Continued from How To Make A Basic Pattern
E. Make a trial muslin
Make the trial muslin in medium weight unbleached muslin.
1. Straighten the grain of the fabric by tearing both cut ends.
2. Pin the torn edges together. Pin the selvages together.
3. Lay out the corrected basic pattern on the cloth making sure that the grain line is parallel to the selvages throughout the entire pattern.
4. Cut out the cloth leaving 1-inch seam allowances on all edges but the neck. Make this seam allowance 1/2 inch.
5. Trace all seam lines and darts onto the muslin with dressmaker’s carbon paper and a tracing wheel.
6. Mark the center front and center back clearly with the red colored pencil.
7. Mark the horizontal grain line across the chest, across the back and across the hips, both front and back.
8. Clip all curved edges-at the neck, the armholes, the sleeve, the underarms.
9. Pin all darts and seams closely and carefully along the stitching line. Do not pin the bodice to the skirt, yet. Leave an opening at either the center front or center back so that you can get in and out of the muslin.
Note: Pins places at right angles to the stitching line restrict the fit of the muslin.
10. Try on the muslin with all the markings and pinning to the outside (right side).
F. The fitting
Follow this sequence, marking all correction in red pencil. Mark new notches wherever they prove helpful in reassembling the parts of the pattern.
1. Bodice
2. Skirt
3. Sleeve
Part 3: How to Make a Basic Pattern
Sewing Pattern Portal
