freesewing/markdown/dev/tutorials/pattern-design/testing-your-pattern/en.md

---
title: "Testing your pattern"
order: 250
---

With the basic outline of our pattern ready, now would be a good time
to test it to see how well it adapts to different measurements,
and the range of options we provided.

<Fixme>
This page needs to be updated with screenshots from the v3 development
environment 
</Fixme>

<Tip>

###### No more grading

FreeSewing patterns are _made-to-measure_, which means that you don't need to
grade your pattern to provide a range of sizes. You should sample your pattern
for different measurements and options to see how well it adapts.

</Tip>

If testing your pattern sounds like a lot of work, you're in luck. FreeSewing can do it
for you. Click the **Test Design** link in the sidebar under the **View** title.

You have a number of ways to test your pattern:

- Test design options
- Test measurements
- Test models

The [API docs on sampling](/reference/api/pattern/sample) have all the details
on how this works, but for now we'll just look at the end result of each of
these.

## Testing pattern options

We used percentage options, which can vary between their minimum and maximum
value.  For these tests, FreeSewing will divide that range into 10 steps and
draft your pattern for each step.

Click on any of the options we've added to our pattern, and your bib will be
drawn with that option sampled.

### lengthRatio

The `lengthRatio` option controls the length of our bib. Testing it confirms
that it only influences the length:

![This is what it should look like when you test the `lengthRatio`
option](test-option-lengthratio.png)

<Fixme compact>Update screenshot for v3</Fixme>

### neckRatio

The `neckRatio` option will determine the size of the neck opening.  For a the
same `head` measurement, varying this option should result in bibs with
increasingly larger neck opening.

Testing it confirms this. We can also see that as the neck opening gets
smaller, we will rotate the straps further out of the way to avoid overlap:

![This is what it should look like when you test the `neckRatio`
option](test-option-neckratio.png)

<Fixme compact>Update screenshot for v3</Fixme>

### widthRatio

The `widthRatio` option will determine the width of our bib.  For a the same
`head` measurement, varying this option should result in increasingly wider
bibs.

If we test it, we can see that it works as intended. But there's one thing that
perhaps requires your attention. Making the bib wider shortens the length from
the bottom of the neck opening to the bottom of the bib. Thereby making the
bib shorter when it's worn.

![This is what it should look like when you test the `widthRatio`
option](test-option-widthratio.png)

<Fixme compact>Update screenshot for v3</Fixme>

<Note>

Even if the _total length_ of the bib stays the same, the _useable length_
shortens when the bib is made wider. Users will not expect this, so it's
something that we should fix in our pattern.

Adjusting the pattern to make the `widthRatio` not influence the _useable
length_ of the bib is not covered in this tutorial. It is left _as an exercise
to the reader_.

</Note>

## Testing measurements

Testing a measurement will vary that measurement 10% up or down while leaving
everything else the same.  This gives you the option to determine how any given
measurement is influencing the pattern.

For our bib, we only use one measurement, so it influences the entire pattern.

<Fixme compact>Add screenshot</Fixme>

## Testing models

Whereas testing a measurement will only vary one individual measurement,
testing models will draft your pattern for different sets of measurements, which
we refer to as _models_.

On the surface, the result below is the same as our measurement test. But that
is because our bib only uses one measurement. So testing that one measurement
ends up being the same as testing a complete set of measurements.

But most patterns use multiple measurements, and you'll find this test gives
you insight into how your pattern will adapt to differently sized bodies.

<Fixme compact>Add screenshot</Fixme>

## The antperson test

A special case of model testing is the so-called _antperson test_.  It drafts
your pattern with a set of _typical_ measurements , and then drafts it again
with measurements that are 1/10th of those _typical_ measurements.

It is named after [the cartoon
character](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant-Man_\(film\)) who can shrink, yet
somehow his suit still fits.

The purpose of the antperson test is to bring out areas in your pattern where
you made assumptions that will not properly scale.  Many drafting books will
tell you to _add 3cm there_ or _measure 2 inch to the right_. Those
instructions don't scale, and you should avoid them.

The best patterns will pass the antperson test with 2 patterns exactly the
same, where one will simply be 1/10th the scale of the other.

<Fixme compact>Add screenshot</Fixme>

When you're happy with how your pattern passes these tests, it's time to
complete our design.