STITCHEDNSTYLIN'
With fabrics, the possibilities are endless
What's not to love about dress forms? They always come in handy. It's ideal for draping, fitting bodices, making alterations and pattern drafting. After experiencing sewing and fitting woes, I became very compelled to make my own dress form after two years of sewing. At first, I shopped for dress forms online only to find them ridiculously expensive. I researched on DIY dress forms online and found there were a variety of tutorials online for many ways to custom make your own dress form from duct tape or from plaster strips. I decided to go the duct tape route because it can be pinned into with needles.
Because my custom-made dress form is almost identical, it makes my pattern drafting much easier. I can afford to create my own patterns and design lines that I like by first taping strips on the dress form and then drape muslin fabric over it to trace the design lines of the tape stripes underneath; and then I would cut the trace lines on the muslin fabric and then transfer the cut patterns on brown paper to trace the patterns and then add seam allowances. This dress form is my studio buddy! The only worry I have is to watch my figure! Otherwise, I will have to make a new studio buddy. There are many great tutorials online.
I got this fun print duct tape from Walmart. It makes my studio buddy look fun.
These are two of the tutorials I followed:
1) So Easy Sew
With the help of my sister, my body was taped around with duct tape until a white t-shirt that I was wearing beneath was no longer invisible. For the neck, I covered it with plastic wrap before it could be taped with the duct tape.
To remove the taped dress form, my sister cut the back center lengthwise. I then closed the cut part with the duct tape.
Stuffing time! I put plenty of stuffing in the form with pillow stuffing. The bottom opening was closed with a circle cardboard. I taped the edge to secure and then made a small hole in the center for a stand. (unpictured)
Finshed dress form! The stand comes from a lamp stand I bought from Walmart. I just got rid of the shade and a few rods. I secured where the stand and form met with plenty of duct tape. Sometimes it can't stand on it own especually when draped with fabrics. It has to lean against the wall. But I am not complaining! it's very useful.