making your own dress form

I made one and had fun making it. The problem was that it started to "melt". I didn't think this would happen as I lived in a rather dry climate then, but it did. The glue on the tape started "moving" so I had a sci fi looking image of me. I am sure you wouldn't want to scare DH more with one of these.

I found after having much frustration with the dtd (duct tape double) a company that has a fixed dress form (made our of fiberglass, I believe) to which you add pads, the put a cover over them. You can pin into the form, making any needed changes to sleeves and the like. This has been my favorite, and if I gain here or there, or lose, I just add or remove a pad.

making your own dress form

Cea wrote-- If I can help walk you through alterations, I'd be glad to help.

#1 give the bread machine to someone who really wants one. Really. Just get it out of your house.

I have considered making one of those, but the chance that the tape will get gooey and shift stopped me, and also the unstable nature of my figure. I hate doing things twice. I am planning on getting one of the adjustable forms (which ever one has the adjustable back length) and buying a pile of cheap pre-quilted fabric, cutting it w/ pinking shears into hopefully useful shapes, and padding the form to match me.

we'll see

liz young

You are better off padding the form with batting. Put a bra that fits you on the form and them work from there. Then you should have a cover over that the fits you, marking the center front, center back, across the bust points, waist and center hip.

Arlene

"Elizabeth Young" wrote

LOL, Liz, I'd love to get rid of the machine but my teenage sons are always begging me to make bread (especially cinnamon raisin). And it's so hard to resist when the smell of cinnamon fills the house! "Just one taste" turns into 2 or 3 hot, buttery slices and a tall glass of cold milk. When I'm low carbing, I can resist, but not normally :( Plus, homemade bread is probably better for the kids (but why does it have smell SO GOOD?)

An adjustable forms might be a considersation for me as well, as long as I could pad it to my measurements. When I made my DTD form it never shifted or became gooey, I guess because it stood guard in our even-temperature bedroom. I never used it much because there was no time to sew.

I'm looking at EBAY and Amazon now for copies of "Fast Fit." I'm hoping it will help me with getting accurate measurements to account for scoliosis. Can't wait to get it.

Cindy

i made my own dressform out of duct tape this summer. i stuffed it with newspaper. last time i was home (at my parents) for christmas, it seemed to me that it has shifted a bit. i only used it a few times, and i dunno how useful it would be to me again, but for the price it costs to make it (a few dollars in duct tape), it was a neat project. the one thing about it i didn't like is trying to fit shirts over it when you can't push the shoulders in like on real dressforms.

Don't use duct tape... use the self-adhesive brown paper tape (not the stuff you moisten the back, but self-stick), then cover the outside with a layer of good quality clear packaging tape. Mine hasn't melted, shifted, or done anything untoward in the five years since it was made.

Also great to have if you've got scoliosis and sew for yourself.

Kay Lancaster snipped-for-privacy@fern.com

Well Cindy,

my 4 years old dress form is standing behind me in the work/sewing/ironing room. I can adjust it, b u t stil not all my measures don't be the same as the form...getting heavier. My friend will help me and as she said, it must be a hillarious time, because we are going to use an other than duct tape......... searching the right word in my vocabulary. The tape - bandage what is to find in the surgery, gyps bandage? Yes, I suppose you understand. In the crafts/quilters shop here in Amsterdam a lady told me to do so. Childerd use this one to make masks for carnaval...

I hope I will get from it unbounded, otherwise I have to ask a real surgeon to help me out of it.

Even than, my following problem will be, how to fasten it to a stand. Do you know?

Suzan from Amsterdam (stormy weather al night long)

I made one of these with a friend of mine. You hang it on a wooden coat hanger, which you then fasten securely (with tape) to a stick or rod that holds the whole thing up. This rod is inserted in the "foot", 2 boards crossed with a hole drilled in the middle. Or you can skip the foot and rod and hang the whole thing from the ceiling. Much easier for fitting pants!

Kirsten Sollie Heimdal, Norway

"Kirsten wrote

Hi Kristen and Suzan,

There is a website that used to have the instructions for the Duct Tape Double form.

For a fee, they have a downloadable pdf or you can purchase a printed manual or floppy. There is also a freebie outline. Not promoting the site, just happen to know where it is :) I would like to make another one after I lose the weight...ugh.

I made my first one several years ago and have since discarded it, so it's hard to remember. I remember using PVC pipe and a Christmas tree stand to support it, but it didn't do such a great job...wouldn't recommend the Xmas stand...it l-e-a-n-e-d and would almost topple over.

Like I said in a previous post, the form stayed in our bedroom, and DH would awake in the dark to find this headless shadow leaning over him...poor soul would jump :0

Cindy

I know what you mean about changing perceptions! I can remember being in high school and complaining because my hip bones stuck out. Do you know how much money I would give for my hips bones to stick out now?

I've made 2 now. The first one I made a few years ago with my daughter's help. When we were finished, I was sure that the tape had stretched when we stuffed it! Then I measured it. Nope, (sniff) it hadn't stretched, I really was the size of double #1. How depressing! A couple of years ago, I realized that I had gained some weight so I decided that I should do a new one. Again, I thought it must be too big, I couldn't be that size, could I? Yep, I was. Double #2 was the same as me. How really, really depressing.

Last year I pulled out double #2 to use while making a long gown. The pinned gown fit the double perfectly. I sewed it up and tried it on. The dress fell off me! Oh joy! So now the double #2 is too big! So,,, I measure myself and guess what? I as *small* as #1. Happy dancing all over the place!

So it just goes to show, it's all in your perception. At first I'm upset that I'm *that big* and now I'm so happy that I'm *that small*!

"Lisa W." wrote Do you know how

Yes, I understand completely....used to wear 4 and 6 petites in high school...weighed 100 lb when I got married. Now, whoaa boy, we won't even go there :(

Cindy in WV ("sewin mama")

I know just what you mean! I can recall wearing a blouse I made with sheer sleeves, and being embarrassed, if you can imagine this, because my arms were so skinny! Good grief. Sure wish my arms were that "skinny" now.

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

A splendid idea, Kirsten, I will try that! Suzan NL

Oh God, Lisa, I remember that too! In the days of Yore! LOL

Cindy, we could have been twins. When I had my first child I wore one of my skirts from high school home form the hospital! But now, 50 lbs later....

Karen, when I look back at pictures from 30 years ago, I look anorexic, but at the time I thought I looked so good! I wouldn't mind going about half way back. Then I would look goooood! LOL