Hey everyone. Today we're talking about fitted garments, and why I wouldn't skip a muslin before I cut my good fabric.
I know why it tempts you. I really do. The pattern envelope looks perfect. The model looks happy. Your fabric is right there, washed and pressed. Making a whole practice garment first feels slow. It feels like sewing the same dress twice. So you think, I'll just cut it and fit it as I go. Folks, I've thought that exact thought.
Here's the thing. A muslin is not the garment. A muslin is a test garment. Some folks call it a toile. You sew it fast, in inexpensive fabric. You try it on. You find the fit problems there. Not in your good fabric. That one little step has saved more projects than any fancy tool I own.
Here's the story. I watched a fitted bodice come together in beautiful fashion fabric. On the envelope, it was perfect. On the hanger, it was perfect. On the body? Different story. The neckline gaped a full inch. The waist sat too high. The darts pointed nowhere near where they should. And the back pulled every time she reached forward.
None of that was her fault. The pattern was drafted for an average body. Real bodies are not average. Yours isn't. Mine isn't. That's the whole point of sewing your own clothes.
But by then, the good fabric was already cut. Taking in was possible in a couple of spots. Letting out was not. The seam allowances were the standard 5/8 inch, and some had already been trimmed. So we fussed. We tweaked. We got it close. Close is a sad word when you love your fabric, y'all. A two-hour muslin would have told us everything that bodice was hiding.
What I do instead
First, I pick test fabric that acts like my real fabric. If the garment is a woven, I test in a woven. If it drapes, my test fabric needs some drape too. Plain muslin cotton works great for most fitted wovens. It is inexpensive, it presses well, and you can write right on it.
Second, I only sew the pieces that decide the fit. For a dress, that's usually the bodice and the skirt, or even just the bodice. I skip the facings. I skip the lining. I skip the hem. One sleeve is enough to check the armhole. We're testing fit here, not building a wardrobe.
Third, I baste it together fast. I use a long stitch, about 3.5 to 4 millimeters. That's roughly 6 to 7 stitches per inch. Long stitches pull out easy when I change something. I use a thread color that stands out. And I mark every dart, notch, and center line right on the fabric with a pen or chalk.
Fourth, I try it on like real life. I pin the closure shut where the zipper or buttons will go. Then I stand. I sit. I bend. I raise my arms. A bodice that fits standing still can pull badly when you sit down. Check the moving fit, not the mirror pose.
Fifth, I mark what I see, right on the muslin. Pulling means it needs more room. Gaping means it needs less. Horizontal wrinkles point at tightness. Vertical folds point at extra fabric. I pin out what is loose. I let out what is tight. I write the amounts down — took in 1/4 inch here, need 1/2 inch there.
Sixth, I move every one of those changes to the pattern. Not to the muslin. To the paper. Then I true up the seam lines so they still match. Only after that do I cut my good fabric. Only then. Here we go, no surprises left.
Now, you have options, and I mean that. You can make a full muslin. You can make a partial one, just the tricky part. You can make a wearable muslin later, after the fit is proven. My preference is the quick, ugly, basted one first. But completely up to you. And please hear me on this part: it doesn't have to be perfect. Your muslin is supposed to look rough. You're your own worst critic, and this is the one garment nobody should judge. Take your time. It's not a race.
This post is part of my What I Wouldn't Do as a Sewist series, where I share the lessons I learned the hard way so you don't have to.
Don't take my word for it — watch this:
Sewing a muslin: my fast & easy way, even with adjustments! — Tasha Could Make That, on YouTube.
Shop the Natural Muslin Wideback Cotton Fabric Per Yard 120" Wide - 200 Thread Count at Linda's Electric Quilters.
Thanks for hanging out with me today, folks. Make the muslin. Mark it up. Mess it up. That's what it's for. If I can do this, y'all can do it. We'll see you next time. Bye.
— Corey, Chief Quilter, Linda's Electric Quilters
