The PDF file

I'm very interested in purchasing your Duct Tape Double Dress Form instructions but have two questions before I do. I plan to purchase the PDF file regardless of the answers, it's just a matter of when depending on your answer to the first question.

Edition: I noticed that you were on the 3rd edition. I don't know how often you update the file or even if it's been updated recently so I wanted to check to see if you were working on a 4th edition now and would recommend that I wait. I don't need it immediately as I'm in the process of losing weight and am not sure how easy it is to change the dress form.
Measurement Changes: Which leads me to the second question! How easy is it to alter the dress form if your measurements change? Would I need to create a new one from scratch? I ask because I noticed on Jean Haas' description for her dress form that she says "If you gain or lose weight, you can make another form instantly without a lot of expense!" and I wasn't sure if this was true for all duct tape dress forms or only for hers. I can see how you could adjust a current one if not much weight has been lost/gained but I wondered if this would be possible if you lost/gained several dress sizes.

I have never seen Jean's edition so I can't say how mine compares. There are instruction for minor changes in measurement included but I don't know if I'd call them easy. Depending on where and how much weight is changed it might just be easier to make a new form.

~~~ Well, yes. There is a lot more "stuff" in the purchased version than the Freebe instructions and all the otehr writings on this site. If there wasn't people wouldn't buy it. ~~~Leanna

If I order the floppy disk, can I print out the instructions? It would probably be easier to follow written instructions than running back and forth to the computer. You have also stated that I can print out the instructions after I have sent you the money for them. Will any word software be able to recognize pdf files. I have Corel, but have not had occasion to try to print pdf files. I am very excited about the DTD. I have been trying to sew myself a new wardrobe, and getting very frustrated with dressing and undressing to try things on. Thanks for any information.

To view any pfd file you need the Adobe Reader program. It's free and you can get it at the Adobe site. I send a link for that when I fill every order. With the Reader program you can print any pfd file whether it's from a download or on a disk. I agree with you that printing things out makes it much easier to use. You can choose to use the file any way, but I like the print out. There's just something about having things on paper that you can hold that seems to make it easier.

Thank you for sending the file. I have a problem. I am unable to save the download. There is no "save" function listed anywhere in the download. Can you help?

Becca

When you click on the link I sent you the Adobe Reader should automatically load. When the file is finished downloading, the Reader should automatically open it so you can view it. At this time you can do all the things you can normally do with a windows program file - save, print, or just read through it.

To save click on the word "File" in the upper left hand corner of your browser's window. You will get a list. Click on the word "Save As..." You will get another window asking you where you want to save the file to. Select a location and click the "Save" button in the lower right hand corner.

If you use Netscape like I do, you can also hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard while you press the "S" key. You will get the same Save window.

Hello I was wondering will the Duct Tape Double work with Men's Items like Shirts, pants, and Suit Jackets and Vests ? what about hemming pants? Dose the Book talk at all about this ?
Thanks for your time
Mike

No, the manual is of a female form only, and does not contain instructions on how to do fittings on it, only how to make it. The technique can certainly be use to make a male form using the same instructions.

I'm very interested in ordering your instructions. However, I do not have a color printer. Would the pictures be of any assistance printed on a laser printer? Would I be better off getting just the text version?
Trish

I think the pictures are a great asset to the instructions. I have printed them out in black and white to use as handout in speaking engagements and I think they look fine. You might like to go to the Threads web site to see pictures like the type in my instructions and maybe that will help you decide.

I've recently taken the Text only version off the Order form because no one has wanted it in several months.

I am interested in the instructions for the Duct Dress Form. I'm not too experienced with the computer, so my question may sound dumb: The snail Mail File on 3 1/2+ACI- floppy Disk , you will mail to me the floppy disk, and I will be able to insert it on the computer and view it with out worry about virus?

Your question isn't dumb at all. It's a good thing that you are being careful about computer viruses. You can get a virus from an e-mailing or a floppy disk. I won't send you one, but there are folks out there that would. Your best defense is to have a good Virus Protection program on your computer. There are many out there. I used to have PC-cillin but have switched to the Norton system. When you buy anything off the Internet you should scan it before using it. This includes downloaded files and floppies like what I send folks. But not everything will give you a virus just because it came from the Internet. It's only malicious people out there that will try to mess you up like that.

Is it hard to make one and does a person need to do 50-60 measurements or is it a no nonsense deal??

Do the instructions for the form down load and play over an imac? I have downloaded a couple of things that were only for windows and I could not play them. Do you have the instructions in book form?

You can only read the instructions with the Adobe Program which you can get for free from Adobe. There are many versions of Adobe. I'm sure one will work with your system. Go to: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html to see the selection.

I downloaded and printed out the full instructions with photos about a year ago. Unfortunately I didn't end up printing out the "preparing to stuff" section. I notice that you no longer have the option to view the photo instructions on your site. Could you please e-mail me with the photos from that section? I can't figure it out with the text only.

I'm sorry but the instructions are in one PDF file that I can't just send a piece of. It's not in separate pages like it used to be. I can only send the whole thing. I rewrote the instructions to be gotten this way because so many people were visiting the site that it was costing way more than I can afford. (The more people that visit a site the more the site owners are charged for the space.) So I recreated them in a form I could send through e-mail, and 15 web pages was simply way too big to be sending that way. When I re-edited the instructions they grew to 45 pages and I had to set it up to be a downloading file.

Though I can't let them go for free any more, I tried to make the instructions affordable to anyone by pricing as low as I thought reasonable for my work. I know that some folks that buy the instructions from me might pass them around to friends for nothing, but I'm not trying to make gobs of money - just to be able to pay for the site and keep the instructions available to so many who want them.

I'm working on other instructional files for teaching clothing alteration. Though there are text books available on this, I have yet to find one that really teaches what I have been doing successfully for many years.

I think your method is a wonderful idea. I am a knitwear designer. Do you have this on video? I hope, if so, please let me know how much it costs. I saw your article in one of Threads back issues.

I guess you might be wondering what would a knitwear designer want with a dress form. Well sometimes I used the cut and sew techniques for knitting when time and money is a factor.

No, I don't have this on video - yet. It's just a PDF file for now. Hopefully, I may be able to do one soon. I'll put a notice on the site when I do.

Leah, one more thing, Do you know if Acrobat will copy this on to a disk? I don't want to lose it should my computer decide to crash someday. Thanks again Debi

Yes it does.
Put the floppy disk you want to copy to in the drive slot. Look at the top left hand corner of the Acrobat screen. Click on the word "File". On the list you will get, click on the words "Save As". Another window screen will pop up. At the top of this window box is a place to select where your floppy drive is (This is usually drive A). You have to know the letter of your drive and put it here. There is an arrow to the right of the box that will give you a list of your drives. If you don't know, click on this arrow to select the drive that is labeled "3 1/2 floppy". Click on the button with the word Save on it. The file will save to your floppy.

Remember to remove the floppy from the drive before you turn off your computer or you will have problems the next time you want to turn it on.

Are there any instructions for making a full life size (including legs/pants) all in one form?

It's rather easy to do without explicit instructions. Just continue wrapping the whole body as instructed for the torso and cut it off up one leg and continuing up the center back.

Or, I would recommend trying to do 2 wrappings. The first of the upper body that would run a little past the waist and the second that starts a little above the waist and runs down the legs. This way you can combine the two at the waist and you don't have to put the model through the ordeal a whole body wrap would be.

Some folks have written that in the wrapping process they have gotten tired of standing for so long, to some people reporting feeling dizzy. I would not recommend endangering yourself in any way. Be careful whatever method you choose to try!!!!!

Leanna,
Thank you for sending the DTD instructions so promptly, I am looking forward to making my double soon. I do have one question regarding the quality of the figures. I noticed that the DTD figures are not as sharp as the figures in the Sports Hem instructions. Is this because the DTD instructions/figures are on disk and the Sports Hem instructions were sent via e-mail? If so you may want to add a note to your web page about this because I would have opted to get the instructions via e-mail if I would have know this.

Thanks, Pam

Yes the pictures themselves are different. When I wrote the instructions for the DTD the digital technology was not as good as it is today, and my purpose was to have it on the website therefore I processed the pictures with a lower resolution so they would come up on the website pages fast. Having 94 pictures in a high resolution could have one waiting half a day for the pages to load in your browser!

When I switched them to the PDF file format I did what I could with the technology of that time, to make the pictures as nice a possible. They still show up clearly on a computer monitor, but when printed out they are a little picsilated. Depending on the quality of the printer used, they print out with varying degrees of clarity as any file does. My new printer (hp1100) does a much better job than my old hp694 did at printing out the file. That's one of the big reasons I wasn't willing to sell printed copies of the instructions until now. With my new printer, the pictures are much crisper. Though still picsilated, they show the process clearly and I am much more pleased with the detail they portray.

The pictures in the download file and the floppy disk file are the same. The reason the pictures in the Sport Hem lesson look clearer is that I was able to purchase a nicer camera that takes pictures at a much higher resolution than was possible a few years ago when I made the Duct Tape Instructions. In writing the Alteration lessons, I felt it important to have a much higher clarity in the pictures for the detail needed in showing some of the processes requires that I be able to show stitch placements that are often difficult to see in real life, let alone a picture.

I have recently found a program that will enable me to clear up the picture and make them almost as high a resolution as I can make with my camera now. I've been able to revise the instructions into a nice second edition with more ideas for troublesome areas and much cleaner pictures.

Hello , I just saw your instructions which will come very handy when I do a dressform later in the year saving me a bit of money in the long run. Just emailing about your site to say BIG THANKS for the info and no offense but I think the reason for people "flaming" about the cost for the instructions is because they were free in the first time. It would be like the supermarket all of the sudden charging for the use of their shopping baskets.

Oh well , sod them .. just don't rant on your site because it might cost you some customers. Anyway the major reason was to say thank your for your information. Kindest regard,alicia and co

Ya, I do understand that to many it's a disappointment, but there is never an excuse for the rude and overly crude letters I get. Hay, I love to find free things on the Internet too. And speaking one's opinions is something I like to encourage folks to do, but "flames" are never appropriate. For example I would never get upset over a letter like yours. You are stating your ideas clearly and nicely. I appreciate that! Besides, there haven't been many flaming e-mails so I've taken most of the objectionable letters off the site.

Some folks take me the wrong way and I can understand why. I speak my mind without all the politically correct garbage language that I find misleading. I tend to sound opinionated at times, but folks write asking for my opinion, so I give it to them as straight as I can. If after thinking the situation over they choose to go against my ideas, than I think that's great too. I have made it possible for them to consider all the angles and make their own choice. That's so much more important than my little opinion anyway. Don't you think?

Anyway, thanks for stopping by the site and I'm glad you found some useful stuff there!

The PDF file

A Special Thanks-