The New "Me" (dressform)

[Violet Peacock]

I recently aquired a Fabulous Fit dressform and last night I set about padding it to match my proportions.

*weep*

I can't beleive I look like I seem to. I guess it's easier to ignore in the mirror than in something actually in front of you.

I had always thought I was an Hourglass figure, but now Im not so sure.

What do you think?
(be kind) 

[vtmartha]

I guess it doesn't really matter what you call your shape.  The important thing is that you have a great dressform which will make fitting your clothes so much easier.  I've just attended a four day fitting workshop and I would love to have a form like that.  BTW, we learned that is much easier to fit fuller figures than to fit the slimmer ones.

[Carolyn]

I made a dressform out of duct tape that was exactly my form.  It is alarming to see what your shape really is without any clothes, but I wouldn't give up my dressform for anything!  It's been great.

Love your shape, no matter what it is.  By the way, you appear to be more of a pear shape than an hour glass.  You are in great company -  Michelle Obama!  Just think how great she looks.

[geeksewing]

BTW, we learned that is much easier to fit fuller figures than to fit the slimmer ones.

Now, here here!  

[geeksewing]

Love your shape, no matter what it is. 

I agree... More often than not, I wish I had fuller hips and a fuller bottom and a bosom (and so on and so forth) just to give my clothes some shape.  But slowly, I'm lovin' the shape I'm in, especially now that I'm getting my patterns to fit.

[Violet Peacock]

Thanks guys, It was shock more than anything I think. I don't like what I see but I can't drastically change who I am, s I will get used to it.

I will have to do some PearShape research, thats really thrown me..thinking I was one thing and ending up being something different.

Now I just have to learn how to use Ethel (the dressform) to my best advantage

[Robin]

yes, you will get used to it! 
I had the same reaction when I entered my measurements into Bernina My Label and saw the computerized version of my body.
BUT- I did get over it and don't eve worry about it anymore.  It is one of the benefits of sewing for ourselves.
We can use what we learn to accept ourselves as we are.
works for me, anyway.

I can tell you that I am much less concerned with my body image than i was a couple years ago when I started down this path to sew my own clothes.

[Violet Peacock]

Thanks Robin

Im much less shocked about it today, which is good.

Can anyone who uses a dressform give me a few examples of ways I can use her? Im going to be learning Draping in school next semester, but what else can I do with her..

[fzxdoc]

VioletP, you're going to find that you will use that dressform with every project, from draping fabrics over it to see what goes together in the creative play stage of beginning a project to using it as a valuable fitting tool.  I too have a FF dressform padded out to exactly mimic my body, and I honestly couldn't sew without it.  For one thing, it prevents one from inadvertently putting bulls eyes over areas to which you don't want to draw attention when placing prints (like big flowers or huge polkadots). Many a time I'll trace out the placement of a pattern piece on the fabric and then pin it to my dressform and step away. I've averted many a visual disaster doing that!

That brings me to another topic--you're going to love being able to stick pins directly into that dressform.  It truly helps you with the design phase and the sewing phase, too.  And it's so much more convenient than sewing in your underwear and trying something on at every whipstitch!

I would recommend if that pretty bra is meant to stay on the form and it fits you perfectly that you put it under the zippered cover and make sure it is padded out to exactly mimic your curves in, over, and under the bra. Having it under the ivory covering will keep it in place as you pull garments on and off the form.  You won't have to continually readjust it to get the shoulder-to-bust apex depth set back to rights, for example.

I would also recommend that you take black 1/4 inch twill tape and mark your true waist, hip, and bust levels, center front and center back, and side seam lines, and the normal neckline.  I just secured the twill tape to my form with small silk pins. Having those points marked is invaluable when pin-fitting tissue pattern pieces on your form (which, incidentally, is another handy use for the form).

So enjoy using your wonderful new fitting tool.  I don't make garments using the draping method, but as you learn to do it in school, I would think that the FF form will be even more invaluable to you.

Kathryn

[PatE]

I have the same dress form and love it.  Professional dress is the rule for work every day.  I sew a lot of separates - so if I have a question on if a top will work with this jacket and that skirt and - oh, what jewlery, scarf, etc will it need - I "play" dress-up on the dress form - much easier that trying everything on and I can get a full around look see.

I also will "drape" fabric on and around it sometimes - occasionally, I really like a fabric but I am not sure if it should be a top, bottom, or just trim on something else.  Looking at it draped for a day or so usually gets the creative juices going a bit more than when it was just a flat fold.

I'm glad to see you have a bra on her - that was one thing I did also and have left it on (under the knit cover) as I couldn't get enought definition in that area with just the padding.

One other thing - I made a pin cusion for the top - where you have a scarf tied - I found it much more convenient to be able to have a couple of pins right up top as I was determining buttom placement, collar roll, etc.

I'm sure there are many other uses - these are just a few that I use on a regual basis

Pat E

[Violet Peacock]

Wow, thanks for the speedy replies.

Re the bra, I hadnt intended to leave it on(its my best bra). I was just checking I had the boobd about right. I will have to dig out an older bra to donate to the cause.

Thanks for all the tips, they are great. I will get some twill tape. The cover has CF, Princess and Side seams marked but nothing horizontal. I will also attatche a pin cusion to the top, thats a great idea.

 

[BeeBee]

Yes, it looks nice on Ethel, but she probably doesn't need the same support.    You could get her a nice tattoo or belly button ring, though.

[Janis]

And it's so much more convenient than sewing in your underwear and trying something on at every whipstitch!

Kathryn

Have you been sneaking in my sewing room

[BeeBee]

At my sewing class on Saturday, someone said something about sewing naked.  I asked "isn't that how you make shirts?"   

[Kover1]

Wow, thanks for reminding me!!  I need to do that to my dressform also.  I really don't want to see mine when its done!!  lol I have gained so much weight from the meds I am prescribed for my RSD, that I don't even recognize myself when I look into the mirror...not to mention that in my head I am still 27  and on my prescriptions every month it always says AGE: 45!!!!!  lol something is wrong with this picture!!
Thanks again for reminding me, I will work on it tomorrow.
Lisa

[Carolyn]

If you are looking for ideas on what looks best for your body type, I recommend Missussmartypants.com.  I discovered it through Stitcher's Guild and really like it.

[bessiecrocker]

I recently took a class to make a dressform. It's been a really interesting project, despite having a teacher who is not very helpful. She knows what's she is doing, but can't seem to explain it (or have patience with the students -me!- who can't do it as fast as she can). Anyway, I came home after the class and have been figuring it out, slowly, on my own. Lots of lightbulbs going off. I am really getting the concept about three demensional form, and that sewing is not a "flat" process.

The form sort of puts my body shape "out there somewhere else" and I don't take my physical imperfections so personally. Like I said, this has been a really good process for me and I've learned alot about my basic body shape that will help with sewing and fitting, I'm sure.  I wish I was better at fitting myself, or had a teacher who was prepared to help, because I think this will be just a first try and will need some improvements if I really want to use it for accurate fitting.  Anyone have any good tips before I finish this??

I hadn't thought about putting a bra on the form. I guess I thought if you measured and fitted over the bra in the first place your bumps would be more or less in the right place. Will outfit my form with some underwear, great idea.

I had planned to sew lines in a different colored thread on the cover to indicate center front, etc., but is it better (or easier) just to pin twill tape along the lines you want?

Gotta come up with a name for "her", too. Did you just get inspired one day, or is naming your dummy the standard practice???

Will also add a pincusion to the top. Everyone here has so many clever ideas...

The teacher did mention that the cover fabric should be "pinable" and recommended something with some texture to it. I've chosen a stretchable finewale corduroy type. She said to cut/sew it slightly small so it will fit tight over the form.  I haven't cut the cover yet. Advice?

Thanks for help finishing "the new me".  Will let you know if seeing it daily makes me want to lose some weight. That wouldn't be such a bad thing to happen. Version 2 could be skinnier than this prototype model!

[BetsyV]

Bessie

I have an old Uniquely You dress form, which is a foam rubber base covered with a medium-weight cotton cover. I made a new cover using the original cover as a pattern and I cut huge seam allowances, since I am not 12 y/o anymore. (I was 12 when mom and I first got thi form and we covered it to my figure in 1971.) The cover is fitted skin-tight to me and now has been zipped onto my form. I took it to a 3-day sewing retreat to get the cover tweaked to fit me by a professional. Other people brought garment projects for fitting: I took my dress form cover. (And a couple of garments!) It is NOT something you can do yourself. I made some gross adjustments; my mother made some more adjustments (particularly to the back), and now the finetuning is complete. I need to pad out the hip and tummy area, which I expected.

I am not going to put a bra on her. I think this is more commonly done by women who have large bosoms or their bosoms are in a different place than the default dress form place. Then the bust needs to be moved and put in your place. Her bustpoint and mine are in the same place, conveniently.

I used a sharpie/permanent marker to note the waistline, after the professional put a dotted line in colored pencil around the cover while it was on me. I will add other lines once I pad her out: shoulder, hip, bust, who knows what else.

Mine is named Mabel, which was my grandmother's name. When she is acting up, I call her Alice, who was my extra-feisty great aunt (and Mabel's sister) who was the "sewing" sister. My DGM knit, crocheted, and did other needlework, but she didn't sew like Alice did. Each of the 4 sisters had her own needlework specialty.

Since mine is a foam rubber base, I can stick pins in her anywhere and don't need a pincushion on her neck.

Since the foam rubber is from 1971, it has started to disintegrate somewhat, so I took a man's XL crewneck undershirt, cut the sleeves off, and stitched the neckline and armholes shut. I cut the new cover extra long and am going to make a casing around the bottom and use an old shoestring to draw in the hem and hold the foam rubber crumbs (and the extra hip padding) in.

The cover fabric should NOT stretch unless you plan on fitting it to you to its maximum stretch factor. Mine is a medium weight cotton which is not really suitable for any kind of garment. It's too stiff, but it isn't heavy enough for me to call it cotton duck.

HTH

[pamela]

I did the same thing on my dress form. But I had to add batting to get it right.
Not a pretty sight.
I diffently look better with my clothes on.

[bessiecrocker]

I found the big dressform thread that has lots of good info and have been reading through it, all highly useful bits of information as I continue making the "new me"...

http://artisanssquare.com/sg/index.php/topic,140.0.html

I'm going to post some of my specific questions there instead of on here with Violet and Emma. Emma is lovely, by the way, and is an inspiration...I'm envious, I think it would have been cheaper and easier to just go buy a form rather than taking this frustrating class.

Violet, I also think you and Emma are slightly pear shaped, but hourglass sounds better so just go with that!

[bessiecrocker]

Woops, it's Ethel not Emma! I think my form may turn out to be an Emma, that's why I goofed. I wanted to name one of my DDs Emma but DH nixed it both times. So maybe the "new me" dummy will turn out to be my Emma! Give my love to Ethel...