Before You start drafting...

Frequently Asked Questions - even if you know what the answers are, it is worth reading through again.

What is a toile?
A toile is a garment that you make in a less expensive fabric to test fit and so you can find your mistakes before you cut the expensive material.

Choosing the appropriate cloth for your garment.
When thinking about the design of a garment - don't start with the colour or pattern, start with the drape. Drape is the way a fabric moves and its tensile strength. So chiffon will blow in the wind, but won't support your bust up the 2-3 inches higher to give you the marvellous cleavage that heavy denim will. It is also important to be realistic - know your cloth. You may want a floaty dress that wafts in the wind made out of denim, but the physics are that denim is too heavy and too stiff to float. So you need to choose a material suitable to the task.

Tudor bodices were made from wool, brocade and silks on a foundation layer of heavy muslin, canvas and buckram to add strength and maintain the garment's shape.

What is a foundation layer?
It is the layer that holds the structure of the garment. Not all garments have foundation layers. Garments made from one layer of cloth like a shirt or a chemise - the structure is in the fabric itself. The foundation is also what you attach metal bones to and is usually the interlining of a garment.

In this case, the foundation IS the main part of the garment - that is if the bodice did not have this layer it would neither look proper when worn or do the job of changing the body shape. The canvas/buckram layer IS the bodice; the wool and linen are merely top layers and don't enhance or affect the structure.

What type of cloth do I use for the toile?
When drafting a pattern you should mirror the weight and weave of the finished garment. So if you are making a chiffon blouse, then you should draft on something that weighs and drapes the same; thin, lightweight muslin. As this is a Tudor bodice it will need something heavier; 15-18oz cotton canvas.

Smaller dress sizes can use lighter canvas weights; larger dress sizes can use heavier canvas weights.

Why am I not just drafting onto any old scrap of material?
You need a cloth the will mirror the shape and support of the final garment. When you fit the toile, using a light muslin or old sheet won't give you a true fit and when you come to cutting and fitting the foundation layer you may find the pattern is way out and have problems.