muslin?

I have never made a muslin of a garment before.  I have a hard time a) with the patience that would take, and b) making something no one is going to wear.  I tried to tell myself it's like knitting a gauge swatch, but that is much smaller and you can unravel and use it again. 


So, because I cut a pattern that just didn't seem quite right, I used some fabric as a "muslin" that would make a nice accidental garment if it worked out.

I swear to you I ironed it before I put it on, I don't know what happened.  I think I sat down.  But it goes nicely with my crooked necklace.  We are not a J Crew catalog here at Casa Smunch.

This is the Gabby dress and the pattern is super-flared (as described) but also kind of large in general.  I cut the XS (I usually wear a S, but I know these are not US sizes), and then took some off the sides of the side of both the back and the front, starting with a couple inches at the bottom and tapering up to about a 1/2 inch at the armhole.  To compensate with the sleeves, I just gathered them more.

Which came out funny because do you see how the left sleeve has all kind of gathers and the right has none?  Nicely done, smunch.

Since my "muslin" is a little boring AND I already have a navy-blue shift dress, I added a few little buttons.  And fixed my necklace.

The irony of this is this other thing.  I have noticed some impressive handmade garments in the blog world, and reading a bit find out of that some of these sewists have been at it for only a year or so!  What?  I want to push myself a little harder.  So, in doing so I may have to make some muslins, don't you think?

I'm piecing together the pattern for the Chloe dress which has a little more going on, and because I'm way too superstitious I'm worried I may have just jinxed myself if I don't make a muslin for this one first!  Especially because I bought pricey wool for it!  Ugh.