The accidental muslin

In setting up my blog I wanted to challenge myself to make more items and document my progression.  However, my natural impatience means that I want results now.  In impatient mode I have not been taking the care that I should over garments and this has resulted in some temper tantrums on my part and some makes that I can't wear. 

I found this polyester/viscose blend on a recent trip to Paris.

I snapped up 6 metres of it for an absolute steal.  I was planning to make the Collette Hawthorne dress out of it.  However, when I pulled out the pattern I thought that a whole tartan full-skirted Hawthorne might be a bit much, but a peplum blouse seemed like a good idea and so off I went.  I have never made a proper muslin, I always feel that its going to be a waste of my precious sewing time, so I matched my measurements to the pattern and measured my body length against the pattern and away I went.  Mistake!  The first time I tried it on it was too tight round the waist.  I had to let out the side seams, once that was achieved and the blouse finished, I tried it on again only to realise it is also too short, the waist seam sits a lot higher than I would like and there is something about the pattern that appears to be exacerbating this problem.  Very sad face.

However, this is not a badly made item, its just badly made for me.  Enter my lovely sister who loves getting clothes donated to her and as she is stunning and can pull off pretty much anything, this blouse is being modelled by her.

I do really like this and am planning another version for me, just a touch better thought through this time.  The version I made for my sister has these fabulous vintage, swirly, gold buttons on it:

I don't remember where I got them and am truely in love with them but there is no way I'm going to cut them all off and sew others on so she gets to keep them.  We're going to pretend that this is because I'm a lovely sister and not because I'm lazy!

So if I consider this shirt a muslin, what changes do I need to make for my real version?
I need to add a few cm round the waist.
I need to add a lot cm length to the bodice.
Green Tartan in this blouse may not be ideal for me, I should probably pick a better fabric