added May 2007
added April 2006
added June 1999
I made a very good dress form for about $20 from a 3 foot long
chunk of 12" foam and a close-fitting shell made from heavy cotton muslin.
It took me about half a day. The form is easy to adjust to changes in size
and shape, and I didn't have to cut it off me.
I pinned and fit the shell until it fit me exactly. I put a stand-up collar
on it so the form would have a neck, but that's probably not necessary. I
put a long, strong zipper up the back, so it's easy to take off and sew a
little dart (or let one out) and put the shell back on to check.
You want the shell to fit as tightly as possible over your usual underwear,
if you wear underwear.
When it fits tightly without squashing you anywhere, take it off and get it
soaking wet. It's important for it to be evenly wet, so soak it well. Roll
it up in a thick towel and wring or tread on it to get as much of the water
out as possible. Put it back on and make sure the zipper lines up right along
your spine. Be miserable for about a half hour until it dries. Blowing on
it with a hand-held hair dryer helps.
Take it off and hem the edges.
Now cut the foam block. It does not need to be cut smoothly, nor do measurements
need to be exact. The shell will take care of that. The easiest thing to cut
it with is a fine serrated kitchen knife or an electric carving knife.
Cut the foam block the width of the widest part of your body plus about 2
inches. If you're going to put a neck on the form, cut the block the length
of your body from the base of your neck where the seamline of a collar will
sit to the tops of your thighs plus about 2 inches. If you don't want a neck
on it, just cut to the base of your neck.
Make a line with a marker down the center of the foam block
to line the zipper up with.
If you're putting a neck on the form, measure the width of the
collar on the shell and cut downward into the block 1/2 that width plus about
1 inch on each side of the center line you drew on the foam block. Then cut
outward to the sides of the block for your shoulders.
Put the foam in the shell and zip up the shell (this is the hardest part).
Line up the zipper with the line you drew on the foam block. Check for spots
where the shell isn't filled up completely, and fiddle around with the foam
until you get it smooth.
It's you!
I am a fairly standard size 10, and I just press and tug to get the foam compressed
in the right places, but I expect that a heavy-busted woman would need to
trim the foam around the waist to get the right shape. Heavy people might
need to glue blocks of foam together, which is easy to do.
Maret
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added September 20, 2000
My experience was many years ago as a young teenager when I first started out to make clothes for myself. I bought a kit with very limited instructions but my girl friend and I made a model of me. It was quite cold weather so I stood in front of the fire but unfortunately I am ticklish and with the wrapping I kept giggling. Finally the model was finish and my friend had to cut it off my and ended up cutting my bra in half. Lo and behold when put back together due to my giggling the model was far too big for me. I should have kept it for use when I put on weight but I was so embarrassed. I wish now that I was a little slimmer and I would make another........I have grown up now and do not giggle so much. haha
Bye for now Margaret Western Australia
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added February 10, 2000
I am 75 yrs. old and remember that once about 55 yrs. ago they used to sell kits for inexpensive complete dress forms made of brown paper tape. The secret of getting it to fit around the bust, etc. was cutting the pieces short enough to work with more easily. Strength was gained by two to three layers of the tape. The tape was put on over tubular knitted, cotton fabric. I made one with the kit on my mother and it worked well until she became nauseated and the form had to be cut quickly down the back and taken off. Later, we both went to the Singer shop and had personal forms made for our selves. I remember that they were expensive, but well finished and were made by heating some sheets of copper colored material (HOT!) and then smoothing onto the body with their hands after dipping them in what looked to be soapy water. From that point on took about three weeks longer for the experts to finish them with stands, etc.
The instructions which came with the kit showed exactly how the tape was to be wrapped on each section of the body. After the tape-form was finished and had been cut off, the form was covered again by tubular knit which was anchored with some strong, narrow cotton tape which was attached down the center front & back and other strategic places. Aren't there any of those kits to be had anymore?
Hope there are one or two ideas which may help make better and easier forms, in my ramblings on above.
I have to comment:
Yes, I have seen both these, but I don't think they are better or easier. In the Threads article about me there was also a lady that does the paper tape method. I've seen her at shows do this form and it takes her longer to do one than it does for me to do my method. I also don't like the hard type form you end up with.
There are many ways to make forms and some are better than others. You have to pick the one that fits your way of thinking. For me, duct tape is the best because you end up with a very accurate model of all the uniqueness of your body and it is a plushy type of form that acts much like human skin when you are using it to make fittings.
Until the day when we can step into a chamber of a computerized form making machine, be measured by laser beams and while walking out a perfect computer generated android-type form will immediately emerge from the other side of the machine, I'm sticking with my Duct Tape.
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added February 10, 2000
Here's how easy this dress form is: my daughters, 5 and 7 years old, did the taping. One cut, the other taped - they took turns and only took 1 hour! We used lightweight package tape over a plastic bag, and put on two layers. My husband marked center front, sides, and center back. Then he cut the bag and tape off, center back.
I had started the project to make a sloper blouse and skirt, so I cut along the waist line, and cut along imaginary dart lines to make a flat pattern of my body. At this point I remembered an article about a cardboard dress form, and got out my moving boxes.
I cut out a cardboard copy of the tape body and taped myself back together, with back seam open.
To reconstruct the bust and waist and hip areas, I used flat, light gauge electrical wire. Pressing around and molding it to my contours (to preserve what I have!) I got perfect cross-sections of the 3 areas. I traced and cut these out of cardboard also, and taped the appropriate points to the disks from inside the form. (Bust points to BP, side seams, center fronts and backs)
No stuffing, and perfect bust and waist. All together it did take about 6 hours - but I have a form with a size 8 bust and size 14 hips, which I would never have found anywhere else for the $21 I spent. ($3 for tape, and $6 for the boxes, $12 for used dress form stand)
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I wrote the Body Double article in the January '99 issue of Sewing World magazine. If anyone would like a copy of this article, or explicit instructions, or help with making a body double of yourself please contact me at Intersew@globalserve.net. If you live in or near Brampton, Ontario, we have enough gals desperate to make up a class before Spring. No cost - just bring your own supplies and lets get together! Jean Dodds
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After reading the "Threads" article, I took a look at your wonderful
Website. I made my double following the brown paper tape method in
the
article. Took about the same amount of time, two hours or so.
My wife, who does NOT sew, did the taping...a bit loosely. Oh, well,
I figure
I'd rather my clothes be comfortable anyway! It really does look
frighteningly like me -- I kept asking Patricia "does my stomach really
stick out that much?" (yes) "don't the boobs look bigger than mine
really are?" (no) One advantage of the paper tape is that it dries
up
firm enough that it does not need to be stuffed! So my only expenditure
was one roll of paper tape (around $4-5 at Office Depot), and a six-foot
dowel ($3) I set in an old Xmas tree stand to hold it up. One
disadvantage, compared to the duct tape, is that it is somewhat lumpy
and bumpy -- it's harder to smooth the paper down over curves.
It is also messy as you have to wet the tape. But already one week
later I
don't know how I ever lived without it!
Eris Weaver
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Yours sincerely,
Karen
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After you read all this you might think it's too involved.
It really didn't take all too long (a week, maybe, working on it a bit
everyday), and besides, a custom made dress form runs several hundred
dollars and as much as $500, and I only spent a bit over $60. I have listed
first my own tips/experiences, followed by the original e-mail I received
from "Pat" whose identity remains a mystery as I accidentally deleted her e-mail
(oops!).
1. I had DH wrap my torso with Saran Wrap instead of using a plastic bag. Worked fine and was very easy. The breast area "smooshed" rather easily--make sure your bra is on correctly and your shape is not flattened as you are wrapped.
2. I am a larger size (45" bust, 39" waist, 46" hip) and I used all twelve of the packages of the 2 1/2 inch wide plaster casting wrap in the case. (I paid about $14.00 for the case at the local home health supply store.) I did not need blow-dryers as it dried sufficiently in about 10 minutes to cut it off. I used duck tape to reassemble the two halves, and used poster board to seal the arm and leg holes. This worked well. I did not let my cast sit, I started filling it within three hours.
3. I only sprayed the inside of the mold with Pam Cooking Spray, instead of smearing Vaseline in the inside. The Vaseline may be easier, but remember to put it on before taping the halves together. The wraps came off pretty easily after I soaked the filled (and dried) form in the tub.
4. I used about 10 cans of foam. The kids kept bumping the mold, and the foam would "sink". Also, I sealed the bottom and arms and filled it from the neck opening. I think I would start at the opposite end next time because the lack of ventilation kept the foam from curing inside. Also, it would help to spray in only a can or less at a time, and then let that dry before adding more. On a couple of times I put too much foam in and the weight caused additional sinking. The cans were $4.00 a piece at Walmart.
5. Somehow, the form "grew" a couple of inches in the chest and waist measurements. I think the happened as I would move around as I was wrapped. (The kids were laughing hysterically throughout the process.) I simply used my electric kitchen knife to shave off the excess.
6. I sanded the form, filled in any larger gaps with additional
foam, which I leveled off after drying. I didn't use any spackle
for fear it would chip/crack when pinned. I draped the form with gingham
and made a darted cover out of muslin with a 22" zipper in the back to
remove it.
I sewed center front and back lines on the cover, and stay stitched
around armseye and neck.
7. I mounted the form on a 3/4 inch piece of plywood, then sent two metal round tent stakes up through the bottom for support (drilled holes in wood and hammered the stakes the rest of the way...easily) I put the form up on the base of a bar stool. Perfect height and spins around! I also put on casters so I can wheel her around. I am very pleased with my new form, which we have named "Venus". She sits beside my antique form the kids named "Sally Stitch."
Another additional tip: I took a sample "squirt" of dried foam and steamed and pressed it unmercifully without almost no ill effects except for minimal flattening--which would be impossible to do to an upright dress form without knocking it over.
On to another sewing adventure,
Kathy
Please keep in mind that this is not something that you can do by yourself. If you have a friend/friends willing to help it is a lot easier. It also takes a while to complete the form.
You'll need plastic dry-cleaner bags, plastic cast wrap, hairdryers, newspaper, insulation foam mix, and water. You'll be doing the casting in your undergarments, so wear whatever you normally wear when dressed. You should cover the floor where you do this as it tends to get very messy.
1. Cut holes in plastic cleaner bag for head and arms. If you have long hair- cover with shower cap or another bag.
2. Wet plaster cast wrap in water (keep a basin of water nearby) and wrap around upper torso. We started at the neck, about an inch or two above collarbone and worked down to mid thigh. Don't tape arms to body. Just go a little past point on shoulder Make sure all areas are covered, wrapping snugly, but not tightly. Now let it dry. This is where you use hair dryers. It takes about 20+ minutes or so. When cast feels firm, cut up front and back and slide it off the person. If it sticks too much, dry a little longer.
3. Once mold is off sew back together front and back. Cover with additional strips of plaster wrap. If you dent your mold you can reshape by pushing lightly on the inside. Stuff light with newspaper, stand upright and let dry a day or two. Next remove newspaper, tape neck and one shoulder opening closed with cast material. Let this dry and then coat inside of mold heavily with Vaseline. Tape other shoulder opening closed. Let dry. We let our molds dry for about 2 weeks because of a school recess. If your mold feels firm and dry go on to next step.
4. Mix insulation compound. Fill your
plaster mold about 1/2 to 5/8 full as this does foam right up. Keep
the form straight up for about 15 minutes or until it is slightly set.
Let harden completely. This takes a few days. When set start removing
your cast. This is the worst part. I had an awful time getting
all the plaster off. Finally ended up scrubbing it off in the tub.
If you have any holes fill in with additional insulation compound
or spackle. I used spackle and it worked out fine..
5. Sand the finished form lightly; just enough to get the bumps and blops off.
6. Cut a small amount off the bottom of your form to make level. Trace bottom of form onto a piece of wood about 3/4 in. thick. Cut out wood and glue to bottom of form.*
7. Cover your form and wood with a knit material.
We marked our center front, back, side seams. bust, etc. on this form with
black twill tape.
* One of the women's husbands made us
stands for our dummies. He used pipe to assemble and put a
screw on the underside of our board so we could take them apart to take
back and forth to class. This seems like a lot of work but when you are
done you'll have an exact replica of you, I've had mine for a few
years now and use it frequently. It comes in handy.
Have fun,
Pat
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