How do you feel about wearable muslins?
It’s a thing in the sewing community to make your first attempt of a garment in a slightly, what? cheaper? less-liked? fabric in case it doesn’t work out. After that first attempt, you’re supposed to work out the fit and construction details and sew it up in the fabric you actually wanted to make the garment out of.
Except that you still wear the first garment. And you tell everyone who follows you “it’s my wearable muslin”. As in “Oh, this ol’ thing? It’s just my wearable muslin”
Ok, cut the crap. You know you want that first try to be good enough to wear. That’s why you make it in a wearable fabric, with facings, pockets, topstitching, hems, and all the things you don’t do when you make a muslin.
People, that’s too much pressure. Or at least it is for folks like me who sometimes feel the expectation of others as an obligation. (Thank you, Gretchen Rubin, for pointing that out)
I felt this pressure, and yesterday a big lightening bolt shot down from the sky (figuratively) and put me straight.
I’m about to sew a dress in a beautiful, vintage brocade that my mom gave me when she was clearing her fabric stash. I’m sewing it for the #madelikemaisel Instagram challenge a friend started and possibly, err probably, Frocktails (coming to Asheville, NC in August!). This means there is a deadline to this project and an accountability aspect which if external expectations didn’t mean so much to me I could just let slide.
I’m looking at this pattern I’ve never sewn before and I start to think, “I know, I’ll make a wearable muslin!”
(Now, follow my logic here. The temptation of a wearable muslin is strong, I understand how we think this is a good idea.)
I’ll make it in a more casual fabric, work out the fit and, you know, I’m sure it will fit fine, right out of the envelope (WHO was I talking to?)
I chose some linen I bought online but was too heavy for what I thought I would sew in it. It would be perfect for this dress. And then I’ll have two dresses! I was so excited.
As I turned on the iron to press that linen (first step to cutting it) I started to think what size would be best to cut out if I’m going to possibly be making fitting adjustments?
Well, what adjustments might have to be made? Hmmm, I suspect I’ll need to adjust the shoulder line forward about 1/4″. I’ll probably need to subtract some length from bust to waistline, and I might need a small full bust adjustment.
Then the lightening bolt.
Goodness gracious, girl! Just get out the muslin! There’s no pressure. Mess up the muslin all you want. That’s what it’s for, right? How many times do you need to learn this lesson?
Please, let’s not have to go through the sewing-blues again after your wearable muslin turns out to be not so wearable.
The voice of reason and sewing sense was heard. I’m cutting out the dress (just past the hips) out of muslin. I’m only cutting out the main pieces and the collar to see if I like the collar option or not. And I’ll cut the pattern out as it is, in the size the envelope says I need. I’ll sew up the darts, shoulder and side seams. Put it on. Pin up the side zipper opening and check the mirror.
Shoulder seam sitting right or do I need to move it forward? By how much?
Is the fit across the bust good? How about the waist and hips? Is the waist sitting at my waist or too low as per usual?
Then. I will adjust the pattern. If I don’t have too many changes I may go ahead and cut it out of the brocade. I may have to make another muslin. I’ll see when I get there.
But this I know, a “wearable muslin” is not a muslin. It’s a garment. And some garments need to be made in muslin before they are made in wearable fabric.
If, after the brocade dress is made, I want, I can make the dress again in the linen. After all, the fit will be worked out and that’s certainly the hardest part.
6 Comments on Wearable Muslin?
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I like the idea another blog ahead of using old sheets to make a muslin. No facings just sewing up darts (on the wrong side to make adjustments easier) and shoulder and side seams sewn up – definitely no zips. Just leave one seam open so you can get into it and pin it up. I haven’t tried this yet but I think I will for my next project. It would make it so much easier to see how big a FBA is needed and also I would be able to check the length as well. I would definitely alter the length before cutting it out because I’m so short. I would definitely need it.
My last wearable muslin was extremely ugly. I still wear it but it’s got funny darts added here and there. It needed so many alterations I actually haven’t made the pattern up again. But I probably should. I really don’t make like making the same pattern twice. Which is probably why a wearable muslin is so tempting.
Yes, It’s so tempting. All of my “wearable muslins” are now cut into quilt pieces or similar (except a couple of skirts which are pretty easy to fit from the get-go). And you’re correct about making a muslin. It isn’t a fully constructed garment; no facings, no pockets, no buttons. Details like button and pockets can be drawn or pinned on if you want to check placement, but you’re just sewing the minimum to check the fit, length, over-all appeal 😉 of the garment.
If you do get all the fit worked out it makes any time you sew the pattern again so much easier and quicker – but I too rarely sew a pattern twice. I’m just ready to make something new.
I think there’s such a thing as a wearable muslin. Did you ever sew up a muslin, make the ‘aha’ changes, then proceed to your final fabric and discover there were some issues that you didn’t discover? I did. Because when you ‘wear’ the garment, it can be different from how it looks when you are standing in front of the mirror.
So I have been doing like a muslin+ that I can wear around the house (or under a coat). Of course it probably depends on how complex your mock up is. So far I’ve done a pull-over blouse (armpits too tight), put in a zipper for the fastening a dress, not sure if I’d mock up buttons…too much work. After a few hours of wearing, I discover things in the wearing fit; the wear shows on the muslin in the form of pull lines in armpits and crotches tells me additional stories.
This is a good point. You do need to move around in your muslin, sit, reach with your arms, squat whatever action you plan to do in the finished garment. I really like your tip about wearing the muslin for a few hours to let the fabric “tell” you with the creases how to fix it. And I have even found that sometimes after a few wearings the style isn’t really what I want. I thought I did – I mean I liked it – I just end up not liking it on me. So then I try to change it to be more of what I wear or salvage the fabric to be something else – even a fit muslin for another project.
Thanks for the comment – very wise.
Did you make this dress in the brocade? I’d love to see it! Where would that be? Thanks so much for the explanation. I’m getting back into making some garments and it has been 30 yrs since I did that! So glad I found this page!
I never made the dress 🙁 but I still have the brocade :). I’ve actually just finished making 2 and half muslins to figure out the fit for a tailored blazer. It was a little discouraging, to make them and then see clearly they didn’t fit and that I had more work to do. But eventually, with some help from a sewing friend (lots of pictures back and forth) we figured it out. I’m glad I didn’t cut into my good wool straight away. That would have been more discouraging. (We’ve all been there, yes?) Welcome back to garment sewing! Here’s to great successes and very few mistakes!