stash!

Oh, night-time photos in artificial lighting really do not show garments to their best advantage (nor do the tracksuit pants). I used a beautiful Liberty print knit (I think in rayon) that was a gift from a generous friend, and paired it with purple rib from Crafty Mamas Fabrics for the neckband and sleeve cuffs.

I can just picture this in summer tucked into a denim mini or similar! Size wise it is the smallest size sleeve, and the XS petite bodice. I used the same size for Stella.

This is a really sweet tee, but I am NEVER sewing with that fabric again. I used leftovers from a dress that I sewed for Stella last year. It’s from Spotlight, and the selvedge says that it is ‘powerhold stretch sports active’ knit. It feels soft, and she likes the fabric against her skin, but it’s a bugger to sew with. The machine does not like it at all.

Anyway, I persevered, and hope that once summer arrives it will have been worth it and she’ll wear it heaps. I threw out all the scraps with great satisfaction.

I quite like the current puffed sleeve trend (always makes me think of Anne of Green Gables).  It adds a bit of fun, and don’t we all need that!