Ah, how lovely it is to have a finished, fitting toile.
My client is afraid the toile won’t fit her, but as it’s in the mail today, we will wait a couple days to see. The good thing about a toile is that it’s not the finished garment. Its sole purpose in life is to be fitted to the client, tailored, let out, stitched here, ripped apart there, and to become the pattern for the final piece. Don’t worry, Client, this is all part of the process!
6 Comments
GentlewomanThief
July 28, 2010 at 1:31 PMOoh, such a lovely shape already 😀
Unknown
July 28, 2010 at 4:59 PMThanks for the useful links link to the Connie shoe review. Just ordered a pair of The Anna's. Totally shocked they have my size!
American Duchess
July 28, 2010 at 6:18 PMTea Duchie – you're quite welcome! I was surprised they had half-sizes as well. The shoes are manufactured in Mexico, so they have stock they keep to send out, and I think it's just like ordering shoes of any sort, so long as it's not the custom made ones. I have another link for a shoemaker that I will add into the Resources tab, too.
Anonymous
July 29, 2010 at 1:28 AMBeautiful, and I understand your explanation of the purpose for the toile. What I cannot fathom is how you are going to do this fitting through the mail!
Au Revoir,
♥Danette
Angela
July 30, 2010 at 9:44 PMHello that toile looks fabulous. Thanks for explaining the definition of a toile in this context. Also, I will assume with your skills you drafted the pattern you are using? Would you recommend the Tudor Tailor pattern or the Reconstructing history pattern? Cheers
American Duchess
July 30, 2010 at 9:51 PMHi Angela – well, I've seen other sources that define "toile" as a garment made up in its entirety, just with a substitute fabric…for instance, if you made a robe a l'anglaise out of chintz, but are planning to make it out of silk later, the cotton one would be to make sure the pattern fit, etc., but would still be a finished, wearable. And, of course, it's also the lovely 18th c. upholstery fabric with little people and pastoral scenes on it :-).
I liked the Tudor Tailor pattern plenty, as it's basically what we've created here. I have found some things need tailoring and alteration, for instance, the curve at the top of the sleeve head needs to be more curvy, as in the two jackets I've made based on that pattern, both had problems with the sleeves pulling the neckline up. However, all patterns need a little adjustment here and there. I have no used the Reconstructing History pattern. I did draft this waistcoat pattern based on Tudor Tailor and Cut of Women's Clothes, which had a similar 1610 pattern, using 7 gussets (like Mary's jacket) as opposed to 5 (Tudor Tailor).