Replies

1. 
   HeartFire2 | Dec 11, 2006 04:06am | #1

   Stick to the cheaper muslin for your 'test' garment, I buy muslin at Joanns with my 40% off coupon - I buy it by the bolt. Now they have some that is 'stiffer' then others, I use that for jackets etc, the softer stuff is for regular dress weight. if I am testing a knit, you have to find a knit fabric with the same stretch factor, - I will look on the sale/clearance bolts.If I'm planning on something that is a heavyweight fashion fabric , I still use the regular muslin

1. 
   sewnstuff | Dec 11, 2006 06:08am | #2

   Thanks HeartFire2,This is very useful information. Maybe I should have posted this question under the topic heading "Fabrics and Trim". -sewnstuff

2. 
   NovaSkills | Dec 11, 2006 06:08am | #3

   I like to drape test garments in woven stripes or plaids that come closer to the weight of the fabric I would really be using. The reason is that it's easier to see if the grainlines are distorted, or to find where they are, in such fabric.

   Like another responder, I look for the junky stuff back in the sale corner, or use my coupon for a mass yardage buy.

   If you have stiff muslin and you want to simulate more drape, just wash it first.

3. 
   zuwena | Dec 11, 2006 10:59am | #4

   I've never seen muslin for $20.00 and if I did I would not buy it.  Muslin does come in several grades/weights but nothing that I've seen exceeds about $5.00 a yard.  For most "test" garments buy the weight similar to fashion fabric that you intend to use, as others have said.  I would note, however, that one of the grades/weights has a heavier (more noticeable) weave.  This grade is usually reserved for those draping on a form from which to construct either a pattern or sloper.  The weave is necessary to make clear markings along grainlines.  The grainlines get lost for draping purposes in the smooth, softer weaves and are therefore unsuitable.  Hope this helps. Z

1. 
   user-51823 | Dec 11, 2006 07:52pm | #5

   i also have never seen muslin priced that high. $8 tops. maybe it's a better quality cotton with a higher thread count? still, not sure when you'd ever actually need it.
   where did you se the $20 stuff? please ask the manager of the store to explain the price. i'm very curious!

1. 
   dotty | Dec 11, 2006 08:30pm | #6

   While we're on the subject of muslin. Do people routinely prewash it? I ask because thats what I do since it seems to shrink when I iron it.Also I buy the cheap Joanne's stuff which seems to be sized so much that the grain is sometimes off.It shrinks a lot after washing. This necessitates a lot of ironing which is making the muslin process a turn off for me.

1. 
   user-51823 | Dec 11, 2006 10:41pm | #7

   i routinely wash any fabric before sewing, if i plan on washing the garment later. not only does it get out the shrinks, but i have a chance to see how it looks before wasting time sewing. some fabrics pill up or change texture. i'm not big on ironing though; i just go for the natural rumpled look :-)

2. 
   HeartFire2 | Dec 11, 2006 11:32pm | #8

   I do not pre-wash muslin (and I buy at joanns) I also don't worry overmuch about the grain lines in the muslin when checking the fit of a pattern. When I am draping a pattern (creating my own) I get a bit more anal about it, and if something is on the bias its a little more critical.

2. 
   zuwena | Dec 12, 2006 08:49am | #9

   Hi,

   I haven't seen it.  I was responding to "sewnstuff"s question regarding price and quality.  See her initial query.

1. 
   user-51823 | Dec 12, 2006 01:43pm | #10

   thanks, i see the original, but since all posts are visible simultaniously, i generally didn't think it really mattered too much to just reply to the latest person in the discussion (especially when i'm checking these boards quickly while multi-tasking). when it's casual like this topic and i am not in specific, vehement agreement or disagreement with a particular post, i don't always bother to scroll back to the top to reply. sorry for any confusionEdited 12/12/2006 5:45 am ET by msm-s

   Edited 12/12/2006 6:19 am ET by msm-s

4. 
   Teaf5 | Dec 12, 2006 10:42pm | #11

   The expensive muslin might be the historical kind, which was a soft, gauzey cotton that Austen always wrote about. The imported French batiste I used for my wedding gown thirty years ago cost $20 per yard (a fortune in 1977!) and was worth every penny, as it had a sheer softness and exquisite embroidery that made it comfortable as well as beautiful.The cheap muslin available nowadays can be awful to work with; I use it only for interior pillow or upholstery linings that will not be washed. It is so completely different from the fashion fabrics I wear that it is useless for samples. Like other posters, for sample garments, I use cheap fabrics from the clearance rack that have the same qualities as the fashion fabric I'm using. Occasionally, I've likde the sample enough to finish it and wear it, too!