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Transcript: 

Caroline: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Helen: Hello and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co.

Caroline: And I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns.

Helen: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew and it’s essentially all we want to talk about.

Caroline: Today we’re taking you through all the steps of making test garments, a.k.a. muslins, a. k. a. toiles. From choosing the right fabric to how to cut it, baste it, and adjust it, we’ll demystify this sewing step so you can get your perfect fit and style.

Helen: If you love to sew, this is your show.

Caroline: Hellooo!

Helen: Hellooo!

Caroline: Hellooo! Hi Helen!

Helen: Hi Caroline, how are you?

Caroline: I’m good, how are you?

Helen: Good! Very excited to be back for our spring 2024 season! So good.

Caroline: Oh my gosh, we missed you all! We’re back!

Helen: We’re back! Oh, I love this time of year, filled with all the spring vibes, and very excited to be back.

Caroline: Oh my gosh, me too. It’s fun to be off for a little bit, but it’s also really fun to get back into the swing of things. And we have a really fun season planned. I know we say that every season, but this one’s really great.

Helen: Well, I mean, they’re all great, so we’re not lying. No, we do have so many fun guests lined up and this first episode topic, muslins and toiles. I mean, we say this all the time, but how have we not done an episode about this?

Caroline: I know this is definitely one of the ones that we probably should have done by now, but I’m excited to talk about it today.

Helen: Me too. There’s so much to get into, but I want to hear a little bit about what you got up to over the break.

Caroline: Ooh, okay, so I gotta think back, but we ended the year, we ended 2023 on a high note because we launched the Baby Bestie Bag. And we also had a really fun photo shoot for our next BF Patterns, which are a pair of tailored trousers and a T-shirt that are coming out really soon. So I’m very excited about that and it was just like such a nice way to end off the year, our launch year for BF Patterns, with some fun BF Patterns activities.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: We took two weeks off for the holidays, which was really nice, a new thing, to be able to give that time off to my team and obviously, myself too, I wanted that time as well. So that was really nice. Normally we just take a week. So we got to take two weeks this year, spent a lot of lovely family time and lots of cooking and relaxing. And then we got a puppy.

Helen: Most importantly, the puppy.

Caroline: Surprise! Yes, we have a new member of our family. Her name is Sally. She’s a little black lab. And yeah, we got her over the holidays. So she is fresh! She’s full of energy and life!

Helen: Yes, a handful, one might say.

Caroline: Yes a real handful, but she’s super sweet and she’s doing really well and we love her a lot. And Pepper is also really enjoying having a new sister to play with and just hang out with. It’s been going really well, actually. So we’re really excited. And, that’s been, like, probably the biggest thing that has happened in the off-season is: we got a puppy.

Helen: Yeah, puppies are pretty all-consuming, so that makes total sense that you’re focusing on that.

Caroline: Yeah. 100 percent. And it’s the right time. We’ve always kind of known we wanted to have two dogs, but we were waiting until after the wedding and after, like, some of the travel that we did this fall, going to see family and all that stuff. And then we were, like, okay. We’re ready. And then it happened really fast and now it’s happening.

Helen: It’s happening!

Caroline: It’s happening!

Helen: Well, that’s very exciting news. Congratulations.

Caroline: Thank you so much. Tell me about your break. How was it?

Helen: Oh, it was really good! I also had a very nice Christmas filled with all the family time and cooking and all that good stuff. And over at Helen’s Closet, right before the holidays, we launched our Arbutus Robe, which is a super snuggly dressing robe pattern that is really fun to make and so fun to give as a gift. So we got to see a lot of people doing that over the winter season. That was really nice. And then more recently, we launched our Nelson Pants and Slocan Tank. And this is a comfy knit loungewear set, super versatile. You can wear the tank as, like, a layering tank or a bralette. There’s a bralette view, which I’m totally obsessed with. So I’m stoked to have these both in the collection because they’re both just really wearable and so fast to sew. Oh my gosh, love a quick sew!

Caroline: Awesome. Oh my gosh. So fun. So many launches. I still want to make the Arbutus Robe. It looks so cozy and it’s still a little bit cold here. So definitely on my list of makes, and I’ve been seeing so many beautiful ones pop up.

Helen: I recommend flannel if you can do it. It’s like a little bit narrower so you do need quite a lot of it, but the one that I made for Sam is like an orangey flannel and he wears it every morning and it just looks so cute on him and I just like, it makes me smile every time I see him wearing it. So that has been just like a real added joy to my life that I wasn’t expecting.

Caroline: I have this dream of, like, making matching flannel robes for Shea and I, because I feel like a flannel robe is something you keep for so long. Like, I remember my dad had this robe that he wore, like, literally my entire childhood, like, until it was totally threadbare. So I’m, like, I want, like, a lifelong flannel robe that I can cherish.

Helen: They are investment pieces. And flannel is such a, like, strong fabric so it does actually last. So it’s a really good choice for it. Just the right amount of warmth.

Helen: But yeah, it was, it’s been fun to launch a few patterns over the break. I’m still very into quilting. Don’t worry y’all.

Caroline: Oh, I don’t think we doubted that. Or, at least I didn’t.

Helen: I have a feverish love for quilting that has not subsided. It’s been one year since we launched the quilt company, so I’m excited to see where Cedar Quilt Co. takes us over the next year. And I’m just excited for spring. I love this time of year. There’s so much gardening happening. I can get back out there and start tending to all of my plants and planning all the things I want to do in the garden. So it’s just exciting. I love March.

Caroline: Oh, yay! I’m excited to see the evolution of your garden. I’m sure we’ll come out to visit you sometime this summer and get to see it in full force. I still really want to have a vegetable garden this summer, so I need some words of encouragement from you, my only friend that gardens.

Helen: I mean, I don’t even vegetable garden that hard because I don’t have very much sun, but all my advice is just: you can do it. Just put some seeds in the ground. It’ll be great!

Caroline: Yeah. Maybe this will be my year.

Helen: Well, we do all of our catching up monthly over on Patreon or Apple Podcast Subscriptions. You can access that content via both of those platforms, so please join us over there. We have so much fun catching up every month and we love sharing our lives with our patrons and it’s just a real joy to record those episodes. So if you’ve been thinking about it, come and join us.

Caroline: Oh yeah, definitely. The water’s warm! And we appreciate so much everyone who is already supporting us over there. You truly make this podcast possible. So thank you so much.

Helen: Thank you. Okay, let’s get into this episode, Caroline.

Caroline: Let’s do it! Okay.

Helen: testing, testing, one, two, three. Can you hear me, Caroline?

Caroline: Loud and clear!

Helen: Okay, this episode is all about testing via making muslins or toiles. And these are test garments, so whether you’re drafting your own pattern or fitting a pattern that you bought, muslins can help you to refine the shape and the fit of your pattern without messing up your final fabric. They are cut and sewn differently from a final garment, and we’re going to go over all the techniques in this episode.

Caroline: Yes, and first up we’re going to cover where the word “muslin” comes from. So traditional muslin fabric is a fine, plain woven cotton that was first made in the city of Mosul in what’s now Iraq. And that’s where the name comes from. And in the 17th century, very fine muslins were made in India and imported to Europe. And then later manufacturers in Scotland and England began to produce muslins of their own.

Helen: Today when we talk about muslin fabric, we mean a plain woven cotton fabric that’s either undyed or bleached, kind of like quilting cotton without a print on it. You can buy it by the yard or by the bolt, and we’re gonna talk about all of that in this episode. and you may have also heard muslins referred to as toiles. So what’s a toile? Caroline, you’re French. Tell us.

Caroline: “Toile” is the French word for cloth, and we couldn’t find a lot of info on why English speakers started using it to mean test garment. I’m pretty sure French speakers don’t use it that way. As far as I know, it still just means cloth or canvas. But I think they’re kind of interchangeable, right?

Caroline: “Toile” is a word for cloth, “muslin” is a word for a type of cloth, but you can also make toiles and muslins. So, a little bit confusing for a beginner sewer, but when you talk about toile or muslin in the context that we’re talking about today, we’re talking about test garments.

Helen: Yes, exactly. And you can use either word. I mean, “toile” makes me feel fancy. So sometimes I use it just for that reason alone. Another term that we’re going to be using today is “wearable muslin.” And sometimes when people make test garments, they use muslin fabric or another cheap fabric, like a thrifted bedsheet, for example. But if you don’t want to waste any fabric or time, or maybe you anticipate that you won’t have to make big changes to the garment, you could make a muslin that becomes a fully-finished garment when you’re done. So you’ll use a fabric that you like and that’s similar to the final garment fabric in drape and weight. But, generally, you’re looking for something that’s not as expensive or maybe it’s something that’s been, like, lingering in your stash for a while and you just haven’t used it for some reason. You’re like, “Oh, I’ll just use this for a wearable muslin because it’s been languishing here and I’m obviously not that interested in it.” But you can still do things like adding extra seam allowance or basting seams together to try it on. The difference is once you get the fit that you want, you’re going to sew the seams with your regular stitches and finish them and then finish the whole garment so you have something that you can actually wear. And that’s a great way to try out a garment too.

Caroline: Mm hmm. The potential downside of making a wearable muslin is that you might not be able to get the fit perfect on your first try. For example, if you need to change the fit of a pants crotch by adding fabric and you don’t have enough seam allowance to recut it correctly, you might just have to fix it as best you can and make the correct adjustments on the next muslin. So sometimes those “wearable muslins” don’t actually end up being wearable.

Helen: Yes, it’s true. It is a little bit of a shot in the dark. But of course, if your muslin works out, then you have a garment that you’ll actually use with very little waste having occurred, so that’s cool.

Caroline: Yeah, definitely. Helen, I want to know, like, what is your experience with wearable muslins? Do you do them? Do you not do them?

Helen: I definitely do them on occasion. I used to be a big wearable muslin person because I couldn’t quite wrap my head around, you know, putting in the time and effort for the sewing and not having something wearable at the end. And I think that’s why a lot of people gravitate towards wearable muslins. But in the past couple of years I have pivoted to going with basic muslin more often. Usually whenever it’s possible to use I’ll just go for that. I find that as soon as I decide to make it “wearable” I want to finish the seams and do all the nice things that make it nice and and completed. And I end up choosing a fabric that I’m not that into because it’s just a tester, right?

Caroline: Mm hmm.

Helen: And then, sometimes, you know, I finish the wearable muslin in this fabric that I wasn’t that into to begin with. And then I never end up making the actual version that I wanted to make because I already made it. But then I’m left with something in my closet that I don’t really like that much because it wasn’t, you know, what I actually had in mind, you know what I mean? whereas muslin, you know, the fabric is just a whatever, tester fabric, so it means that I can just slap it together, I can mark it up, I can cut it up, play around, and I don’t lose that motivation to actually make the final version. Um, so I’m a bit of a muslin convert, I will say.

Caroline: Ooh, interesting. I totally see your point because that’s definitely happened to me before, where I end up using a fabric that I’m, like, so-so on, and then you just like don’t end up wearing the garment anyway, so like what was the point, you know? But I am still on the side of wearable muslin, personally. Sometimes this means that I, like, add a lot of extra seam allowance or sew things in, like, a slightly different order to be able to check the fit properly before finishing the garment. But, like you, I, when I’m making a wearable muslin, like, I want it to be wearable and durable. So I will finish the seams and, like, go through all the trouble of making it look nice. I won’t really ever use that special fabric for a wearable muslin. But I do try to pick something that I like for the most part. And I find sometimes I’ll use, like, one of those forgotten fabrics that’s, like, maybe not so exciting in my stash. And then it’ll kind of, like, I’ll, like, fall in love with it again, which is pretty fun. So that’s definitely happened to me before where I’m like, “Okay, let me go stash diving to find something to use for this muslin.” And then I’m like, “Oh my gosh, this fabric, I would have never thought to use it for this garment, but I did and now I love it and I wear it.” So it can kind of go either way.

Helen: It’s true. Sometimes you get that unexpected win. And if, you know, the fit works out, then you’ve got yourself more than a wearable muslin. You’ve just got yourself a garment.

Caroline: Yeah, totally. What do you do with, like, all of your muslins?

Helen: I just recycle them into my recycling bin that goes to FabCycle in Vancouver.

Caroline: Mm hmm.

Helen: So yeah, I do have, like, a studio that’s set up for sewing. So it’s convenient for me to make muslins. And, obviously, we make them for our pattern development as well, so it’s part of our process. And I think that’s also just encouraged me over the years to lean more towards wanting to make the muslin first because I’m just accustomed to it at this point and I do have a setup that allows me to do that and and recycle them after. But yeah. it can be kind of annoying to source muslin fabric or bed sheets or whatever it is you’re looking for. Sometimes what you have more of is actually just garment fabric and then at that point you think, “Well, I might as well just make the thing and hope that it turns out. And then I’ll get to wear it.” Which is totally reasonable.

Caroline: Yeah, and I think, also, like, muslin can’t do every job, so, like, if you’re making a pair of jeans in a rigid denim, you might want to use a more similar denim for your muslin. Or if you’re obviously making a knit garment, you can’t muslin in regular muslin, so you’d have to find a comparable knit to use. Or I don’t know, there are probably other examples that I could think of but I also feel like if you’re fabric shopping and you find, like, a bolt of fabric that’s on clearance that’s, like, a nice, plain weave mid to lightweight cotton vibe that feels like muslin, you can kind of use that for your muslin and it might even be a better price than what you can find in-store for your, like, classic muslin fabric.

Helen: Oh, definitely. I like to keep a little bit of just plain rayon on hand for muslining rayon garments, because muslin can’t be rayon.

Caroline: It’s so true.

Helen: Yeah, I source those kind of things in the clearance section of fabric stores all the time, so I have that on hand too.

Caroline: Yeah, and we have lots to say about this topic later on in the episode as well.

Helen: We’re getting really ahead of ourselves, Caroline.

Caroline: Yes. Okay. No, let’s move on. Now that we’ve talked about what a muslin is, let’s get into the “why.” So why do people make muslins?

Helen: Yes, I’m sure we have listeners out there wondering this. Why would you spend the extra time, effort, resources, money, all that good stuff to make a muslin? And I think the number one reason is to check the fit of the garment. It’s easier to make fit adjustments to muslins than it is to final garments. They typically have wider seam allowances. The seams are only basted together so you can quickly make changes. You can draw right on them with sharpie and things like that if you want to mark pocket placements or mark areas where you want to make adjustments. And it’s really handy to go through that process as a sewist because that’s how you’re going to learn more about fitting as well. So if that’s something you’re interested in, then muslins are a good plan.

Caroline: People also make muslins to check the style of a garment. So if you’re drafting a new pattern or if you think you might want to make some style changes to an existing pattern, you can make a muslin to see what you’re imagining in three dimensions and then you can adjust the muslin until it fits your vision exactly.

Helen: Yeah, and that can be so much fun too. You’re playing designer, right? It’s great. It’s really, like, a playful experience. People also make muslins so that they don’t waste the nice fabric and notions. Muslins are, of course, made out of fabric that isn’t rare or precious. So if the fit of the muslin is totally off and it’s not fixable, you didn’t really waste too much material. You didn’t spend a lot of extra cash on the nice fabric. So you don’t necessarily have to feel as disheartened by that experience, which is good.

Caroline: Yeah, and it’s also freeing to have a muslin to work on. You don’t expect it to fit the first time, so there’s no need to be disappointed if it doesn’t. It’s made to be messed up. You can even cut directly into the fabric to make it roomier. You can add strips here and there. Something that’s just not going to happen with your precious wool suiting. You can do all of that with your muslin. I know when I was making muslins for my wedding dress, I was sharpie-ing, I was cutting into them, I was, like, “Let me try this neckline,” you know. And that was really fun, to be able to just, like, play around, super low stakes, and know that, like, there’s always more muslin.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. You can always make another one. And if you’re having to do that kind of stuff, it means that it didn’t fit very well, so it’s really a good thing that you’re doing it, right?

Caroline: Exactly.

Helen: Making a muslin is kind of like hedging your bets that, you know, if you’re going to like the final garment or not. So even before you cut into your final fabric, you’ll have a good idea of how it will look because you’ve made the muslin. So it’s a nice interim step.

Caroline: Mm hmm. And another reason to make muslins is that they are great for practicing construction techniques, especially if you’re a beginner. You might want to, like, kind of go through some of the process of sewing the garment before you actually make it in your real, precious fabric and try some of the finer details that you’ve never tried before. The first collar or sleeve placket is like the first pancake. It’s always a little messed up. So do your learning on the muslin and then use your shiny new skill on the final garment.

Helen: Yeah, I think this is an underrated benefit of sewing a muslin for sure, especially if you’re the kind of person who likes to go rogue with the pattern instructions. This can be a good way to keep on track and experience sewing the garment before you reach for the precious fabric.

Caroline: Yeah, totally.

Helen: Okay, so those were a lot of benefits of making muslins, or “pros,” if you will. So what about some “cons?” Are there negatives to making a muslin?

Caroline: I mean, yeah. ‘Cause I will avoid it if I can.

Helen: You’re like, “There must be, because I don’t want to do it.”

Caroline: Well, the obvious would be sometimes you just don’t feel like it. Making muslins isn’t what I would call the fun part of sewing. It can be pretty boring.

Helen: Yeah, sometimes you do just want to, like, throw caution to the wind and go for it.

Caroline: Yeah, take that risk.

Helen: Making muslins takes time and energy. And most of us have limited time to sew, so the thought of spending it working on a muslin can feel kind of annoying. Especially if you are on a deadline and you want to wear your new garment, like, this weekend, or for your trip that leaves tomorrow. Caroline, sound familiar?

Caroline: That feels like a personal attack, but okay. Making muslins also costs money, especially if you need certain fabrics. Old bed sheets or deep discount fabrics don’t cost a lot, but you can’t use those for every muslin. So, for example, to make a muslin for a swimsuit, you would need fabric with the same weight and stretch percentage. So basically just more yardage of the final fabric. And that is especially the case for certain types of knit garments or specialty kind of garments. So that can be expensive. It’s not cheap. So that’s something to keep in mind too.

Helen: Yeah, totally. And it’s an interesting balancing act because, of course, if you’re not making muslins then I think you end up with more garments that you don’t wear, which you also spent money on. So it’s a way that you can make sure that the fabric that you did invest in ends up being what you want it to be. But you do need this additional fabric to make that happen. So, I don’t know, if it’s like a chicken and egg situation or what, but…

Caroline: I know. It’s kind of an argument for like what we said earlier. Just stock up on those, like, discount bolts of fabric in like different weights and stretches and types and then you’ll kind of have, like, a little stash of muslin fabrics that you can use. Because it does get expensive, especially with things like swim fabrics. They can be, you know, $30, $40 a yard sometimes and you only need maybe a yard to make a swimsuit. But then you might need to get another yard to muslin it.

Helen: Yeah.

Helen: It’s true. And like, can you really muslin a swimsuit? That’s a garment that I would make a wearable muslin for because you have to, like, put in the lining and the finishing to actually evaluate the fit properly. So at that point you’re making the whole swimsuit.

Caroline: It’s kind of like a bra, right?

Helen: Exactly. You really can’t just, like, make the cup part and hold it up and know if it fits. You’ve got to make the band and the straps and all of that. Another con for making muslins is that evaluating fit can be very confusing. It is a skill that you can build up with time and effort and learning resources, but it can also be overwhelming when you first start working on it. So if you’re new to sewing and you make your first muslin, you’re standing in the mirror looking at all of these weird lines and wrinkles, and it’s just like, okay, now what? I don’t know what to do!

Caroline: yeah, you’re like, can I phone a friend? Where’s my lifeline?

Helen: Exactly. But that’s where having books like Fit for Real People or something like that on hand, you can, you know, look up the lines that you’re seeing and try to figure out what’s happening. But yeah, it is overwhelming and it is a skill that needs to be built up. So that can be a con is just feeling like, yeah, you don’t have the skills required to actually translate what you’re seeing on the muslin to the final garment.

Caroline: Yeah , it’s so true. But you have to do it to be able to develop the skills. So don’t be intimidated, folks! I feel like if you’re wanting to, like, continue your sewing journey and build your skills, fitting is a big one that can make your garments more wearable in the end, if you’re able to figure out how to get that fit perfect for your body. So it’s worth the effort, I would say.

Helen: I mean, I think so.

Caroline: Okay, we have a couple more notes about muslins in general. If you’re confident a garment will fit well, you might want to skip the muslin.

Helen: Yeah, garments with a forgiving fit like knits or oversized tops, boxy dresses don’t usually need a ton of fine tuning. You’re probably good to go making an educated guess based on the size chart and the finished garment measurement chart.

Caroline: Yeah, and if you know that a certain pattern company’s garments always fit you well, you can probably skip the muslin. I know I have that with a couple pattern companies where I’m like, “Okay, I know I just need to lengthen by an inch and grade between these two sizes and the fit’s always good.” If you learn that about a company then just go with it.

Helen: Yeah, and you can even compare patterns that you already own to see if one is going to fit you. You’re like, “I really like the fit of this bodice.” Put it up next to your new bodice that you’re working on and see what the differences are. There will be differences, so don’t be alarmed. It not necessarily means that it’s, like, not going to fit. But it is a good way for you to evaluate whether you’re heading in the right direction.

Caroline: Mmhmm.

Helen: And not all adjustments have to be made before you cut out the final garment. Some of them can be made during the sewing process. So in some cases you might not need to muslin because you can make adjustments to things like the fit through the side seams to get like a smaller or larger fit, especially if you have, you know, ⅝” seam allowance. If you let that out over several seams that actually amounts to a lot. So there’s some wiggle room for sure when you’re doing your construction. And if you notice something’s off, you can rip out stitches and you can fix it. And you can wiggle room a little bit here and there. But generally, you’re taking seams in and out with making adjustments while you’re sewing the final garment. So there’s some limitations there for sure.

Caroline: Yeah, for sure. Okay, you may want to consider making muslins if your bust, waist, and hip measurements fit into different sizes according to the pattern size chart. Especially if you’re jumping across two or more sizes.

Helen: You might want to consider making muslins if ready-to-wear clothes never fit you right.

Caroline: If you are often disappointed by the fit of your me-mades.

Helen: Maybe you often get frustrated when sewing and find yourself making construction mistakes or getting confused by instructions.

Caroline: And, finally, if you’re interested in improving your fitting and pattern alteration skills.

Helen: Yes, muslins can truly help with all of these things and can be quite liberating. I know we talked a little bit about our muslining experiences, Caroline, but are you feeling any differently about it after that conversation?

Caroline: No. I mean, I think the long and short of it is that I make muslins when I feel like I absolutely need to. For example, with my wedding dress, I made many, many muslins. If I can help it, I usually won’t muslin the whole garment. I’ll just do like the shell of the garment or the part that I’m unsure about. So for example, on a dress with, like, a full skirt, like my wedding dress. The thing that I spent a lot of time muslining was the bodice because that was the fitted part of the garment. Or for pants, I would just muslin, like, the pant legs and the waistband. I wouldn’t do the pockets or the fly. I just do it as quick and dirty as humanly possible. And if I’m not making a wearable muslin and I’m using, like, actual muslin fabric that I won’t be able to reuse, I’ll do it as quick as possible. It’s not my favourite part of the process, but I recognize that it’s necessary sometimes and I absolutely see the value in it because I’ve definitely been in situations that you’ve even witnessed where I’ve muslined something and I do have to make a lot of adjustments and I probably would have ruined, like, a really good garment if I hadn’t done it.

Helen: Yeah. Disasters can be avoided.

Caroline: What about you?

Helen: Well, as I mentioned before, I love a muslin and, uh, I do enjoy doing it for our pattern samples as well. I think it’s really cool to kind of see a design in a stripped down, like, neutral state. It’s almost like a blank slate and it can make it a lot easier to evaluate things like fit and proportions when there isn’t a fabric to distract the eye. A lot of the clothes I make these days are from our existing pattern collection. So I already know that they fit. But when it comes to new patterns, I generally will muslin. The only exception would be, like, something loose or, like, a knit garment. But as I mentioned earlier, like, I’m well set up for that. And I think one of the things that has made a difference for me for making more muslins is just having muslin. Like when I first started sewing I never had it or I didn’t have enough of it or it was, like, this sort of precious thing that I had in my stash. Or I’m like, “Well, I only have a couple yards of muslin. Do I want to use it for this project?” It sounds silly but it’s just not something I encountered, like, that often at fabric stores or, for whatever reason, I just didn’t have it. But now I have a whole bolt of it on hand so I can always just whip up a muslin without worrying about using it up. Maybe there’s listeners out there who can relate to never having muslin on hand.

Caroline: I don’t know about you, but I always used to have this, like, Bin of Muslin Doom that was just, like, scraps of muslin from like previous toiles that I had made that I’m like, “I surely will reuse this someday.” And then I have to go through it and be like, “Is this piece big enough? Is this piece big enough?” Like, they’re all different weights, like, they all smell kind of weird. I’m like, “No, I don’t want to go in there.”

Helen: Yeah, and at that point it does feel like a lot of work. It’s a daunting task, whereas just like whipping out the bolt is, yeah, it’s easy peasy.

Caroline: Yeah. It makes you feel like a fancy designer, which I guess you are!

Helen: I know! I totally don’t think of myself as a fashion designer, which is funny because I am.

Caroline: Yeah, it’s true, you are. And I hadn’t thought about the pattern side of it because I’ve only been doing BF Patterns for like a year and a half. And, like, honestly, we have so many samples and so, so much stuff and that we have to figure out what to do with. But yeah, owning a pattern company can really generate a lot of muslins.

Helen: That’s a big part of the process.

Caroline: Because they’re necessary. All right. Before we get into the steps of making a muslin, we’re going to take a quick break.

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Caroline: And we are back! Now we’re going to walk you through every step of making a muslin.

Helen: Every step.

Caroline: Get ready, folks.

Helen: First, you’re gonna need some of that muslin fabric we’re talking about to make your muslin out of. So one option, of course, is to use the traditional muslin fabric. Now, it does come in different weights, so keep your eye out for that because there’s lightweight muslin and then there’s like heavyweight stuff that could be almost like rough to the touch, like more like a canvas situation. So you want to be using the muslin that’s going to work best for you. Muslin is generally less expensive per yard than most fabrics, but there is varying degrees of price point on muslins, depending on where you get it from. So try to find a good price point and try to match the weight of your muslin to the fabric that you’re going to be using if you can. You might want to have a couple of different weights of muslin on hand. And it doesn’t have a print so you can see all your markings clearly. And that is really helpful. Like I said earlier, you don’t want to be distracted by the fabric. Sometimes when you’re working with a bed sheet, you know, you don’t really have a choice in the matter. It might have a crazy Ikea geometric print on it and that’s just how it is.

Caroline: It’s true. If you’re using, like, a print, let’s say you found a bolt of, like, printed cotton or something, you could try using it wrong side out so that you can still make those markings and the print won’t be as distracting. Because really you’re just using it for the fabric and not the print. But we do have alternative ideas to traditional muslin. So, like we’ve mentioned, thrifted sheets are a great option. You can use stash fabrics. I’m a big fan of that. Hand-me-down fabrics you never want to wear. And deep discount fabrics. Look out for those.

Helen: Yes, if someone’s de-stashing and giving away fabric, that’s a great place to get your hands on some muslin fabric. Ideally, your muslin fabric will be similar to your final fabric. So, for example, if you’re making a chiffon dress, you want a lightweight and drapey muslin fabric. It’s going to give you a much better idea of how the final garment is going to look and fit. You could still work out a lot of fit issues using a mid weight cotton muslin fabric in that situation. But we’re just talking ideals here. So, you know, you got to use what you have.

Caroline: And if you’re making a muslin for a knit garment, you will want the muslin fabric to have a very similar weight and stretch percentage. This is why it’s usually not practical to make a muslin for knits, but sometimes it’s necessary.

Helen: Yeah, and sometimes can have a knit that’s only $10 a yard that you make the shirt out of first before you use the $20-a-yard one. Strategies.

Caroline: Mmhmm.

Helen: You can buy muslin fabric lots of different places: indie fabric shops, chain fabric stores, sellers on Etsy, even at Blackbird. I know you guys have a classic cotton muslin, Caroline. Would you say that’s, like, a pretty standard medium weight cotton muslin?

Caroline: Yeah. we went for something that was, like, as middle-of-the-road basic as we could find. Kind of what you think of when you think of a classic muslin.

Helen: Yeah, that will work for most things. Core Fabrics also sells an organic cotton muslin. Mood has several weights of muslin available. As I mentioned earlier, investing in a bolt can be a great idea if you make a lot of muslins. It is less expensive than buying it by the yard. I buy mine from HomeTex and we’ll put a link in the show notes.

Caroline: Yeah. Even if, like, you obviously are not usually buying from a wholesale company, you might be able to buy a bolt of muslin because they might have, like, a minimum spend or something. So check out if you have, like, a local fabric warehouse or something and call them up and see if you can get a bolt of muslin from them.

Helen: Yeah, I used to buy a muslin also from Wawak. They sell, like, little five yard bundles.

Caroline: Yeah, or wait for, like, a sale. Like sometimes your local fabric store will have a sale, big sale twice a year, and like wait for that and stock up on all your basics like muslin. Okay, next up, you’re going to want to figure out what size to cut. So even though you’ll be able to make adjustments to your muslin, you should still take accurate measurements of yourself and compare them to the size chart and the finished garment measurements. And your muslin will be more successful if you choose your size based on your best guess.

Helen: Yeah, and you can make certain adjustments before you cut out your muslin. For example, you can grade between the waist and hips if those fall into different sizes. You could make a full bust adjustment if your cup size is bigger than the one the pattern is drafted for. You can adjust the rise if you’re taller than the pattern was drafted for, or shorter. Those are all pretty standard ones that you can do before you even get started, which can give you a leg up.

Caroline: And think about what it is you want to test out before you make your muslin. Is it to check the fit through the torso and arms? Is it the style? Is it the proportions of the details? This is probably going to impact how you approach it.

Helen: And then once you’ve figured out what you’re actually looking at or looking for, you can only cut out what you need. So if you’re muslining a jacket, for example, to check the fit, make the shorter view, not the longer one. This saves you a little bit of fabric. Maybe you want to check the rise and crotch on a pair of pants. Just make the shorts view. Maybe you don’t need the whole leg.

Caroline: Mhm, and like with my wedding dress, if you want to fit a dress with a gathered skirt, you can just muslin the bodice part because a gathered skirt is loose. It’s gonna fit you no matter what.

Helen: Yeah, that would be a bit of a waste of muslin. Although you could probably reuse it because it’s just a big rectangle.

Caroline: True, yeah, if you want to get a sense of like the proportions or the length as well or something like that.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. You also want to make sure you’re cutting and sewing your pieces accurately. Muslining can be a bit of a quick-and-dirty process but it is still important to make sure you cut and sew accurately so that you have the right information to transfer to your pattern.

Caroline: It’s so true. This is an aside, but sometimes with BF Patterns, we, like, agonize over, like, a quarter inch there, a quarter inch here. And then we laugh because we’re like,
“When we cut out a personal project, like, I’ll go a quarter inch off and I won’t even worry about it. So does this even matter?” I don’t know, but it is important, especially if you’re checking the fit, to try to be accurate. You can add extra seam allowance to your pieces as well. So an inch of seam allowance is going to give you some room to play with if you need to let things out or move things around. And this is especially true if you’re making a wearable muslin.

Helen: And we’ve already talked about this a little bit, but you can mark up your muslin. So here’s some marks you might want to make. You can draw the seam lines on both the paper pattern pieces and on the muslin pieces. It’s a good idea to transfer notches and other markings like pocket placement too. Drawing in the seam lines is helpful if you’re adding a lot of extra seam allowance so you always can be able to see where the stitching is supposed to go.

Caroline: Yeah, and you also want to mark your balance lines and grain line. Alexandra Morgan talked to us about this in her episode, so we’re going to link that in the show notes if you want to go back and learn about it. But balance lines go perpendicular to the grain. For a top, Alexandra likes to mark them at the bust, waist, and hips. And the position of these lines is going to give you info about whether you need to lengthen or shorten. You can draw the grainline down the center front and center back for a top or skirt and down the center of each leg for pants. You don’t want the grainline or balance lines to tilt, so if they are, you may need an adjustment. And on the other hand, if your lines are balanced, make sure your adjustments don’t tilt them. So that’s a really helpful tool when you’re making those fit adjustments.

Helen: Yeah, definitely. And you don’t need to use removable marking tools unless you’re making a wearable muslin. You can use regular markers, pens, I use a sharpie a lot of the time because it’s really bold and I can see it. If you want, you can use one colour for your original markings and seam lines and then maybe switch to another colour when you start making changes so that you can kind of see your process as it evolves and keep track of what you’re doing.

Caroline: And you want to draw all of your initial markings on before you baste together your muslin. This is way easier when the pieces are flat.

Helen: And if you’re not sewing details like pockets, you can just mark those on. I do that all the time. It’s like, “Chest pocket is gonna go here,” and I’ll just draw it with sharpie so that I can look at where it sits on the body without having to actually sew the pocket.

Caroline: Yeah, totally. Which kind of brings us to our next point. You can skip those details most of the time. So for example, if you’re interested in fitting a garment around your torso, you can skip pockets, cuffs, hems, and collars. And you can also do things part way, like pressing up the hem of a top instead of stitching it, or drawing on the placement of patch pockets instead of cutting them out of fabric.

Helen: Yeah, it’s a fun, like, process to figure out what you can get away with.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: “What do I need to do?” If you do specifically want to check the fit of a neck, then you do want to include the collar. That would be an important part to include. So it is a balance of what you’re trying to achieve. And another exception is if you wanted to practice a specific detail or technique, like you want to sew the sleeve placket so you get a chance to actually give that a go on your practice version before you jump to your final one.

Caroline: Mmhmm. It’s really going to depend on, like, what your goal is in the muslining process, I think. The next step is to assemble your muslin. So this goes much more quickly than assembling a final garment. Woohoo!

Helen: Yes, it can be so fun to sew a muslin. Use basting stitches to make your sewing really fast. So, nice long stitches. You’re going to be flying through that machine. These are also really easy to rip out if you want to make changes. You can keep your seam ripper nearby or if it’s a really stable muslin, you can just rip it and the stitches pop right out. And I love doing that.

Caroline: I do, too. And I will say, like, it’s a fun time to practice machine speed too. Like, if you’re a beginner and you’re afraid of going fast, just, like, freaking go for it with the muslin. But make sure that you’re accurate, because a quarter inch extra in your seam allowance is going to add up to an inch all around on, like, a basic skirt or something. So you really want to make sure that you’re trying to keep it accurate regardless of how fast you’re going.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Another thing you can do is skip the seam finishes. So you don’t need to serge or finish your seams in any way. If you’re using muslin fabric, you don’t need to bind necklines or arm holes. You can even cut the seam allowance away from these areas if you want to get a true sense of the proportion. Same goes for the hem.

Caroline: So, for example, if you aren’t adding your, whatever, collar or neck band, you can just trim off that edge so that you know exactly where it’s going to end.

Helen: Mmhmm. And it can make a big difference. Like, imagine you’re sewing a simple shell tank and you make the muslin and you’re basically just like, shoulder seams, side seams, darts, and then you put it on and it looks kind of, like, chunky and weird. It’s, like, too wide or, like, it just doesn’t look quite right. Because it doesn’t have those armhole finishings or neckline finishings. So trimming off that seam allowance will give you a better sense for the proportions of the garment. So that is a good thing to keep in mind. You can also staystitch those areas too so they don’t get stretched out. Things like necklines, armholes, you want to be finishing them, eventually, with a binding, but when you’re doing the muslining process you’re not going to be finishing them. So they could get stretched out when you’re trying them on.

Caroline: Yeah, same thing with pants, like, or skirts at the waistline. If you aren’t going to attach a waistband, definitely stay stitch because that will stretch out very easily as you’re putting it on and off. Especially if you’re checking the fit.

Helen: Yeah, I remember, Caroline, when we did our jeans sewing workshop with Lauren Taylor at Camp Workroom Social, saying really adamantly, is that you cannot muslin jeans without a waistband. Like, you can’t just sew the pants and like put them on and actually assess the fit. The waistband is essential because it holds that waist in and actually it gives you a much better sense of the fit. And you’re going to get it all stretched out if you don’t have it on there. So there’s no point.

Caroline: And whatever Lauren Taylor tells me to do, I will do.

Helen: Yes, it’s the law.

Caroline: It’s the law.

Helen: You also might think because you’re muslining and you’re going fast that you don’t need to press, but I think pressing is still pretty important with a muslin. You do want to press at least with your fingers to get those seams to look flat, because this can really impact the look and the fit. It’s hard enough to evaluate fit on muslins, so do yourself a favour and press so that everything’s looking nice and flat.

Caroline: Yeah, definitely. Okay. Next up, it’s trying it on. So take a look in the mirror and take some photos. A tripod and a timer is going to give you a good view. Or better yet, get a friend to take photos of you, front, side, and back.

Helen: Yes, and this can be a little bit of a strange experience because muslins never look good.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: So if you’re, like, you’re going through all this trouble to make a muslin, you’re like, “I’m going to do what Helen said, I’m going to make the muslin.” And then you put it on, you look in the mirror. You’re like, “Well, that looks terrible.”

Caroline: Yeah, there’s something about seeing a butt like straight on, particularly your own butt straight on, where you’re like, “Oh wait, those are folds that I, like, didn’t even know could be real.”

Helen: Expect a lot of wrinkles…

Caroline: “Where is all that fabric going?”

Helen: Yeah. Yes. Yes. It’s a weird thing, evaluating fit and really looking at photos, especially of fit. And so, we’re going to talk about that, evaluating your muslin. Here’s a few outcomes that can happen with your first try-on. I mean, maybe it’s perfect and it doesn’t need any changes, and you’re like, “This looks so good. I am ready for my fabric.” It’s rare, but it’s very exciting. So you just get to move on.

Caroline: Honestly, if I made a muslin and it was absolutely perfect, I would, like, pop a bottle of champagne, buy a lottery ticket, like, pat myself on the back. I won at life. Like, it’s pretty rare. Especially with muslin fabric, you can just see everything. So yeah, if that’s you, good for you. It might also seem like your garment needs a couple of changes, but you like the overall style and you are pretty sure you can make it perfect. So now you can start working on those adjustments one at a time.

Helen: Another situation is that the fit is very off, and there are several paths that you can take in this situation. You could cut out a new muslin according to a different size. A lot of times, changing size can solve quite a few issues with fit, especially if it feels really tight or if it’s looking really baggy. So that’s both good indications that you just need a different size and then everything could be totally different. You could make the first adjustment or two and see if they help. Generally, rule of thumb is that you want to make one adjustment at a time and see what kind of impact it has before you make others, because they all affect each other. And then you could also just decide that the pattern doesn’t work for you, you’re not really that interested, and you can move on.

Caroline: Yeah, it is okay to move on. You might realize that you don’t like the style of the garment and that’s also good. You saved yourself the trouble of making something that you’re not into. So in the end, I think that’s a big W.

Helen: Yes, definitely. Okay, a quick note about muslin fabric. We talked about how things can look kind of terrible and they can also feel kind of terrible because muslin is an extremely unforgiving fabric. It has zero stretch, like zero. It gives less than almost any fashion fabric. So keep that in mind. I have made muslins where things felt a bit snug or maybe for pants, like, I couldn’t crouch down. Like, everything is, like, very tight and stiff. And then in the final fashion fabric, like a denim, there’s enough give in that fabric for you to move your body. So fabric choice can change the fit. And this ultimately is going to come down to experimentation and practice and experience and your ability to evaluate, you know, what is a fit issue and what is the fact that the muslin has no give.

Caroline: Yeah. And just generally speaking, like, muslin fabric just kind of looks terrible. Like, it never really, you’re never looking at a muslin and being like, wow, I would wear that in public. 100%. I mean, every jacket I’ve ever muslined looks like a lab coat. Blouses look like tents. It takes practice to learn how to look past the fabric and see the fit or the style.

Helen: Yes, the lab coat phenomenon. It’s really hard whenever we’re working on a jacket for Helen’s Closet. It’s just like, muslins! I’m just like, “This looks so bad. Like, this just is giving lab coat realness. It’s not cute.” But then you make it in a nice fabric and boom. Amazing. Another note is that drag lines tend to be more pronounced. And this is a good thing because it means that you can see them. You can spot them from a mile off, but it can be also really tempting to overfit. So try to look for the bigger drag lines and look past the little ones. Focus on the big things first. There’s definitely going to be some wrinkles here and there. We were talking about the butt. You’re going to see a lot more lines than you’ll probably see in a fashion fabric. So keep that in mind And just focus on the big areas where there’s gaping or things like that.

Caroline: And remember that some lines are okay. Like, you need to be able to move around in your garment. So there will be folds in the fabric. There will be extra space. Like, try your best not to overfit because then you’re going to run into different issues.

Helen: Yes, exactly.

Caroline: The next step is to make those changes to your muslin. So one of the best things about muslins is that they’re not supposed to fit the first time. So don’t feel bad if you need to make adjustments. That’s what muslins are for. It’s not finished yet.

Helen: And you may want to have some fitting resources on hand to make sense of what you’re seeing. We’re not going to be able to get into every adjustment today, obviously, but we do have some resources to recommend. The Palmer Plestch Complete Guide to Fitting is a great book on fitting bodices, sleeves, and skirts. And Pants for Real People by the same authors is all about fitting pants.

Caroline: Seamwork has a ton of adjustment tutorials and they’ve actually collected them in one big fitting guide, so we’re going to link that and all the resources we mentioned in this episode in the show notes.

Helen: Past guest Alexandra Morgan has a lot of video tutorials for adjustments and fitting techniques on her website, In-House Patterns Studio, and I think she also runs workshops, which is pretty cool.

Caroline: Sometimes pattern companies will make tutorials for common adjustments using the exact same pattern that you are, so keep an eye out for those. They’ll make your job way easier.

Helen: And here’s some general ways that you can make changes to your muslin. You can take the seams in and you can let the seams out.

Caroline: You can pinch out fabric to add a dart.

Helen: You could cut into the fabric and see if it relaxes the fit in a certain area.

Caroline: Yes, you can also slash the muslin and add more fabric. Helen, you did this with Sam’s Yantas, right?

Helen: Yes, and I took a bunch of pictures because it was such a fun process fitting the Yantas for him. And he loves them. They fit like a glove. So it really paid off. So on our website you can go and see the muslins that I made for him and places where we slashed it open to add more length and things like that.

Caroline: Yeah, and I did this with my Yates coat back in the day when we were…oh my gosh, it’s bringing back memories…because we made coats in my old office!

Helen: Right, how old were we, like, 12?

Caroline: Like 20 maybe?

Caroline: But it was a while ago, and I remember that slashing technique worked wonders because it just allowed me to know exactly how much fabric I needed to add. And I was able to sort of, like, move around with that additional sort of slash in the fabric that I pinned in to make sure that it fit. And that’s a, it’s a really, really great technique if you’re, especially if you’re newer to fitting.

Helen: Yeah, and you can, like you said, pin it in or you can sew it in. And when you’re sewing into a slashed area, you don’t need to sew a seam necessarily. You can just overlap the fabrics and, like, slap them together with some basting stitches. Just to, like, get a look, right? Also, you can replace things like sleeves or collars to try a totally different style. Maybe it’s just not working for you. Maybe you want to try a totally different sleeve. I love that.

Caroline: Ooh, do you remember one of my first wedding dress muslins? I did, like, two different sleeves because I wanted to see which one I liked better. So each side had a different sleeve and that was really helpful if you’re not sure, like, what view of a pattern you want to make. Let’s say if there’s, like, different sleeve options. You can do one of each and see which one you like better.

Helen: Yeah. It’s really cute. It’s like a little franken-sleeve situation. Like, “Turn this way! Now turn this way!”

Caroline: It’s also a good practice to make one change at a time. I think we mentioned this already, but it’s worth stressing again. This is so that you have a clear idea of what changes are working. So start your adjustments at the top of the garment and move down. Fixing one fit issue can solve the others below it. So just take your time, do it one at a time. Max two at a time.

Helen: We’ve all broken that rule, right? We’re like, “Yes, one at a time, except also I’m going to do this other one as well.”

Caroline: Yeah, I think if they’re, like, very unrelated, like, for me, if I was, like, making a jumpsuit and I needed to, like, lengthen the rise and also do something in the shoulder area. I might like do both of those at once, but I don’t know.

Helen: Yeah, I would.

Caroline: I would. Let’s be real.

Helen: I would. If the changes you need to make are major, you might need to make another muslin and that’s okay. It’s actually kind of fun to just, like, evaluate the fit of this one and move right on to the next one. You can even do it the same session if you have the time, which can be kind of exciting.

Caroline: And make sure that you’re documenting the changes that you make as you make them. You might be able to remember, but it’s best not to take the chance. I know I’ve been there.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Just write it all down.

Helen: Right? It is really important because it does start to get quite confusing, especially if you start making more and more adjustments and then you just can’t remember which one worked. So you can take photos and notes. You can write down what you did and why. This will help you when it’s time to make the final changes to your pattern.

Caroline: And these are also great details to include if and when you share your make online so other sewists can get an idea of what adjustments they might need to make or just get inspired by your fitting journey.

Helen: Definitely. Finally, we have reached the end of our muslining journey, and the final step is to transfer those changes to your pattern. Some changes are easier to transfer than others. So, for example, if you shortened the waist by half an inch, you can make that adjustment to your paper pattern pieces just by slashing and overlapping.

Caroline: For more complex adjustments like a change in dart shape, you might want to use carbon paper and a tracing wheel. So the layers would go: paper pattern on the bottom, carbon paper with the colour side down, and then muslin. And then line up the muslin with the pattern piece and use the tracing wheel to transfer the markings.

Helen: It’s also possible to use the muslin as your pattern and skip the paper pattern pieces completely. Heather Lou wrote about it on the Closet Core blog, so we’ll link that up. She learned it from Susan Khalje. You can transfer all the markings from the paper pattern to the muslin fabric when you first cut it out, and then you draw on the seam lines, balance lines, grain lines. Finally, you stitch along the seam lines. This stabilizes the fabric so it holds the correct shape. And then when you’re finished adjusting your muslin, you just take it apart, press it, and then you’re using the muslin pieces as if they were your pattern.

Caroline: That’s a really cool technique.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: So that’s the muslin process from beginning to end. See, it’s not so bad.

Helen: It really isn’t. I know we said it’s not the most fun part of sewing, but it has potential to be fun. I have had fun making muslins. It can be a very freeing experience, a very exciting learning experience. It makes me feel very designer-y, very, like, couture house ooh-la-la.

Caroline: Ooh-la-la!

Helen: Like, throwing fabric around, like, “No! Not good enough! Make another one.”

Caroline: “More muslin! I need more! Bring me the bolt!”

Helen: Yes, exactly. And I love the results you get when you spend the time getting the fit and design right. You end up with something in your wardrobe that truly fits and really is exactly what you wanted. And that’s pretty rewarding.

Caroline: It’s so rewarding. Yeah. so give it a try.

Helen: Yeah. Okay. We’re so excited to be back. We’ll talk to you next week!

Caroline: Bye! That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me, Caroline, at Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns and Helen at Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co. We are recording today in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.

Helen: You can support Love to Sew and get access to bonus content by subscribing on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. You even get access to the back catalogue of bonus episodes and that’s over 75 hours of Love to Sew. So go to patreon.com/lovetosew or check out our podcast page on Apple Podcasts for more info.

Caroline: You can head to lovetosewpodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. Lisa does such a good job with our show notes. And if you’d like to get in touch with us, please leave us a message. You can call us at 1-844-SEW-WHAT. That’s 1-844-739-9428. We love hearing your voices. Or send us an email at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com.

Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team. Lisa Ruiz is our creative assistant. Jordan Moore of The Pod Cabin is our editor. And Margaret Wakelee is our transcriber. And thank you for listening. We will talk to you next week.

Caroline: Bye bye.

Helen: Bye.

 

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