What is a toile?

A test garment.

When making a garment that you haven’t made before, it is a really good idea to produce a toile.

A toile is an early version of a finished garment made up in cheaper plain fabric so that the design can be tested and perfected. Multiple toiles can be made in the process of perfecting a design.

In French, toile refers to “linen cloth” or “canvas” which is the cheaper fabric used for the test garments. In the US they use the term “muslin” for the practice garment, also because it is the name of  the cheaper fabric used to make the test garment. The muslin or toile  fabric referred to by the French and Americans, is what Australians generally term calico.

Calico is an unbleached woven cotton that comes in different weights. It is ideal for making your toile from because it is inexpensive and can be marked to show where designs need to be altered.

A wearable toile is simply the practice of making your test garment from a cheaper, but attractive fabric that you can wear if all goes well.