Creating the T-shirt Toile

For those that don't know, a Toile is a mock up garment often made in a cheaper fabric of a similar weight to the final fabric you wish to use. its purpose is to build your creation and alter it to ensure your design is perfect before you begin on the final piece.

I found making a toile incredibly helpful s it helped me solve issues I had come across with my pattern pieces. for example originally my armhole had been too high up and as I was working with a very stiff fabric this was not ideal as the arm of the wearer needed to move freely. From the toile I was able to then adjust my pattern pieces so the arm hole was slightly deeper.

Another element that I changed thanks to making a toile was the overall aesthetic. the panels I incorporated on the front and back where sewn on with the raw edges showing, this is something I really loved as it fit well with the idea of raw nature and broken down walls. however I noticed that the garment lost this aesthetic once id sew the sides and sleeves. they were too neat. With this in mind I decided to look at having all my seams showing on the outside. I feel this brought a more raw and industrial look to the garment and tied everything together much better.