Last summer, I bought a sewing book at the bookstore. I loved it. The book showed step by step the basics of sewing and included 9 patterns that you could mix and match. One of the topics in the book was making a muslin. This means that you take cheap fabric (i guess people used to use actual muslin), and you make your pattern to see if it needs adjustments. The rationale behind it is if you're using designer fabric that is $9 per yard (or you are making someone's wedding dress) that you want to be sure of the measurements before cutting into the expensive stuff.
I was browsing this website http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=485 when I saw the secction on muslins. I never actually thought I would make a muslin, because I am too lazy and just want to immediately wear what I made, but this blog has changed my mind. You can make your muslin out of pretty fabric from the $1 table and use them as pajamas or painting pants or even wear them out if they look good. Then you end up with two pairs of pants or two dresses or whatever you made.
I am still learning about how to use patterns. I started out just making clothes however I wanted to. It was only later when I figured out that you can use patterns to make more complicated items (which lets you think less). What one woman was saying is that you can take your measurements with the tape measure and compare to the back of the pattern. If your measurements match the ones from the pattern pretty well, then you could probably get away with not making a muslin. That, or you wouldn't have to adjust the muslin very much. Something I never thought of. But then again, I don't really know how to take my measurements. That's next on the list to learn.
