Muslin, muslin

Posted by Alexandra at Studio Alexandra

Lindsay T muses about sewing muslin mock-ups this week. In her poll, Lindsay asks "When do you take the time to make a muslin?" My answer is for each new pattern. It saves me a lot of frustration.

I was actually thinking about it as I was working on a dress these last couple of days. You see, I made not one, but two mock-ups in muslin before cutting into the fashion fabric. I'm using a Burda WOF pattern (06/99 - #125) - a very summery sheath-style dress with short sleeves, scoop neckline and bias-cut skirt (the bodice is on the straight grain). After I traced it out, I compared it to my TNT sheath pattern. Several spots required immediate attention - square shoulders, short torso, and FBA. These are my standard alterations for most patterns. A few others weren't quite so clear. At least, I didn't know what to do about them. So I made muslin mock-up #1.

#1 looked great in the back but horribly loose in the front. I pinned out the excess ease, took off the dress, and transferred the adjustments to the paper pattern. Then I cut out muslin mock-up #2.

I know many people who think one is plenty, if not too many. In my opinion, it depends. For simple things, like taking in or letting out the side seams, sure. But if there are any wedge adjustments, and especially those that cross darts, I make a second mock-up. This will either confirm that my pattern is now correct and I can use the muslin pieces as a pattern, or it will reveal issues that were not apparent in the first mock-up because they were hidden or overshadowed by the already corrected problem.

#2 looked really good; the only thing that had to be fixed was the neckline width so my bra straps wouldn't show. After adjusting the paper pattern, I cut it out in the fashion fabric. I had time to sew all the darts but the rest of the sewing will have to wait until tomorrow. I have really high hopes for this pattern to become a TNT. It looks great even in muslin, imagine how it will look in a pretty fabric.

Overall, I consider sewing mock-ups part of the planning stage. They are relatively fast to sew and help ensure a good outcome. With the mileage I usually get out of my TNTs, a few hours of mock-up sewing are a small investment with a big payoff.