{"id":544,"date":"2010-04-08T12:54:06","date_gmt":"2010-04-08T16:54:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.oliverands.com\/blog\/?p=544"},"modified":"2018-11-28T11:09:41","modified_gmt":"2018-11-28T16:09:41","slug":"pattern-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2010\/04\/pattern-development.html","title":{"rendered":"pattern development"},"content":{"rendered":"

By the time we’ve finished developing each collection of sewing patterns, we always have a large stack of toiles (or muslins) to show for our efforts in addition to the nice finished samples we photograph and display.<\/p>\n

Toiles are the rough drafts of a pattern. After a paper pattern is drafted, we make a toile to adjust the fit, revise design details, and work out the construction of the garment. It’s not uncommon to make three or four toiles before we’re really pleased with the results and are ready to start writing instructions and making finished samples.<\/p>\n

We also test the fit of the full size range to be sure we’re happy with the grading. Most styles need to be tweaked a bit before they’re ready, and the simplest way to check the fit is to make a muslin.<\/p>\n

I like to use muslin for toiles because we can draw or write directly onto the fabric, the fabric is inexpensive, and the print or appearance of the fabric doesn’t interfere with the design itself (although sometimes the muslin can make a garment look a bit stark–designs always look better when made in actual fabric).<\/p>\n

Now that the spring collection is finished and shipped, I thought you might enjoy seeing a few of the toiles in all their wrinkled, messy glory.<\/p>\n

Here are a large size and a small size Sketchbook Short, side by side:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Sometimes we need to test the fit or drape on just the collar:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>or just the cuff:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Other times when we test the fit of a size, we merely indicate details so we can check placement during a fitting without taking the time to actually construct the details (again). For this size 10 Ice\u00a0 Cream Dress we marked the placement and size of the pockets and seams so we didn’t need to take the time to sew them:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>My favorite toiles are for patterns that have multiple views. We often save time and materials by including\u00a0 several options in one muslin when we make up fit samples. The models always get a kick out of wearing one short sleeve and one long sleeve:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>So there they are, before I unceremoniously dump them to clear out space for the next stack, which is already quite high. We’re hard at work on fall development!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By the time we’ve finished developing each collection of sewing patterns, we always have a large stack of toiles (or muslins) to show for our efforts in addition to the nice finished samples we photograph and display. Toiles are the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":553,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20687],"tags":[9],"class_list":["post-544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-behind-the-scenes"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/DSC_1269.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5jZS5-8M","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":63275,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2017\/11\/woven-chai-tee.html","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":0},"title":"woven chai tee","author":"Liesl Gibson","date":"November 14, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Liesl shares two Chai Tees she made from woven fabrics instead of the knit fabric the pattern is designed for. Want to make your own Chai Tee from a woven? Liesl shares some tips for you, as well.","rel":"","context":"In "general post"","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/feature-woven-chai.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":76705,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2021\/03\/asmitas-hollywood-trousers-getting-the-perfect-fit.html","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":1},"title":"asmita’s hollywood trousers: getting the perfect fit","author":"Masha Richart","date":"March 8, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Who would have guessed that Asmita was intimidated before sewing up this pair of Hollywood Trousers? They certainly look like the work of a pro. She's got all the details in today's blog post.","rel":"","context":"In "general post"","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/asmita-hero-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4718,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2012\/10\/how-to-make-a-muslin.html","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":2},"title":"how to make a muslin","author":"Liesl Gibson","date":"October 4, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"When we released the Fairy Tale Dress sewing pattern a few weeks ago we recommended that you make a muslin to test the fit before sewing up the pattern. This dress is a more fitted pattern than our other styles, and it's also a more time-consuming pattern to sew. For\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "tutorials"","block_context":{"text":"tutorials","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/tutorials"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/1fitmuslintestTITLE.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":83189,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2025\/02\/start-to-finish.html","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":3},"title":"start to finish","author":"Liesl Gibson","date":"February 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"From sketch to finished pattern, a few behind-the-scenes examples of how several of our recent sewing patterns evolved and developed.","rel":"","context":"In "general post"","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/development-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":78042,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2021\/11\/the-fitting-room-lyndseys-fira-dress.html","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":4},"title":"the fitting room: lyndsey’s fira dress","author":"Masha Richart","date":"November 22, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Even simple silhouettes like the Fira Dress can benefit from a bit of custom fitting. Lyndsey walks us through the adjustments she made to create a special dress In this installment of our Fitting Room blog series.","rel":"","context":"In "general post"","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/fittingroomfirahero.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12630,"url":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2014\/10\/15-tips-for-fitting-a-muslin.html","url_meta":{"origin":544,"position":5},"title":"15 tips for fitting a muslin","author":"Liesl Gibson","date":"October 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"If you're thinking about making a muslin, here are 15 tips that will help you get the best results and get you cutting and sewing sooner!","rel":"","context":"In "general post"","block_context":{"text":"general post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/list\/general"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oliverands.com\/community\/content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/muslin-tips.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=544"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":564,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544\/revisions\/564"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}