My entire muslin for a dress bodice tore right down the center seam during a fitting yesterday

I was working on a wrap dress design for a client here in Seattle, and the cheap cotton muslin I bought from Joann Fabric just gave out. It happened when my fit model moved her arms forward, and the seam ripped from the neckline to the waist. I had to quickly pin it back together to finish the session. Has anyone found a specific, stronger muslin brand they trust for activewear or draped designs?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_margaret1mo ago

Joann's muslin has betrayed me more times than a bad zipper. That stuff is basically fancy tissue paper when you need real fabric. You'd have better luck using an old bedsheet for a wrap dress. Maybe try a heavier weight cotton from a real fabric store, not the big box stuff.

felixramirez1mo ago

I bought three yards of that muslin last year for a test garment and it tore on the first pin. You're right about the bedsheets, I've used old percale ones for toiles and they hold up way better. My local fabric shop sells a medium weight cotton for about the same price per yard. It's not as cheap, but you only have to cut it out once.

the_jamie1mo ago

Ugh, my heart goes out to you. That exact same thing happened to me with a bodice last spring and I was so frustrated I almost threw the whole thing in the trash. The Joann stuff is just... not built for anything with actual tension on it, like a wrap dress where the arms pull everything. I've had way better luck with a plain old cotton sheet from a thrift store, honestly. It's denser and the weave doesn't give out the second you look at it funny. Plus you can wash it a few times to get the sizing out and it drapes nicer than that muslin ever will.