Hi there,
I wanted to make
sure that the fabric choice for this 1960 pattern would work. I
decided to do a toile. Also known as a muslin or a mock up.
Toile is
a funny word. Way back when I was learning to sew, I used to think it was pronounced toil as in work.
Because doing mock ups can add to the work load, turning sewing into a toil rather than a pleasure. But it’s actually
pronounced Twal. It’s French and means linen.
Toile fabric is a
bit pricey so another option is Muslin. A cheaper cotton
ideal for making test garments.
Muslin also gets used in cooking for
steaming puddings or for straining ingredients. Only not at the same
time obviously.
That could get messy.
Traditionally,
muslin or toile (twal) would have been the go to fabric for all sewing mock
ups of cotton and linen garments. However, in today’s modern world
of synthetic stretch materials, neither muslin nor toile behave the
same way as man made fibers.
It’s more common these days for toiles
to be made out of a similar fabric to the one you want to make the
garment from. If you want to use jersey for instance, you’d do a
test piece with a cheaper jersey fabric.
With that in mind, and as I wanted to make this pattern in a knit fabric, I needed a cheap knit fabric for my toile.
I found a remnant of
a slightly stretchy knit at a local charity shop (thrift store). At just 1.99 it was a
bargain and just right for a sewing mock up. There was just about enough to
get all my pieces cut out. Apart from the sleeve bands. This mock up
was just to check sizing, so I can live without the bands, for
now.
Anyway, I was going
at a fair rate of knots up until I got to the pocket placement.
The pattern instructions for
this section totally threw me. They asked me to attach the pocket to
the right side.
I checked the diagram in the instructions. Judging by
the location of the armhole, the pocket was on the left side. So I
checked the picture on the packet. Again, the pocket was clearly on
the left.
So why do the instructions say put it on the right?
In fact, this threw me
for three days.
Three days.
Until it finally
clicked.
I was like, DOH! A
true light bulb moment. The instructions didn’t mean right as in
left and right. It meant right.
As in right and wrong.
The pocket needed to
be placed on the right side of the fabric!
My brain was so busy
toiling on the problem, it missed the obvious.
I would have toiled
less if I had read the pattern – both the text and the diagrams!
It just goes to
show, no matter how long you have been sewing for, it’s the
simple things that trip you up.
Every time.
Bye for now
Olly
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