Advertisement
Hey ladies and peeps,
Do any of you sew with a dress form? I got spoiled at school with a Wolf Form and I want one for home. I hate the adjustible forms, and I've had a duct tape form too, but I'm just not gonna go there again. So I'm thinking I'll either buy a professional (wolf style) form and customize it with something like this: www.fabulousfit.com/fitting_system.html - though I called them and the information I got about it working with a size 18 form wasn't promising - or, a Uniquely You (store.atlantathread.com/larged...m.html) which I am also unsure would be big enough to fit me.
Any experience with either of these customization systems?
Do any of you sew with a dress form? I got spoiled at school with a Wolf Form and I want one for home. I hate the adjustible forms, and I've had a duct tape form too, but I'm just not gonna go there again. So I'm thinking I'll either buy a professional (wolf style) form and customize it with something like this: www.fabulousfit.com/fitting_system.html - though I called them and the information I got about it working with a size 18 form wasn't promising - or, a Uniquely You (store.atlantathread.com/larged...m.html) which I am also unsure would be big enough to fit me.
Any experience with either of these customization systems?
posted by:
|
SF Bay Area
|
Advertisement
Advertisement
-
Re: Dress forms
Wed, March 29, 2006 - 12:45 AMI use a duct tape double. Is made from my form (and hey im a large boy y'know) and I can make it so the garb fits ME, not a stylized represrntation of me.
My 2 pence
-
Unsu...
Re: Dress forms
Thu, March 30, 2006 - 8:23 AMI have not made a duct tape form yet.
What are the pitfalls I should watch out for?
Is there a big problem with the dressform?
Thanks! -
-
Re: Dress forms
Thu, March 30, 2006 - 2:10 PMHere's a link to duct tape how to's. You have to be careful that the person taping you doesn't either tape every lump and bump, or completely flatten you out. Your form will only be as good as your taper.
www.taunton.com/threads/pages/t00002.asp
If you have the money for a Wolf form, they do come in all sizes. In the theater, we used to take the largest size we had on hand and pad it out with layers of batting to the size needed, then make a canvas cover that was fitted to the actress to make it as accurate as possible. That's sort of a combination of the two methods or kits you mentioned, only much cheaper. I hate cheap foam dress forms and the adjustable ones! They just don't have the stability of a good Wolf form. Of course, I don't currently have any because I don't sew a whole lot for myself right now. I got spoiled with industrial quality equipment and don't sew enough to warrant the investment. Ah, well!
-
Re: Dress forms
Thu, March 30, 2006 - 11:50 PMMostly that when you are being taped in that it DOESN't flatten your form. Once you are cut out of it, I do something a little different. I cut carboard stops for the neck and arms and tape them in. I them fill the form with expanding foam. This fills the form and is solid when set.. Makes for a more durable form and easier to work with
my 2 pence. -
-
Unsu...
Re: Dress forms
Mon, April 3, 2006 - 5:41 AMWhat about those dress forms that made of heavy metal rods in a fence pattern?
here is a doll size version of what I am thinking about.
cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll
-
-
Re: Dress forms
Mon, April 3, 2006 - 7:31 AMThey're cute, but have little relation to a real body. They're fine for displaying something on, but I wouldn't fit or drape anything on one. -
-
Re: Dress forms
Mon, April 3, 2006 - 7:33 AMI've heard of the 2 part foam thing. That's probably the best way to go if you're going to do a duct tape form. It makes your form more permanent.
-
-
-
Unsu...
Re: Dress forms
Fri, September 7, 2007 - 11:14 PMChris, where does one get expanding foam? I am about to make my own form and would love to make it as sturdy as possible. -
-
Re: Dress forms
Sat, September 8, 2007 - 7:45 AMExpanding foam is a plumbing product used to seal walls around pipes. You can find it in a hardware store. One warning, the foam will often clog the nozzel so fill it as quickly as you can. The foam will also seep out of any holes, so be sure to have the dummy mostly sealed when you spray in the foam. I haven't used expanding foam for a duct tape dummy, so I can't tell you how it will work. I've only used expanding foam in pluming repairs.
-
Re: Dress forms
Mon, September 10, 2007 - 8:27 AMYou can get it at any Home Depot or Lowes home center, or a good plumbing shop. Be sure to get the kind that sets hard, not soft. The hard kind will give a nice firm form to work on (LOL I have used it to make quickcast molds, can even be sawn or filed). You will prolly need 2-3 cans of it and spray it outdoors as the fumes CAN make you ill while spraying.
-
-
-
Re: Dress forms
Wed, September 6, 2006 - 2:16 PM3 problems I have encountered with the tape form:
1. it is hard to get perfectly symetrical: I suppose I may be lopsided, but when making dresses for other people using the form, they are slightly lopsisded.
2. it is challenging figuring out the correct/perfect angle for posture.
3. after the tape , and stuffing, it is heavy. top heavy exactly. it falls over easily, and my cats think it's a toy so they knock it over a lot. -
-
Re: Dress forms
Thu, March 15, 2007 - 9:30 AMOne way to manage the top heavy fall over problem is to put a sturdy hanger in the neck shoulders of the duct tape form. Be sure the hook of it sticks out the neck. That way the form can hang and not knock over. It makes it easier to store too.
As to the lopsided issue. All people are lopsided. If you have regular customers or people you regularly sew for like family members, make a dummy for each of them. All the dummys will be lopsided, but they will be correctly lopsided for each person.
-
-
-
Re: Dress forms
Wed, February 28, 2007 - 8:41 PMsewnews.com/resources/library/0806stand/
www.taunton.com/threads/pa...0002_p2.asp
I searched all over the internet for a dress form that was reasonably priced, but of course the best one for the full body form is priced at nearly $1k. I think it will be a great hands on project to build a custom form. -
-
Re: Dress forms
Fri, March 9, 2007 - 8:19 AMDid the project duct tape, foil and using foam in a can (hint: use latex gloves on these projects) - it came out too too ghetto style. I purchased a new form - fairly cheaply on ebay. In consideration of spending $80.00 on a form vrs the $50.00 in project supplies - it was worth it! In addition purcased 100% cotton roll and padded my form (custom to my size measurements - plus a natural body stocking over the form to hold the shape.) I used double sided velcro - industrial strength in some spots, and stiched some in place to keep it all tightly affixed to body stocking. Respecting to keep the original form underneat intact, to get the longivity out of it. I can remove the cotton according to my size changes. Also another tip - use cat repellant spray at the bottom of stand to keep those beasties from playing with it. Hope my experience helps out.
-
-
Re: Dress forms
Fri, June 22, 2007 - 1:00 PMIf you want a different dress form because you like to drape your own designs for yourself specifically, I can understand why you would want one that mimics your own shape. Otherwise, there is nothing better than the duct tape version, or getting the pads that theater costumers use.
-
Re: Dress forms
Thu, October 25, 2007 - 6:09 PMA friend of mine has one that I am thinking about getting. This is what she wrote me : "It's called a "Uniquely You" and it's solid foam dummy, over which you fit a skin (not skin tight but literally as close to your skin as you can get aka too tight to put on) cover to compress the foam to your size. Take measurements! I would highly recommend getting a form based on your largest measurement not
necessarily the form that's closest to both bust and hip. If you find a place that has the additional padding kit and the princess seamed stretch cover get them! The padding comes in all sorts of sizes and shapes and allows you to account for high hips, square shoulders, rounded backs etc. The stretchy cover makes it all smooth and decent to leave out. I've found it priced for 129$ not including shipping and handling. The same company has come out with a skirt/pants form but I haven't had time or money to play with one yet."
