Sewing a muslin

Sewing a muslin or test garment can seem like a waste of time, but really in the long run can save a lot of time!

For example, a couple weeks ago I sewed a dress for my daughter. I thought I knew what I was doing so I skipped the sewing a muslin thing.

Bad choice! The dress did not fit her at all. Like, truly did not fit! So I had to get creativity in high gear and make this thing work!

I managed! But the dress was barely done by the deadline!

I definitely should have sewn a muslin!

What is sewing a muslin?

A muslin is really a test garment. Muslin is cheap fabric and is easy to purchase and use. I think that is the reason for a test garment being called a muslin.

Now of course if we are using patterns that require knit fabrics we can’t use actual muslin fabric since it doesn’t have stretch. However, if you are testing a pattern that requires woven fabric then muslin would work great!

Sewing a muslin is really important when trying out a new pattern. Because really how do we know the pattern is going to fit how we like just by going by the measurements on the pattern? Each pattern has a certain amount of ease, and we need to make sure it is going to be enough for how we like our clothes to fit and feel.

How to sew a muslin

First choose fabric that is exactly what the pattern requires or exactly like the type of fabric you intend to use for the completed garment.

So if the pattern calls for knit fabric with a certain amount of stretch, make sure your test fabric is as close to that as possible.

If you have scraps lying around that are the right type go ahead and use them up! Mix and match colors and fabric patterns because it’s just a test! 😉

Here is a muslin I just did. It really is made out of muslin! 😊

Cut out the most important pattern pieces first like the bodice and skirt pieces. Cut the skirts quite short if you want to save on fabric or don’t have big enough scraps. The bust, waist and hips are the important places you want to make sure fit well. Shoulder width is important too plus sleeve width, so cutting out sleeves is a good idea.

Go ahead and use a long stitch for sewing the seams. Quality seams aren’t important here. And yes you can even skip pressing the seams. A tailored look isn’t what we are needing here either. 😉

Here is the inside of my muslin. If you look closely you can see some of the seam changes and pen markings of things I needed to change.

Adjusting your pattern

After making your test garment check all the important areas and see how they fit. Like I said before, important areas to check are bust, waist and hips. The shoulder width is also important and you’ll want to make sure the skirt length is how you like it.

Now it’s time to make adjustments to your pattern. Unless you are happy with the fit, in which case go ahead and cut out a “real” dress!

Make the neccessary adjustments to your pattern. If possible change the test garment or cut out new test pieces and sew together to make sure the adjustments you made are correct.

I traced the adjusted pattern onto fresh paper so that I had a nice pattern to work with.

Once you are happy with the fit you can happily cut out your “real” garment and sew it up!

Sewing a muslin seems like a waste of time, but really wouldn’t you rather waste time than fabric? Sewing a dress only to find it doesn’t fit, and can’t be made to fit, is a waste of good fabric. And I have done that way too many times! 🤦‍♀️

Try sewing a muslin next time you try out a new pattern. See if it doesn’t make a difference in your level of frustration! 😊

What are your frustrations when it comes to trying out a new pattern? Let me know in the comments below!