What's it called and should I get it?

Hello all,

since that sloper blocks thread I'm firmly resolved to get a bit more professional (or whatever you would like to call it) when it comes to sewing. So I thought that I might as well get one of those things you put the item of clothing on while making it. In German it's a 'Schneiderbüste', LEO said it's called a dummy. Anyway, just for the fun of it, I googled for one today, to find out what's on the market. I'd need a vastly andjustable one, and so I came across a thermoplastic one (warm - takes shape of body, cold - keeps shape, can be folded away after use), and wondered if you use any of these things, and if you do, what model, well, all there is to know... Thanks for advice.

U. - dead tired, off to bed, will be ashamed tomorrow about bad English of this one. ;-)

Reply to
Ursula Schrader
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I have several Adjustoform brand ones as mine all need to be adjustable for customers. They work reasonably well and are fairly robust, but they are expensive!

I got the child and the larger lady here:

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just a happy customer.

Reply to
Kate XXXXXX

Ursula,

It took your German labeling of a dressmaker form to jolt me. I've been trying to find a reference work for translating German sewing terms into English and have been coming up with only the bare basics. Not nearly enough for what I'm doing. And my German lessons are not even beyond the basics. Which has spurred another memory. I'm trying to find authentic Trachten patterns for regional German and Swiss womens costumes. It may just be a language thing. I may not have enough of the right words to do a proper search. Or maybe I'm not looking in the right place. Switzerland seems to be very closed to anything other than small very commercial touristy things to sell. What I'm getting out of Germany is a little better. There are RTW Dirndls, a bit too sexy for my taste, but authentic costume patterns seem to be nowhere to be found.

Have any suggestions? Thank you for any help, AK in PA

Reply to
AK&DStrohl

I'm working on a new iteration of the paper tape version of the duct tape double, because I've got some rather specific fitting issues. Because I drape, I want to be able to pin into the form -- many of the commercial, adjustable forms sold for home use will not accept pins.

I'm using this process:

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Reply to
Kay Lancaster

Dear Ursula,

Your English is a lot better than my German! We call those things either "dress forms," or mannekins. The ones we had years ago when I was in school were made of soft foam, so that they could be used by many students. We made denim covers for them using our individual measurements without ease, and they zipped up the back with a metal separating zipper. But that usually wasn't enough. We had to stuff here and there for love handles, spare tires, high/low hip, etc. When they were done, it was laughable, because they looked exactly like us-- only headless. There was never any mistaking whose dress form belonged to whom.

Factories have a rigid (and expensive) dress form in every size. This wouldn't be practical for home use--they take up too much space, and really don't fit real people. I like the foam idea, or an individual one as Kay suggested, made from your own body.

Teri

Reply to
gjones2938

Well Ursula, you have one on me now as I never heard of a thermoplastic one LOL

You learn something all the time on the group :-)

Hope you find one that you will be happy with. ps - your English is quite good really :-)

Regards Katherine

I googled for

Reply to
jones

Oh dear, thanks for the praise, I wasn't fishing for compliments, it was just... Well, that's another story. But anyway, here's the link for the thermo dress form:

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thought it was something quite common, after all the idea is intriguing. The whole thing comes with a cover of black jersey, so pinning things to it wouldn't be a problem. Let me know what you think... U.

Reply to
Ursula Schrader

Again, thanks for your praise, I wasn't fishing, just the over-perfect virgo, if you believe in zodiac stuff. ;-)

Ah yes, that sounds like fun, somewhere in my mind there was a picture of such a dress form, only the love handles and spare tires being basted (correct term for fixed with thread that breaks easily) on with a multitude of patches.

Well, call me a fool, but somewhere deep inside my chubby self there is still the hope that one day I might lose a pound or two or 50. The dress form would be an investment for life, so to speak, and something as rigid as suggested by Kay wouldn't suit me, I fear. The idea seems rather clever, though, for those whose bodies don't undergo major changes. I posted the link to the thermo dress form in my reply to Katherine. Would be glad to hear your opinion on it.

U.

Reply to
Ursula Schrader

"AK&DStrohl" wrote...

Yes, I know the problem only too well. While I was working for the internet company that made and sold interviews with pop stars like Britney Spears,

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worked quite well for me. However, when I started myone-year training course for becoming foreign language correspondent, thisuseful tool on the internet soon came to its limits. Many terms from bankingand economy just didn't show up there, not even in the discussion forum.www.yourdictionary.com is a somewhat useful site, since it links you toother internet dictionaries, but in the end there's nothing like 'appearingfoolish' (mind the apostrophes, there are no stupid questions, right? ;-))and asking native speakers.> Which has spurred another memory. I'm trying to find authentic Trachten> patterns for regional German and Swiss womens costumes. It may just be a> language thing. I may not have enough of the right words to do a proper> search. Or maybe I'm not looking in the right place.> Switzerland seems to be very closed to anything other than small very> commercial touristy things to sell. What I'm getting out of Germany is a> little better. There are RTW Dirndls, a bit too sexy for my taste, but> authentic costume patterns seem to be nowhere to be found. OK, you should be well aware that 'Trachten' are a very regional thing. You get 'Trachten' all over Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Come to think of it, all over Europe, people used wear what is called in German a 'Tracht'. The 'Dirndl' you have very likely in mind is the Bavarian and Austrian dress. BTW, Bavarians hate to be called Germans, you might compare the whole thing perhaps a little with the Scottish, who might seriously harm you if you call them to easily 'British'. ;-) Swiss costumes differ rather a lot from the aforesaid Dirndl. The Swiss are rather prudish, so those dresses have a very high neckline and in many cases don't accentuate the bust at all. All in all, the form of the Dirndl goes back to 17th and 18th century court fashion. You know the thing: year 1 it's fashion for the in-crowd, year 2 it's fashion for the not-so-in-crowd, year 1+ n (wherein n is any number of years between three and 30 in our time) it's fashion (meaning leave out all the offensive details like too short hemlines, too low necklines or too bold colours) for the hicks. So you get the Rokoko bodice well into the 19th century, while the Empire waistline hardly makes it into rural fashion.

I'll do some research into the whole matter, but it might take a while. However, I gather from your posting that it's not to urgent. If you've got more question on the whole matter, I'll be glad to answer to my best knowledge, but for now I've got to go, DD is awake and calling*. ;-)

U.

*Saying something like 'Arrrrnnnnghh!' and 'Rörörörörö'. Ah, those babynoises... Melt your heart any time. ;-)
Reply to
Ursula Schrader

Oh, yes, the adjustable wire one. The good thing is that they adjust easily. The bad thing is that they adjust easily. Meaning that it's very easy to adjust them without meaning to do so.

Reply to
Pogonip

So do I! I lust for this one:

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figure I could order it in my "ideal-some-day" size and pad it sufficiently to meet "today's bulges and sags". It would be terrific if that would actually work, but maybe I'm dreaming....

Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

I almost certain my mother had one of those, or something very similar, back in the 50s. I don't recall that she used it much, even though she sewed professionally.

Beverly

Reply to
BEI Design

Oh, I thought that they could only be adjusted when warmed so that you can't adjust them by mistake. Thought is was a new material, not just plain old wire. I've seem something about wire that can only be formed when it has a certain temperature and then has some sort of memory. ;-) I'll check that out, I'll mail to them. If the dratted thing changes its shape every time I try to pin or drape something on it, they can keep it.

U.

Reply to
Ursula Schrader

If I have people to fit with greater than average variations in size or shape, I dial the dress stand closest to their size to a size or two smaller and pad it up with quilt batting and similar stuff, pinned on with cotton fabric covering it. I then pop a stretch skinny sweater over the top to tidy it up and mark things like waist and hip lines in twill tape. This seems to work quite well. It can be a labour of love, mind! I think Teri's idea of a foam form with a zip-on cover might inspire me to speed the process up!

Reply to
Kate XXXXXX

Kate, were you around in 1994 ago when Diane Close wrote about her experience with the Uniquely You form here in alt.sewing?

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which is:
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(or go to groups.google.com and search for:barbie hell diane barlow close )It was the first time I truly understood the usenet abbreviation ROFLMAO. Kay

Reply to
Kay Lancaster

Whoah! That musta been fun! I did so (ROFLMAO), too. ;-) It makes you wary, though, of wanting your every wish granted. I'll have to think the whole thing over, really.... ;-)

U.

Reply to
Ursula Schrader

Try this link:

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they've got something that suits you. If you require translation, just ask. ;-) U.

Reply to
Ursula Schrader

I'll go and read that. I missed it first time round!

Reply to
Kate XXXXXX

Priceless! And utterly wonderful! The perfect sewing giggle.

Reply to
Kate XXXXXX

You may be right. It has been a long time since I've seen one of those, and it wasn't plastic. It's entirely possible that they've taken the old design - which had much going for it - and updated it with space-age plastics, which weren't available way back then. I hope you are right.

Reply to
Pogonip

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