Thread: Dress forms!

I'd like to see a show of hands of people who use dress forms to make their costumes. I would like to buy one or make my own with duct tape.

Do you use a dress form? Why or why not?

Also, those with a duct tape body form...how is that working for you? How do you hold it up?

Thanks!

I've been thinking of making the famous duct tape dress form too! WAY cheeper . . . . . I'm interested to see what people say about it . . . .

Azhia posted a link where they sell a DVD "how to" to make you own, but I couldn't find it even with the Bhuz search engine! ,m::

Purdy please Azhia, what was the link?

Qamar

I have some links:
Duct Tape Dummy
Craftzine.com blog : HOW TO - Make a Duct Tape Dress Form

Found it! ..g.:

dress form, dressforms, sewing dress form, dress form double



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Qamar

I use a dress form.
It's easier to see how the beads and coins hang.
It's also an easy way to see how my different skirts look with the bra/belt.
I like to layer different colors or fabrics, seeing it on a dress form allows you to see how they drape, and being able to stand back and see how the colors work together helps.
I must try and make one from duct tape!

I would use the pole and stand from an old standing fan, you can adjust the height (a little).

I have a duct tape dress form and I love it. I prefer to drape directly onto the mannequin, as opposed to using patterns and having a body double is invaluable for setting straps, girth measurements, hemming, everything.

I received the Uniquely You dress form for Christmas and really like it. I have a long torso, so really needed something I could customize. (I tried a Singer a couple years back and sent it back.) Hemming skirts is soooooo much easier now!

I got a dress form (the foam kind with the sausage casing you fit to your body and then squeeze into the form while holding the gigantic foam boobs and hips down with your knees so you can get the canvas thing on it, while swearing) and I LOVE IT. My friend/dance partner/artistic director/maker of all things gorgeous, Hanem, drafted me a vest pattern on it, and since figuring out a bit of her method have gone on to make some streetwear dresses.

I find it's absolutely the best thing for figuring out the positioning of sequined appliques and other design features, and that it cuts my sewing time in half.

Originally Posted by Candide

I got a dress form (the foam kind with the sausage casing you fit to your body and then squeeze into the form while holding the gigantic foam boobs and hips down with your knees so you can get the canvas thing on it, while swearing) and I LOVE IT. My friend/dance partner/artistic director/maker of all things gorgeous, Hanem, drafted me a vest pattern on it, and since figuring out a bit of her method have gone on to make some streetwear dresses.

I find it's absolutely the best thing for figuring out the positioning of sequined appliques and other design features, and that it cuts my sewing time in half.

Oh, how do you get one of those? What are they called?

..l;, I think she's describing the Uniquely You, which I have. You put the casing on yourself and fit it with darts and such. Then you have to get it onto the foam base, much as Candide described. ..g.: It's worth it. You make the casing a little bit smaller than yourself because the foam expands it.

Originally Posted by Candide

I got a dress form (the foam kind with the sausage casing you fit to your body and then squeeze into the form while holding the gigantic foam boobs and hips down with your knees so you can get the canvas thing on it, while swearing) and I LOVE IT. My friend/dance partner/artistic director/maker of all things gorgeous, Hanem, drafted me a vest pattern on it, and since figuring out a bit of her method have gone on to make some streetwear dresses.

I find it's absolutely the best thing for figuring out the positioning of sequined appliques and other design features, and that it cuts my sewing time in half.

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

Oh, how do you get one of those? What are they called?

Originally Posted by kiyaana

..l;, I think she's describing the Uniquely You.

That's the one! The experience of trying to wrestle the foam into the sausage was still vivid in my mind long after I'd forgotten the name of the brand.

You order a basic size based on measurements, and then your dummy arrives with an unfinished casing and fitting instructions so you can have it match you more exactly. The cover zips off so you can re-fit it if you gain or lose weight at any point.

The thing I like best about the foam is that you can stick pins in it to match up grain lines or just hold things in place.

You are so right. I love that it is pin-able.

Originally Posted by Candide

The thing I like best about the foam is that you can stick pins in it to match up grain lines or just hold things in place.

I love my Uniquely You dress form. There are many size options so you can get the foam base and the cover as close as possible to your real measurements and then adjust the cover so make it perfect.

Re: Uniquely you...what happens if you gain or lose weight? Which I plan on doing...eventually.

I use a dress form and I love it. It is also handy to have when you want to take pics of your costumes to put up for sale. Doozer had one for sale in the Swap Meet some time ago....

Originally Posted by Candide

...My friend/dance partner/artistic director/maker of all things gorgeous, Hanem, drafted me a vest pattern on it, and since figuring out a bit of her method have gone on to make some streetwear dresses...

You know, I had to read that twice before I figured out you were talking about me:) I was scanning so fast I didn't catch the poster's name and I am completely unused to anyone referring to me by my dance name unless I am on stage. Hee!

Thanks for the praise darlin'!

Haven/Hanem/Something or other
GorgeousClever.com

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

Re: Uniquely you...what happens if you gain or lose weight? Which I plan on doing...eventually.

The cover can be adjusted for weight gain or loss. It has darts and seams that allow for those changes and explicit instructions on fitting to your body and altering. You can also order covers in different sizes to use on the same basic form.

Souzan

Originally Posted by haven

You know, I had to read that twice before I figured out you were talking about me:) I was scanning so fast I didn't catch the poster's name and I am completely unused to anyone referring to me by my dance name unless I am on stage. Hee!

Thanks for the praise darlin'!

Haven/Hanem/Something or other
GorgeousClever.com

Who else would I be talking about? ^_~

I use a dress form and adore it. Mine is a My Twin dress form. You basically make a double of your body by wrapping yourself in plaster bandages, remove, reinforce, fill with expandable foam insulation, remove plaster, then cover. I used a threaded pole from Ace Hardware and um... I guess it'd be called a threaded plate? basically something I could bolt to the wooden base board and to the board on the bottom of the dress form. I can unthread it to load it in my car :)

I prefer to draft patterns on a pin-able dressform rather than flat patterning. It has been very helpful when I wanted to do a new skirt design or something with gathers or lots of pleats. Use a cheap material that has a similar feel to the fashion fabric you want to use. Then you have a pattern and a trial run :) It does make hemming and applique placement easier as well.

Ok, I tried the duct tape version and it was a total failure. Read the adventure here:
Too many hobbies: Duct Tape Debacle - The Non-Tutorial

Four friends and I had a duct tape dummy party a while back. "Am I really that big?" seemed to be everybody's reaction, LOL. They turned out pretty good, and I've used mine for bra making purposes. It's filled with fabric scraps, so it's really sturdy, but it's way too heavy to hang or put on a stand.

I'm going to be working on one of these this week, and after reading Andalee's misadventures, I'm a little scared! ;) Anyone have tips on making this a success?

Originally Posted by GenevieveOfAtlanta

I'm going to be working on one of these this week, and after reading Andalee's misadventures, I'm a little scared! ;) Anyone have tips on making this a success?

Me too, me too! Poor hubby, he doesn't know what awaits him...

Me too - do ya want to share pix at the end? Which hubby will resign first? How many glasses of wine will be needed to complete it?

I think three layers of tape is a must, then ensuring the markings are in place before cutting, then cutting and hanging from some sort of hanger before attempting to stuff in any fashion. I was thinking that building supplies people have foam stuff for filling walls, so maybe I could use that to stuff it? Oh and wearing a tight T-shirt so that it's very snug and adds no extra inches that I don't need!!

Originally Posted by adiemusfree

Me too - do ya want to share pix at the end? Which hubby will resign first? How many glasses of wine will be needed to complete it?

I think three layers of tape is a must, then ensuring the markings are in place before cutting, then cutting and hanging from some sort of hanger before attempting to stuff in any fashion. I was thinking that building supplies people have foam stuff for filling walls, so maybe I could use that to stuff it? Oh and wearing a tight T-shirt so that it's very snug and adds no extra inches that I don't need!!

Ha-ha! Let's time them!!! This is how you motivate them: "But it only took [insert dancer's name here]'s husband one hour to complete the dress form. You don't want to stay behind, don't you darling?" ..l;,

Originally Posted by sophie

Ha-ha! Let's time them!!! This is how you motivate them: "But it only took [insert dancer's name here]'s husband one hour to complete the dress form. You don't want to stay behind, don't you darling?" ..l;,

..l;,

So I made my duct tape dress form last night. It went...okay.

If I needed this for exact measurements to create patterns or some such, I'm not too sure this would be the way to go. A friend is making me a costume similar to Eman's Prestige (check Dahlal...I hate how I can't link very well to their site), so we needed a way to have the body suit stretched while she did the beading to prevent the design from looking all wonky when I put it on. So the duct tape form will work for that, but, like Andalee, I ended up with a form that didn't really conform to my measurements.

Originally Posted by GenevieveOfAtlanta

So I made my duct tape dress form last night. It went...okay.

If I needed this for exact measurements to create patterns or some such, I'm not too sure this would be the way to go. A friend is making me a costume similar to Eman's Prestige (check Dahlal...I hate how I can't link very well to their site), so we needed a way to have the body suit stretched while she did the beading to prevent the design from looking all wonky when I put it on. So the duct tape form will work for that, but, like Andalee, I ended up with a form that didn't really conform to my measurements.

What do you think happend? Wondering if maybe papier mache is better way to go? Or plastic body cast..l;,

Are you guys wearing foundation garments when you do this? I am thinking that one thing is that when you put on the lycra costume or dress or the powernet body suit there is some compression and reshaping of flesh that goes on. And we pull in everything, assume the posture, engage our abs. All that probably pulls in a few inches that the duct tape form isn't mirroring. Maybe wearing some shapewear under the tee shirt would be the thing to do.

And maybe adding some lightweight corset boning in the form as you are doing the taping. Give a little more structural support.

Originally Posted by Souzan

What do you think happend? Wondering if maybe papier mache is better way to go? Or plastic body cast..l;,

Are you guys wearing foundation garments when you do this? I am thinking that one thing is that when you put on the lycra costume or dress or the powernet body suit there is some compression and reshaping of flesh that goes on. And we pull in everything, assume the posture, engage our abs. All that probably pulls in a few inches that the duct tape form isn't mirroring. Maybe wearing some shapewear under the tee shirt would be the thing to do.

And maybe adding some lightweight corset boning in the form as you are doing the taping. Give a little more structural support.

Thats a good idea. Wearing spanks under duct tape! I wore really tight biker pants that really sucked me in. I pulled the waist band up to my natural waist so everything was smooth and compressed from the waist down.