February PRP: Mademoiselle Muscle Tee

This month's Project Run & Play challenge is to use the free Mademoiselle Muscle Tee pattern from Living with Punks. I'm completely ready to start thinking about warmer weather so here's Elena in her muscle tee.

Since the Mademoiselle pattern comes in a 5T and I need a 3 at most, I had to use another basic tee pattern. I chose the Otium from Sofilantjes because I've used it recently, it has similar lines and it has a surprise in the back. (More on that in a minute.)  I used the Mademoiselle tutorial's dimensions to make the wide bands at the neck and arms to add a pop of color. All of the material is re-purposed from 2 hand-me-down tees.

Here's the surprise: the bow on the back! This is one of the cool features of the Otium pattern and I think it girls this shirt up just enough.

Can you believe I had 2 tees in my stash that have the same green? Crazy.

And then, we needed a skirt to go with the top so I used this purple fabric I had been hoarding. This cotton is from Andover Fabrics and is part of the Downton Abbey collection. It is soooo nice. I only used about half a yard so I still have enough to make the bodice of another dress I had been saving it for. 

The skirt consists of 3 tiers. I based the measurements on a ready to wear skirt Elena likes. Between the bottom tiers, I added a strip of that same knit used on the banding of the shirt. It is sewn into the seam and then folded upward and top-stitched down. It also holds the seam allowance up and in place on the backside. I wavered back and forth about adding that in, but looking through Elena's wardrobe, I was shocked to see that she has several other tops that will also coordinate with this. Who knew we had so many wild colors in her closet?

So that's our outfit. the skirt is just full enough to be twirly for Elena without being obnoxious or too revealing. She wore it straight off the sewing machine until it needed to be washed and then photographed and still has it on now. Oh how I wish it were more than 20 degrees outside so we could take pictures outdoors. It's currently -4 so 20 would feel balmy. Come on spring, hurry it up please.

Hope you had a great Valentine's Day!