---
title: Testing your designs
order: 70
---

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.

:::note [FIXME]
Update this for v3

This page needs to be updated with screenshots from the v3 development
environment
:::

:::tip

###### No more grading

FreeSewing patterns are _bespoke_, which means that we don't need to
grade our pattern to provide a range of sizes. We should test our pattern
for different measurements and options to see how well it adapts.

:::

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

We have a number of ways to test our pattern:

- Test design options
- Test measurements
- Test measurements sets

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 our pattern for each step.

Click on any of the options we've added to our pattern, and our 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 we test the `lengthRatio`
option](test-option-lengthratio.png)

:::note [FIXME]
Update screenshot for v3
:::

### neckRatio

The `neckRatio` option will determine the size of the neck opening. For 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 we test the `neckRatio`
option](test-option-neckratio.png)

:::note [FIXME]
Update screenshot for v3
:::

### widthRatio

The `widthRatio` option will determine the width of our bib. For 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 our 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 we test the `widthRatio`
option](test-option-widthratio.png)

:::note [FIXME]
Update screenshot for v3
:::

:::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_.

:::

## Testing measurements

Testing a measurement will vary that measurement 10% up or down while leaving
everything else the same. This gives us 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.

:::note [FIXME]
Add screenshot
:::

## Testing measurments sets

Whereas testing a measurement will only vary one individual measurement,
testing measurements sets will draft our pattern for different sets of
measurements.

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 we'll find this test gives
us insight into how our pattern will adapt to differently sized bodies.

:::note [FIXME]
Add screenshot
:::

## The antperson test

A special case of model testing is the so-called _antperson test_. It drafts
our 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 our pattern where
we made assumptions that will not properly scale. Many drafting books will
tell us to _add 3 cm there_ or _measure 2 inch to the right_. Those
instructions don't scale, and we 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.

:::note [FIXME]
Add screenshot
:::

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