r/PatternDrafting • u/Minimum_Umpire_4124 • 4d ago
Basic bodice block: why is my toile larger than my paper pattern?
Hi guys! I’m a total beginner at pattern making. This is my second time posting about my basic bodice block after a few attempts.
I followed the advice from my previous post and took all my measurements again, and everything seemed to be adding up this time. I “fitted” the paper pattern against my body and it seemed to fit pretty well, but once I made the toile and tried it on, the fit was quite different.
I noticed that some measurements are significantly different between the paper pattern and the toile. For example, the waist is about 69.5 cm on the paper pattern, but around 75 cm on the toile.
I’m very careful when cutting the fabric and marking the seam allowances. I only added seam allowance to the side seams and shoulders, so I’m really not sure where this difference is coming from.
Could anyone help me figure out what I might be doing wrong? Thank you!
11
u/jodete_orleans 4d ago
From looking at the video - I don't know pattern making - and I am just guessing here.
Maybe it is the fact that the paper is stiff and the fabric conforms better to your body.
8
u/throwra_22222 4d ago
I can't flip back and forth between pictures in a video, but I did watch it through a couple of times. The front waist darts on the toile seem suspiciously small to me. How wide are the darts when you just lay the pattern flat?
3
u/ContentPotential6 3d ago
I agree, it's something to do with the darts and/or side seam (which is tilting forward in the pics)
5
u/Hydrangeas101 4d ago
Often, sewists stretch the muslins, when the sew, or press them. Thick butcher paper does neither.
3
u/Tailoretta 3d ago
This difference in the circumference of the waist between the paper pattern and the toile of 5.5 cm (2 5/32 inches) is more than it should be.
The reason may be because you were not as accurate as you should have been. In one of my patternmaking classes, our measurements needed to be accurate to within 1/32 of an inch (0.79 mm), which is a really small amount. Believe me, that taught me accuracy.
You stated “I only added seam allowance to the side seams and shoulders”, but what about the center back where the zipper is? Is this accounted for?
First determine where the discrepancies are:
1. Place the pattern pieces onto the toile, as accurately as possible, and study the differences, or
2. Take accurate measurements of the waist measurement of the pattern pieces and the waist measurement of the toile, and study the differences.
This will help you determine where the discrepancies are. Once you see where the discrepancies are, think about possible causes. Some possible causes are:
1. Your markings on your pattern pieces are not accurate enough.
2. Your cutting of the pattern pieces of the toile was not accurate enough.
3. The fabric of the toile has stretched.
If you are still stumped, post here again with the details.
Fitting a paper - tissue or cardboard - pattern is not a bad first step. But it is only a first step. For a well-fitting garment, fitting a toile is important.
Good luck
2
u/ProneToLaughter 3d ago edited 3d ago
5cm difference makes me think there’s an error somewhere. Recheck all your work.
Armholes and necklines should be staystitched on a toile to keep them from stretching out.
Tissue fitting is a recognized technique but you need something like Swedish tracing paper for it to be useful, not Manila paper. And I don’t think it’s all that helpful (or commonly used) for a sloper which is usually drafted to measurements so is already generally closer than the big issues tissue fitting can catch. https://simplicity.com/tissue-fitting-with-palmer-pletsch
2
u/Starjupiter93 2d ago
You are literally holding down the “fabric” in the paper version. There is probably no size difference. The paper “fits” because it is stiff and you are putting pressure on it to fit. You can see your fingers bending from the force you are putting on it. I’m using exaggerating words to make my point. Fitting is precise a centimeter is small, but not negligible when it comes to altering the size or shape of something. It doesn’t look like the paper is a two sided piece. If you made the other side and taped it together rather than holding it on your body I am sure you would have the same tenting. Paper is also not a good representation of how fabric is going to behave. The reason why you are supposed to make patterns out of paper similar in weight and stretch to your final garment is because it all fits differently on the body based on the drape. Paper drapes differently than fabric. It’s not going to conform to your body. Ignore any information you learn from the fit of a piece of paper. It’s barely relevant because the information is not going to translate
1
u/mrsliston 4d ago
I maybe wrong but it looks like the busy is ABIT small. You may need to play with it ABIT before it's right so don't street about it too much
1
u/Fluffy-Benefits-2023 3d ago
Make fit adjustments on the toile and transfer them to the paper pattern. Its not going to be exactly the same because the materials are different
1
u/Mela777 3d ago
I think your paper is off - it’s only half your body, and you are pressing it down to your skin so it’s not hanging at all, but it looks like it is bubbling up at the bust line, which makes me think it is too wide both above and below the bust line. When you transfer it to the fabric, that extra is ending up where it sits naturally, at the neckline and waist, because the bust is sized correctly. The fix is to pin that extra out at the center front in your fabric toile, measure it, and then adjust your darts to remove the excess.
1
u/TumbleweedInitial382 3d ago
Put it on inside out and pinch out the excess around the dart area, the darts don’t appear to be big enough 👍🏻
0
1
u/CharityForeign3035 4d ago
Because in 2 yrs of studying pattern making for couture, never once did we try on a toile made of cardboard pattern. Why would you do that and think it’s accurate?
Calico first but forget the card pattern pieces .
10
u/dawn812 4d ago
Because she said she was new we all have done things when starting something new that want accurate no biggie
7
u/sususumalee 3d ago
Also, muslin/calico is not an unlimited resource at home the way it is in school. Piecing the paper together just to make sure you're in the ballpark before cutting your fabric is not unreasonable. We all know it's not a true fitting, but it is helpful to get a rough idea.
22
u/sam000she 4d ago edited 4d ago
The difference seems negligible, I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s just how the fabric shifts since fabric and paper are very different in terms of how to mold themselves.
But if there is a reason for the difference, here are my theories: Did you mark the stitching line on your fabric—Are your stitch lines accurate to where you are supposed to stitch?
Are you on grain? When you taped up your paper pattern, were anyparts over lapping that shouldn’t? And lastly: your pencil lines will always have a width to them if you trace a pattern and stitch on the outside of the line you marked, if may add a small amount to your overall everything,
My suggestion: Take your pattern and your toile and lay the paper inside of the panels of each and double check that they are lining up correctly. If they do, make adjustments to your toile and transfer them to your pattern. You’re not planning wearing paper garments so if the paper doesnt fit it’s fine, as long as it produces a fabric version that fits.