Make a toile or prototype. Because it's important

Finally you have that pattern that you had always wanted to make that garment, but when you take the pattern, open it and see it you have realized that you are a little afraid to go to the fabric. That’s why you need to make a toile

It is important to do a test on toile, which is a prototype of the final garment. It is always used with a much cheaper similar fabric or of the same properties as the final fabric.

For example, if your fabric is going to be very steamy gauze you can use a cheaper fabric like some polyester tulle that costs 2-3 euros to make that toile and see how the final garment will look without wasting the ultimate fabric.

How to make a toile

There are fabrics, for example the glaze, which is the one that I always use, to do all my tests of the patterns is a fabric of smooth color quite cheap with a lot of body although there are several weights and it is the one that I usually use especially when I make cotton garments or armed what shirts are like, some dresses and so on.

If you have at home some fabric of some old sheet or pieces of fabric that give you to make a garment and you want to wear it will also be worth it and so you take advantage of fabric that has left over from other projects and that you can not use to make garments.

It is recommended that they are smooth fabrics of light colors so that you can make modifications in the neckline if it is very low and you want it higher or you like the round neckline and you prefer to put a v-neck so that the chalk or soap can look on top of the fabric and then you pass that on to paper patterns.

What is needed

Apart from what we’ve already seen:

• Pattern
• Scissors
• Toile fabric
• Thread and needle
• soap or pencil to mark
• Mannequin if you have or your own body

With this we can start now.

Once you sewe the garment as it says in the instructions, we see if it is what you wanted from the beginning or if it looks like the photo, if there is one.

If not, here come all the modifications we want you to make. Well of measurements, as you have in this post or form. Here goes everything to your liking and creativity.

If problems are how to fit it looser and we want it tighter, you can see this entry where I explain how to modify the finished garment and pass it to the patterns.

Conclusion

Toile are important because:

• They save us fabric, frustrations with the pattern and time.
• Can modify everything we want
• See what the final garment is going to look like
• Use the pieces of fabric in something useful
• Know how to sewe in case we get any doubts
• Practice our sewing skills

If you also make toiles and have other methods, leave it in the comments and we debate.

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