Tangled Thread - Tips, Trick and Tutorials in Sewing & Stitching

tip of the day - making muslins to fit clothing

by Chloe on July 23rd, 2007

I’m just starting on sewing my wedding dress (which is good - because I only have a month left to sew it :-) ) and want to make sure everything fits perfectly!

To help me fit it, I’m creating two sets of dresses.  The first one is called a muslin, (but it doesn’t have to be made out of muslin!) which is basically the same pattern, out of a cheap fabric.  It’s important to use fabric with the same texture & weight as your good fabric!

I know, you don’t want to go to the hassle of making two garments…

What happens if after I’ve cut into my very expensive duppioni silk I find out that my hem needs to be two inches longer?

Or I need extra ease under my arms?

Or - horror of horrors - the pattern just doesn’t work in that kind of fabric?!

Making a test garment (don’t worry, I don’t normally bother with things like buttonholes or zippers) allows you to work all those little issues out before you get to the expensive fabric :-)

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