Clueless QCAL (As if!) — Week 1 – Muslin Mockup
We are FINALLY starting the Quilt Coat Along!! I’m so excited to have y’all here. We technically start tomorrow, but in case you have been chomping at the bit, here’s the info for the week 🙂
First off, if you share your progress in a post on your IG feed, be sure to include #cluelessqcal so it’s easy for everyone who is participating to see what you are making! In case you don’t know, you can follow hashtags which is great for sew alongs! 🙂 It’d also be helpful to tag the designer of your coat (i.e. #papercutpattern) and/or your coat design (i.e. #newlook6585, #novacoat, #tamarackjacket, #patchworkchorecoat). These tags were invaluable when I was researching what coat to make for me (and also what to share with y’all). One last hashtag recommendation to include is #quiltcoat. If people are looking for inspiration to make a coat, they’ll likely search this hashtag.
Now onto WEEK ONE!!
I’ve *hopefully* made the schedule slow enough so you can keep up even with all that life throws at you (kids in school, craziness at work, holidays, sickness, etc). But, it’s totally ok to start late, fall behind, or even sew ahead (if you know you’ll miss a week+ due to life). But, if it’s just not in the cards right now, I hope you save these emails and use them to help you tackle this project whenever you are ready (and feel free to reach out if you need help!)
So, what are we doing this week? The main task is to make a muslin (or old sheet or thrift store quilt) mockup of your coat.
Most of y’all haven’t made garments before, or not for many, many, *cough* many years, so making a test garment may seem weird. Unlike quilts, clothing isn’t one size fits all–everyone has slightly different proportions. If you are spending a ton of time, effort, and money on making a custom quilt coat, you should make sure it fits how you want it to!
If you follow Kiley on Instagram (
https://www.instagram.com/
), and saw her posts/stories earlier this year about making a coat two sizes too small (she is in the US, but got a pattern from Australia *I think* and their sizing is different), you’ll understand why a muslin mockup is so important!
Here’s a blog post talking about how to (and why) to make a muslin version before making the real deal.
https://www.
If you don’t have the time to read the whole thing, here are the key takeaways.
- It allows you to spot fit issues immediately. While many tweaks can be made to a garment while you’re sewing it, many adjustments need to be made before you cut into your fabric, and making a muslin helps you visualize those issues immediately.
- You can determine the correct ease. If you prefer choosing a size based on finished garment measurements, making a muslin helps determine if the size you’ve chosen works.
- You can study proportion, details and style lines. If you need to shift a seam, enlarge a pocket or modify a detail, your muslin is the testing ground for those changes.
- You can do a test run of construction order and techniques before you start on the real thing. This is especially important if you’re sewing a complex garment or if you’re sewing a new-to-you technique. Wouldn’t you rather figure that out before you jump in with your beautiful fabric?
If you are in an IG group chat, ask any questions, provide any insights, there. If you are just on the email list, feel free to respond with your questions.