These instructions are for the Toga Praetexta. Terry will be impressed. I have chosen this one as it is quite an easy shape to reproduce and also hangs very nicely.
Size Of Fabric
So let's start by deciding upon how much fabric is required. This depends upon your height. Simply put, the width of fabric should be the same as your height, with the length of fabric being about 3 to 4 times your height.
Type of Material
Please, please, please do not use a bed sheet. For one, it is more expensive than buying normal fabric, and secondly, there is generally not enough fabric in a sheet to make a decent looking toga and it certainly will not hang well!
If you were literally invited to a toga party seconds before it was due to start - then OK maybe as a last resort, but you can also consider other more suitable fabric material you may have lying around your house such as old curtain material.
Well as you know from reading this blog, traditionally the fabric was wool, but as I have mentioned previously - hot, sweaty - not a good look! Try to get a fabric that has a cotton blend and is medium weight. You should resist getting anything too light that flies up easily (for obvious reasons - I have had enough blushes for us all in that department!) or too heavy that restricts ease of movement and were you will spend all you time at the party having to sit down and take a breather!
I know that I and many of my friends find furnishing fabric the most suitable. This is because is is available in the larger sizes required to make a decent toga, whereas dress fabric tends to be too small.
When it comes to color - the choice it really up to you. Go to my 'Toga Variations' blog post and follow the ideas there if you are after an authentic look, otherwise you can be as creative as you like! Keep reading this blog for ideas.
Post Purchase
Once you have your fabric then it is a good idea to wash it separately prior to any sewing, ensuring you follow manufacturer's instructions. Wash any trims that you decide to sew onto the toga, prior to sewing also, so that when you wash your toga in the future, there will be no color runs between the two.
Read on for How To Make A Toga - Part 2
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