The Sewing Place

To toile or not to toile......

SingingSinger

Re: To toile or not to toile......
« Reply #15 on: April 24, 2017, 16:36:49 PM »
Having said I rarely make a toile, I did today :) I've got a free top pattern (New Look 6376) from a magazine and bought some nice drapey fabric for view D. It does look a bit tent-like so I thought I should try a toile in leftover stash fabric for sizing. I was surprised how quick it was to run up, so maybe I should toile more often!  :D
Mostly a dressmaker with a few other crafts thrown in. Teetering on the Darkside. Owner of vintage machines Singer 201K and Elna Lotus SP (and a Brother Innovis 350SE and Pfaff Ambition 620)

Ploshkin

Re: To toile or not to toile......
« Reply #16 on: April 24, 2017, 17:13:21 PM »
Very rarely.  I did one when I made jeans to get a good fit and for a tailored jacket as there was so much work going in to making it.
I'm lucky to conform to standard pattern sizing though these days I find a lot of patterns seem to have American quarterback shoulders.  It must be the patterns because my shoulders can't have shrunk.
Life's too short for ironing.

elephun

Re: To toile or not to toile......
« Reply #17 on: April 24, 2017, 17:50:51 PM »
Yes. I'm not standard issue, and always have to make changes to the pattern out of the envelope.
If it's something that I'm pretty sure will work with my usual adjustments, I make a quick practice one without all the finishing and check to see if it goes together properly, fits, looks good, and I still want to make it out of my nice fabric.
The less I know about a pattern and how it's going to fit me, the more seriously I treat the toile/muslin stage from the beginning. I rarely take it super-seriously, but it's totally worth it when I do.
If I've adjusted a pattern that fits me with details from another pattern or vice versa, I might sew up a test garment, or just baste the first version together to ensure it works before stitching with small stitches. It depends on the amount of changes to/from that base fitting pattern.
I've spent lots of time fitting patterns over the past two years. Just recently begun saving well-fitting patterns on card so it will be easy to compare them to new patterns and make adjustments, and really easy to trace off a new one when sewing inspiration strikes. I've always had to plan so far ahead with my sewing in order to end up with stuff that fits and goes together. It will be nice to be more spontaneous once in a while. 'Cause I still love to make plans for sewing more than actually sewing it.   :P

Holly Berry

Re: To toile or not to toile......
« Reply #18 on: April 24, 2017, 21:18:22 PM »
I don't usually as I tissue fit. I always have to do a FBA so if, as recently with the Katherine Tilton jacket I made, I did a toile as the bodice was cut in blocks, I made a toile to make sure I'd altered all the pieces correctly.

The only other times are for self drafted patterns and trousers.
Procrastination get behind me

UttaRetch

Re: To toile or not to toile......
« Reply #19 on: April 25, 2017, 08:59:59 AM »
I don't understand tissue fitting.  How on earth can you do this without tearing the tissue?

Francesca

Re: To toile or not to toile......
« Reply #20 on: April 25, 2017, 09:40:46 AM »
I don't understand tissue fitting.  How on earth can you do this without tearing the tissue?

Carefully. Tissue fitting is mainly done where you have a helper, or a dress form that is your shape. But you can do it solo, you just have to be careful. Use of things like elastic round the waist to "tuck" the tissue into is common.

I have done it before just to get an idea of how baggy something will fit. It does work quite well for simple garments.

Francesca

Re: To toile or not to toile......
« Reply #21 on: April 25, 2017, 09:42:39 AM »
maybe I should toile more often!  :D

It really can be quick. For a bodice with darts or something I can do a toile in about 20 minutes to half an hour. Well worth it IMO.

DementedFairy

Re: To toile or not to toile......
« Reply #22 on: April 25, 2017, 21:33:15 PM »
Carefully. Tissue fitting is mainly done where you have a helper, or a dress form that is your shape. But you can do it solo, you just have to be careful. Use of things like elastic round the waist to "tuck" the tissue into is common.

I have done it before just to get an idea of how baggy something will fit. It does work quite well for simple garments.

Yep tissue fitting is fine to get a rough idea of where you need to reduce or increase length particularly.  Not much use for stretch garments if there is negative ease though!
C'est moi!

Catllar

Re: To toile or not to toile......
« Reply #23 on: April 25, 2017, 22:48:17 PM »
Rarely, but will do a bodice if it's a snug fit or a shape I've not made before.
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

Holly Berry

Re: To toile or not to toile......
« Reply #24 on: April 25, 2017, 23:07:56 PM »
I don't understand tissue fitting.  How on earth can you do this without tearing the tissue?

It's done by reinforcing areas that are under strain, such as arm syces, curves etc. I use magic tape on the inside of the seam allowance, which means you can also clip curves. I always trace my patterns so the original is never ruined. I also use a dummy which I've padded to my measurements.

Procrastination get behind me

elephun

Re: To toile or not to toile......
« Reply #25 on: April 26, 2017, 01:48:29 AM »
I don't tissue fit very often, but when I do I use my dress form. The technique comes in most handy when I want to check how a garment with a kimono sleeve is going to fit over my back (and at the neck, and also at the shoulder). Hopefully I'll have a kimono sleeve block or TNT sometime, as that is a quicker way for me to check a pattern.
There's no point in trying to tissue fit on myself; it's not as accurate as I want and the pattern tears. I'm sure other people are more accurate and less shaky than I.