Tiny Muslins--Abbie's Peter Pan costume

I have a forced sewing break right now since I finished the muslin for Abbie's Peter Pan costume and she is taking a nap. This is what has gone down so far...

This is my only weekend to sew Abbie's costume before Halloween since we are out of town next weekend, and I have to start from scratch. A sane, non-self-sabotaging person would buy a Peter Pan pattern if they wanted to make a costume, or for the love of everything download something so they aren't set up for failure.

You say using a pattern is easier than winging it?
Impossible!

NAY!

I actually did perform a quick scan of the kid patterns in my Ottobre stash but didn't find anything that matched my idea of a relatively easy-to-make shirtdress that could be a Peter Pan tunic. Which meant trying to draft something. Oh man.

Past attempts at drafting something from scratch have...not really happened. I kind-of copied a headband from another headband I owned and liked, but I think that is where my experience stops. By the way, that copied headband is mediocre at best. Hair is only partially kept out of my mouth.

 First: image searching.

Yep. That is Peter Pan.

Second: get distracted. Hey, I finally fixed my old grey jeans! And a pillow case that Wolfie partially ate ~2 years ago.

Third: Sketch and mentally map your sewing approach based on your fragmentary memory of making Chris shirts.

1. tops of bodice
2. attach sleeves
3. sides of bodice and sleeves
4. collar (make sure it is stabilized)
5. slash 3 1/8" down center front at neckline
6. should I have 4 and 5 before 3? Would that be easier? uhhh, forget it, stick with this order.
7. Wait, maybe that would be better? No. This is good.
8. Better add an inner neckline stabilizer between 4 and 5, or else it will look pretty rough.
9. Shoes? I can just swaddle her feet with brown fabric, right? She doesn't walk yet. Oh man, what if she is walking in two weeks? No, don't think about that.

Fourth: get distracted again. I'm hungry. This is the baby shirt/dress model for the drafting. It was my niece Stella's dress/shirt when she was wee.

 

 Fifth: draft, re-draft, re-re-draft.

Wolfie is helping. !!!

Also, I found a new purpose for the Sac Bee! Somewhat easier to work with than tissue paper, but dirtier too. Not to be used with delicate or light fabrics.
















Sixth: cut and stitch and consider pressing.

I hear some light squawks from the next room, Abbie may be up! time to put her in a shirt dress.

Next decision, fabric choice. I feel like I should do something absurd with that since you have that freedom with sewing. Not sure though...