Why You Should Be Creating a Toile Before Your Final Project

When I first started sewing, I thought making a toile was something only expert sewists or couture designers bothered with. You know, the kind of people who can draft their own patterns from scratch and drop a garment right on the dress form. Me? I was just trying to sew a wearable garment without accidentally stitching my sleeve to my neck hole (yes, that happened).

So, naturally, I skipped making toiles. I figured they were a waste of time and fabric. Who needs an extra step when you’re already excited to dive into your final project? Well, past me was in for a rude awakening because skipping a toile led to way more wasted time, effort, and—tragically—fabric.

Now that I’ve learned my lesson, I’m here to tell you why a toile is your secret weapon for sewing success.

1. A Toile Helps You Get the Perfect Fit

Let’s be real: patterns are a starting point, not a custom-fit solution. Unless you happen to have the exact proportions of the pattern designer (lucky you!), chances are you’ll need some adjustments. Making a toile lets you test the fit before cutting into your precious fabric.

Ever sewn a dress, only to realize the bust darts are pointing somewhere vaguely in the direction of your collarbone? Or made pants that fit great in the waist but mysteriously give you diaper butt in the back? A toile catches these issues early, so you can tweak your pattern and avoid frustration later.

2. It Lets You Practice Tricky Techniques

Every sewing project comes with its own set of challenges—an invisible zipper, a fiddly collar, or that one instruction in the pattern that sounds like it was written in ancient code. Instead of struggling through these details on your final fabric, a toile gives you a low-stakes way to practice first.

Maybe your first attempt at a princess seam ends up puckered beyond recognition. Or your pleats look more like chaotic fabric folds than a carefully structured design. That’s totally fine—because it’s just a toile! You get to work out the kinks, so when it’s time for the real deal, you’ll sew with confidence.

3. It Helps You Spot Construction Issues Before It’s Too Late

You know that sinking feeling when you follow every step of a pattern exactly and yet somehow, your garment still doesn’t turn out right? A toile helps prevent that heartbreak.

Sometimes, instructions don’t make sense until you actually sew them. Maybe the pattern tells you to insert the lining in a way that leaves a weird raw edge exposed. Or the suggested seam allowances make the sleeves tighter than your last pair of skinny jeans. A toile helps you spot these issues early, so you can make adjustments before committing to your final fabric.

But Isn’t a Toile a Waste of Fabric?

Not at all! A toile doesn’t have to be made from expensive material. Many sewists use muslin (hence the term muslin for test garments), but you can also use any cheap fabric with a similar weight and drape to your final fabric. Old bedsheets, thrifted fabric, or even leftover scraps from previous projects work great.

And trust me—spending a little extra time on a toile is way less painful than realizing your finished dress doesn’t fit at all and now you have to unpick a million seams (or worse, start over completely).

Final Thoughts

If you’re new to making toiles, I totally get why they seem like an extra, unnecessary step. But once you try it, you’ll see just how much time, stress, and fabric they can save you in the long run. Plus, there’s something satisfying about nailing the fit before you even touch your final fabric.