How to Create Your Own Dress Form
A dress form is a useful tool to have for sewing fitted garments such as blouses and gowns. Use of a dress form eliminates the need for multiple fittings of a garment while it is in process. Although there are many adjustable dress forms on the market, a special dress form that is fitted to the actual dimensions of the garment wearer's body is the most useful. Fortunately, it is both simple and relatively inexpensive to make such a dress form.
Things You'll Need
- Old T-shirt with a long tail
- 2 rolls duct tape
- Scissors
- Plastic wrap
- Marker
- Cotton stuffing
Instructions
-
-
1
Have your subject put on the old T-shirt. The T-shirt should cover the subject from his or her neck to the region halfway between the hips and knees.
-
2
Wrap the subject's torso securely with duct tape from the bottom of the shirt to the bust. Wrap snugly around the thighs and hips, and loosely around the waist.
-
-
3
Cut shirt sleeves if need be to follow the curve of the body with tape. Cover the bust by placing short strips of tape radially outward from center of bust.
-
4
Cover and protect neck with plastic wrap and wrap neckline with duct tape. Wrap neck holes and armholes similar to how you would wish them to fit on a fitted bodice.
-
5
Wrap a second layer of duct tape vertically over the dress form. Then wrap a third layer horizontally.
-
6
Have the subject bend slightly to reveal his or her natural waist, and mark the measurement lines (bust, hip, centerline, and so on) with a marker.
-
7
Cut the duct-tape-wrapped T-shirt away from the subject's body using one seam up the back. The subject should be able to remove the T-shirt as easily as removing a coat.
-
8
Tape the seam back in place with duct tape.
-
9
Stuff the form with cotton batting to fill out and complete.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit rsharts
