The good news! DH is back from Vermont with a working Subaru. Just $4.75 for the head gasket and $1855.25 for labor. Gah! That beast had better run for another 100 thousand miles. But DH is home safe and sound, which is the important thing.
Okay, so now I'm going to make a soapbox statement. It's a new year, folks, and its time to throw out some old mistaken notions. Not old thread or seam rippers - I'm talking about well meaning but wrong headed notions that one can or should make "wearable muslins" of garments.
Pfooey. There is no such thing as a wearable muslin. There are muslins, or test garments, and there are finished garments. The point of a muslin is to test out fit, proportion, style and construction. In couture, the muslin, or toile, is made of cheap unbleached cotton, or similar cheap fabric. It is used to determine fit. Once finished, it is torn apart and used as the pattern for the final garment. It is not worn.
In that vein, you should make muslins from the cheapest, ickiest, Wal-mart bargain table fabric that you can find. Make the garment, try it on, mark it up, pin it, tuck it, slash it, whatever needs to be done to make it right for you. Then take it apart and use it to make the real deal. When I hear someone say "I'm going to make it a wearable muslin" that sounds to me like "I'm willing to settle for second best." A muslin is a test garment, not the real thing. You deserve better than second best for your sewing efforts.
Now, once in a while you'll make a muslin and the stars align, the heavens open and a light shines directly on you and you look in the mirror and say, "Dayum, that looks great on me as is!" It happens. It's happened to me. Twice in my entire life. On those two occasions, I did end up with a final garment. But it wasn't a wearable muslin. It was a happy circumstance. In every other muslin I have made, I pulled it apart and used it, then I threw it out. So when you make a muslin, make a muslin. If it happens, through karmic forces and sheer dumb luck, that it turns out to be wearable, bonus!
Now get out there and sew!
2 days ago
21 comments:
Ann, I couldn't agree with you more. I could never understand the concept of a wearable muslin. A test garment is just that--a test garment. Of course, I have also made garments which were meant to be worn and ended up as muslins (aka learning experiences).
I've never gotten into the whole 'wearable muslin' thing because my fitting issues are such that in the bust and arm and hip areas, I've always ended up putting gussets, strips or pieces of fabric or whatever in order that the darn thing would fit and I could get my arms over my head.
LOL. I just commented that a wearable muslin is an oxymoron to a fellow PR members query on what she should use for a wearable muslin of an evening dress, so that it could be a sundress! I like to see my grainlines and cross grains on a muslin so I just use a sharpie and it shows through very nicely. Quick and dirty. She ignored my very sage advice to keep looking for a suitable fabric for her wearable muslin!
Truer words were never spoken. Unless the person is a slender tall mannequin (and who is?) that pattern is going to need adjustments. I always make one test, and sometimes two or three until I get the desired results.
amen sister!
I have never quite gotten this concept also. I take apart my adjusted muslins, fold them, and put them in the pattern envelope for re use. I can't understand someone wanting to walki around in cheap fabric that doesn't quite fit right. Oh, well......... A wearable muslin is like being half pregnant. Either you are or you aren't.
I so agree with this! The whole point of a muslin is to do a quick and dirty mock up to test fit only. Now, if you get all of your test fitting done and decide to make a preliminary garment afterwards, then that can be helpful. Sometimes you just can't tell until you make an actual garment. But to start out on a complex garment with the idea of making a wearable muslin is an exercise in futility (I read the same thread on PR. And some people will.not.listen! Oh well, experience is the best teacher...)
Your words ring true and actually what I need to hear this new year. I am guilty of a wearable muslin--it is my lazy way of crossing my fingers and hoping it turns out! I usually do flat measurements and changes depending on the ease I prefer on the pattern first and then go for it.
Applause!
Brava!
Applause!
Brava!
I have made what I called wearable muslins. However I have discovered this year that I never like them and then I wondered why I bothered going to all that effort for an item made out of cheap fabric that I will never like! Always use fabric you love to make the items you will wear!
What a thought-provoking post--yes, you're completely right. 'You deserve better than second best for your sewing efforts'--eureka! Thank you for posting, and telling us honestly how often a muslin actually turns into a finished garment for an advanced sewist like you, it's heartening.
Point taken. My wearable muslins were never really "wearable" anyway!
Word. It's more of an oxymoron than "jumbo shrimp"
Thanks Ann, I was thinking about jumping on the "wearable" train. You have set me straight. Now I am free of the obligation of treating icky walmart fabric like I would ever wear it. Just get the fit and get rid of it. That's my new motto.
BeckyMc
You are absolutely right, Ann. No such thing as a wearable muslin. I will refer to all my 2nd attempts as preliminary garments, because that's what they are. I skip over lots of steps making a muslin with the lines drawn all over them. The 2nd version is usually more of an instruction or technique test than a fit test, although I do use it to analyse and tweak the fit for the 3rd version. And 4th and 5th ...
So you didn't say what year Subaru Forester you have? 1999? 2000? Ours is a 2001 and has a slightly different engine design.
I honestly think the pattern companies sizing has gotten wackier in the past 10 years or so. A muslin is a total must - or failing that some very serious flat pattern measuring and adjusting.
A 'wearable muslin' is a lucky coincidence. They happen (usually for something very simple like a t-shirt). Other than luck, forgetaboutit.
They only thing I do differently is I buy the cheapest fabric that matches my real fabric in weight and feel. I made a muslin/toile made of light weight muslin for something to be made of a heavier denim. I ended up having to redo the muslin in some heavier cheapo twill to get the pattern right.
And obviously a pattern made for 'knits only' is going to need a knit muslin. Okay this wasn't so obvious to me when I was a youngin'
Bless bargain bins. Fabrics of all weights can be had very, very cheaply to the bargain shopper.
HA! I agree completely - except that I don't throw my muslins away, I use them for car wash rags. ;-)
I am So with you on this. My muslin have (and will always be) "bedsheets and basting stitches"! It's a good thing I've got a use for them, because our boat came with about 4 garbage bags full of single bed sheets when we bought it (and we only have double beds, after ripping out all 26 bunk beds). So I've literally got muslin material to last me for years...
Word sister, my sentiments exactly
Thank you for making this point - I had considered that I do sometimes make wearable muslins, but in fact some of what I make are trial garments - I do intend them to be wearable so the fabric is acceptable, but not expensive. What I learn from the trial is then used on a more expensive version of the garment. They are second best, and intended to be so from the beginning. (The padding in my wardrobe)
Some of course are actually muslins - el-cheapo hideousness, never intended to see the light of day. I hadn't ever thought that actually, they are Absolutely Not The Same Thing!
I had never heard of this before, a 'wearable muslin'. I'm wondering is it an American concept? 'Muslin' is a term I hadn't come across until I started reading US reviews, blogs, etc on the internet (not that long ago!). That said, of course you're right: the term flies in the face of logic! I do agree with Judy Williment as well, though - I often make a test garment of less special, but perfectly wearable fabric. Uh-oh - hang on, is that a wearable muslin??! eeeeek
Love your blog, Michelle, so interesting!
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