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Member since 7/10/06
Posts: 102
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Posted on: 9/9/06 11:52 AM ET
I have not done much yet in the way of making muslins or test garments. So far, I've pretty much been able to wear everything I've made.

I'm getting into a more complicated project now and want to make a muslin for it.

But, I'm finding that I'm a little adverse to spending the time making something I'm not going to use.

My question then is, what do you all do with your muslins and test garments when you're done with them?

Do you take them back apart again and use the fabric for other projects? Throw them away? Make other things with them? All of the above?

Thanks,

Janimé
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Member since 4/11/02
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Posted on: 9/9/06 11:59 AM ET
In reply to Janime
Quote:
But, I'm finding that I'm a little adverse to spending the time making something I'm not going to use.


But you *are* going to use it. You're using it to test the fit and style of the final garment before committing the scissors to the good fabric. If it's a true muslin, you won't ever wear it because it will be unfinished, stitched with unmatching thread and will have marks on it for body landmarks, etc.

When I make true muslins, I usually toss them after they've served their purpose. If it's a "wearable" muslin ... a test made in a not-as-special fabric, then I'll either keep it to wear or donate it for someone else to wear.
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Member since 2/21/04
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Posted on: 9/9/06 12:12 PM ET
Use up ugly fabric then into dust rags, bike rags, etc. The muslins are well worth the time because the final project turns out much better.

Jen
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Member since 8/24/02
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Posted on: 9/9/06 2:00 PM ET
I completely agree with what Debbie said. They are very useful with getting fit right. That's their purpose and when I'm done with the final garment, I throw them away.
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Member since 8/10/02
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Posted on: 9/9/06 2:11 PM ET
Sometimes I keep the last muslin in the pattern envelope "in case" my fit changes over time (like that won't happen ). That way I have a good starting point for alterations. I do this for classic styled patterns that I knwo I will sew again.

If you are worried about the cost of fabric, clearance tables, thrift stores and even old sheets are great sources of fabrics!
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Like Miss Frizzle says "Take chances, make mistakes ..." isn't that what fitting is all about? I am happily taking chances and making mistakes as I fit muslin after muslin ...
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Member since 3/20/02
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Posted on: 9/9/06 3:23 PM ET
Do you "use" the paper pattern in any other way? Or do you store it for future use? The muslin is simply your personalized pattern, done in fabric rather than in paper.
If I know I'm going to make a pattern more than once, I keep the muslin with the pattern in a big ziploc bag. If it's a trendy piece, the muslin will likely only be used once. In that case, I'll toss it.

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You did make a muslin, didn't you?
  
Member since 7/10/06
Posts: 102
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Posted on: 9/9/06 3:29 PM ET
Ah, I think I see part of my problem.

I don't have a "stash" as yet. I just started sewing in July. I may have to go for the "ugly" fabric idea. That may be the only way I can let go of wanting to keep things.

I did make one pair of crop pants with cheap white cotton, intending it to be a muslin. They came out so well that I ended up making them a "wearable" muslin by dying them to match a shirt.

Thanks everyone for your responses.
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Member since 7/18/06
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Posted on: 9/9/06 3:57 PM ET
For me, rejected muslins or pieces just go straight in the trash. With successful ones, I trace the changes onto pattern tracing paper and keep the muslin until I've made one successful garment from the resulting pattern, in case I want to tweak it some more. Then I throw it out. (I'm saying this as if it's something of long standing; I've actually just re-started sewing and have only made muslins for four patterns - in past sewing periods I never made muslins at all. But I think it's how I'm going to continue.)

I don't think I've made a muslin yet from fabric that cost more than two dollars a yard, and so far I haven't found fabric at that price point that I'd ever want to wear, so throwing it out is easy.

Green Apple
-- Edited on 9/9/06 4:01 PM --
  
Member since 1/31/04
Posts: 360
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Posted on: 9/9/06 4:49 PM ET
I've tried to use the "ugly fabric" method for muslins but found the patterned fabric very distracting. I had a hard time seeing fit and design lines because of the printed fabric. In the future I will use solid colors and preferably lighter colors I also think it is difficult to see details on dark colors.
Good luck find what works for you in muslin making. :)
  
Member since 11/6/04
Posts: 234
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Posted on: 9/9/06 5:40 PM ET
Artists file and toss sketches all the time. But many sewists have trouble with this - I know I used to.

I am drawn to making functional items and have trouble creating purely "artistic" items. I think that this trait is tied to my former reluctance to make throw-away muslins.

I know that many sewers share this trait because when I worked and taught in a sewing store, very few of the students would normally practice with scraps to learn a technique. All of their effort went directly to making a garment - and they were so disappointed at the amateur result of their efforts.

The endless practice of perfecting techniques to demonstrate, sell and teach improved my sewing immensely. I used to share this with my students and encourage them to value their own products enough to practice on throw-away items. I now always try out a new technique on scraps first.

If a muslin is of no future value as a pattern, I stuff it into my bag of fabric scraps that I give away on freecycle. That way, there is a possibility that someone can make use of the fabric - or they can toss it or use it for rags. It saves me the stress of throwing it away LoL.

cheers
jean


ETA
At my local Fabricland store, their clearance wall fabrics sometimes go on sale 50% and more off. I sometimes find great deals here (stretch twill for pants at 1.50 per metre) I recently purchased 6 m of 60" ugly white bottomweight for pants muslins at CDN$1.30 per metre.
-- Edited on 9/9/06 5:51 PM --
  
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