We thought we'd take a little break from tutorials, reviews and pattern matching to talk a little bit about the importance of toiles and muslins. These two words (used interchangeably) strike dread into many a sewers heart, and have even lead to us putting off sewing projects just to avoid doing these. Just like tracing patterns from their original sheet, toiles and muslins are the "proper" way of doing things. A toile is a sort of test run of your pattern, a mock up of your final garment in a cheap fabric, allowing you to check the size and fit.
Although it seems like a long and boring process (well it does to us anyway especially as it's hard to get excited about a garment you're not actually going to wear) try to think of it as something that'll save you time in the long run. You don't want to spend hours working on your final garment only to find it doesn't fit. Also, crucially, it saves you from wasting the beautiful and probably more expensive fabric you bought for your final garment.
Another additional bonus of toiles and muslins is that making them gives you a trial run through your pattern. It forces you to actually read all the instructions before you start your final project (something we should all be doing but the excitement of a new pattern can mean we rush into sewing before checking all the instructing first). This gives you a heads up of what's to come; check seam allowances, see what stitches are used and which bits are particularly fiddly so will need extra care when using your hallowed 'real' fabric. The whole process will also give your a good idea about how long your actual run will take you (we're always underestimating how long projects will take).
So, bite the bullet and make that toile! It'll be worth it in the end.
Oh and a little tip, if you're looking for some cheap fabric at short notice check out discount double duvet sets :)
Love,
F*2DIY4 x
F*2DIY4 x
No comments:
Post a Comment