Copy your Figure: A Dressform Tutorial part 3

Part 3 of this tutorial shows how to pad out your mannequin to fit your cover along with all the finishing details. Listed here are all three parts of this tutorial:

Part 1: prepare the cover

Part 2: fitting and perfecting the pattern

Part 3: padding the mannequin (and all the finish up work!)

First off, let me say a few things about the type of mannequin that will make a successful base for this project, because not all mannequins are equally useful. Use a mannequin that has a solid shape that cannot be depressed or compressed easily. The core shape can be Styrofoam, wire, paper maché- it doesn't really matter as long as it's not larger horizontally, or out of range for you vertically (back waist length). The closer to your own measurements, the less padding and fussing you'll need. My mannequin is a Dress Rite form*. I bought it because the waist length and upper body measurements were closest to what I needed overall.

*9-14-12 update: Dress Rite no longer sells full size mannequins. They sell 1/2 scale mannequins now.  Sew True sells several kinds of mannequins, professional and "dial" type forms at a reasonable price.


Step One: Pad out with 100% Cotton Batting
You will want to begin with the area that needs the most padding. I began by wrapping midriff, waist, and hip because I knew that these areas would be several inches too small and I would need a bigger base before beginning the precision padding. To do this, I used narrow strips just wide enough to get around the shape with minimal overlap and no gaping. I wrapped in a complete circle about 3/4 times, keeping the batting as tight as I could get it. I used straight pins to keep some areas snug, (but removed them before finalizing the shape). Once the base is good and even all over, it's time for the next step:

Step Two: Precision Padding
Put the cover on the mannequin, pinning the back closed. Step back to see where the figure needs filling out. I identify an area, and start filling in using shapes, such as rectangles, triangles, circles or any odd shape that will fit the section. Begin layering in graduated sizes that will fill in the area to get the desired effect.

Padding the hip curve with graduating rectangles

Padding out the tummy area

Fill in what will become the buttocks

I begin at the shoulders and work my way down the torso, continually replacing and removing the cover to add padding and check the tautness and smoothness as I go.

Make a silhouette comparison

Keep in mind the silhouette of the figure that you are copying. How much tummy to give? Where to tapper? Are the hips rounded with a larger tummy, or is the hip area more wide and narrow with a flat tummy? Once the silhouette is correct, MEASURE the mannequin to make sure that it matches your measurements in the same places.

Step Three: Finishing Touches
Finish up the mannequin by hand stitching the back closed. To add a neck, I used bias strips and hand stitched it in place. I made an armhole cover like this one:

I basted the circle, pressed it under. Now it's ready to stitch in place.

Added a few layers of batting cut into a circle, pinned the cover over it. It's ready to stitch.

I also added soutache in black to mark the bust, waist, hip and center front of my mannequin.

One day I will add a jewel neckline to it. 

Step Four: Shrink it Up

Once it's all stitched up, spray the mannequin nice and damp with clean water. Let it dry overnight, or better yet, use a hair dryer on it. The idea is to shrink the fabric, as cotton fabric will do, so that the cover will be nice and tight as a drum.

Whew! That was a lot of work, but well worth the trouble for those of us who use a mannequin, which I do, EVERY single day. Let me know if you use this tutorial to make your own mannequin. I'd like to know that it was helpful to someone.

Copy your Figure: A Dressform Tutorial part 1

This post is a follow up to my January post about various commercial dress forms and DIY methods sewists use to try to get a decent dress form. Though it's been a while, I didn't forget my promise to write a tutorial to make THE BEST mannequin that really does duplicate your figure. In my defense, I just finished mine in September, (though I admit I've been using it anyway, pins and all) so thank you for your patience. To keep this tutorial from growing into an unmanageable mess, I'm going to break it down into smaller parts.

Part 1: prepare the cover

Part 2: fitting and perfecting the pattern

Part 3: padding the mannequin (and all the finish up work!)

The key to success is in the accurate making and fitting of a french lining or Moulage, which is a sloper, master pattern, or fitting shell  that has all of the wearing ease removed. Because this lining will become the cover of your mannequin, from here on out, I'm going to just call it a cover. 

Supplies you will need:



~ A fitting shell pattern of your choice
~ Quality 100% cotton muslin yardage- the best you can afford. DO NOT PRESHRINK! 2 yards will be plenty.
~ A sturdy mannequin- smaller than your own figure measurements
~ measuring tape
~ clean spray bottle
~ 100% cotton batting
~ various rulers both curved and grid- C-thru
~ soutache braid
~ thread
~ pencil
~ scissors
~ disappearing fabric marker
~ dressmakers carbon- I prefer the waxed type
~ tracing wheel
~ dressmakers pins
~ hand sewing needles
~ sewing machine
~ Paper for copying your pattern- Use tracing paper on a roll, usually 12-24" wide found in the art section of your craft store(If you need wider paper, tape two sections together with transparent tape). While you could skip over the copying of your pattern, remember that a final pattern of your cover will come in handy if you ever need to make a new cover for your mannequin without going through the fitting process again.

Step One: Prepare the Pattern

1. Start with a Master Pattern that you like
The only pattern pieces you will be needing are the bodice and the skirt, both front and back. Be aware that I am not endorsing ANY of these patterns. I list them only as possible sources.
Comercial Pattern Sources:
Butterick 6092
Vogue 1004
Specialty Sources:  
http://pattern.stringcodes.com/main_basic.html
http://www.surefitdesigns.com/

From BurdaStyle:
Free Download:
http://www.burdastyle.com/blog/basic-sloper-patterns-priceless
OR http://www.burdastyle.com/patterns/basic-one-piece-dress-sloper (It can be both an advantage and disadvantage to be without the waist seam- I prefer to have a waist seam to fit to).
Draft Your Own:
http://www.burdastyle.com/techniques/constructing-the-basic-bodice-block

http://www.burdastyle.com/techniques/drafting-the-basic-skirt
.
2. From Bodice with darts to Bodice with princess seams: FRONT.
If you are using a princess seam pattern then skip this section on dart mannipulation. It's also important to mention that you should ALWAYS use a ruler to trace. If you do this freehand, your work will not be so accurate.

If your pattern does not have a seam line marked, use a ruler to mark this line on your pattern. Carefully trace off your pattern pieces, tracing only along the seam line.  This is the important line to know, and at this point, we don't care where the cut line is. If your bodice has two darts, manipulate the side dart to the shoulder to make it a princess seam.

Here is a good video on You Tube that shows how to do that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwTv7bBN7XE .

Use a ruler to connect the two darts from the shoulder to the waist. My pattern has only one dart at the waist, so I used a curved ruler to mark an attractive princess line to the shoulder.

Now we need to actually divide the bodice into two pieces by tracing off the two sides:  Start at the neckline, down the center front, squaring off at the waist, up the inside leg of the waist dart to the shoulder, across the shoulder and neck to the center front.  Add a grain line parallel to center front, label your pattern and add a notch or two if you desire. Do the same to the side front, carefully tracing around the outside leg (farthest from center front) of the darts, shoulder, waist and side seam. Add notches (if any) in identical locations to match up with front pattern, grain line parallel to center front and label. Now add a 1" seam allowance around both pattern pieces, transferring the notches to the cut line.

3. From Bodice with darts to Bodice with princess seams: BACK
On the back bodice, draw a slightly curved line from the shoulder dart to the waist dart. This line will be come your princess seam line. Copy off the Center Back and Side Back pattern pieces the same as the front, adding a grain line parallel to the center back, labeling, notches if desired, and 1" seam allowances.

4. Give your skirt pattern princess seams too!
Measuring from the waistline down center front and back, perpendicular to the grain line, shorten the skirt pieces to about 16-17". Be sure to "walk" the pattern side seams to make sure the front and back are shortened the same amount.

Draw a line from the inside dart tip to the hem. Make this line perpendicular to the center front and back. This is your princess seam sewing line. If your pattern has a second dart, you can leave it as is, allowing one more fitting element, or combine it by transfering that dart space to the dart closest to the center front. Trace off your skirt pattern pieces as before, adding  a 1" seam allowance and  labeling them skirt front, skirt side front, skirt back, and skirt side back.

Step Two: Layout , Cut, and Sew

1. Layout
Lay out your pattern as you normally would with the pattern grain line parallel to the selvage. Cut 2 of each pattern piece.  I pin on the inside of my seam line rather than on the edges, and because I want my seams to be ultra-accurate, I use dressmakers carbon and a tracing wheel to mark the seam line.

2. Pin along seam lines. Sew it up with a basting stitch. Press lightly or not at all. 
Carefully match the seam lines using a pin in the mark on both front and back to hold the seam together. 

The sewing order:

First, sew the bodice and skirt together matching bodice front to skirt front, bodice side front to skirt side front and so forth, sewing at the waistline.

Second, sew the princess seams, matching fronts to side fronts and backs to side backs, matching any notches and waist seams.


Third, sew shoulders and center front. I left my side seams open because that is where the much of the fitting adjustments will be needed, and the back so that the model can get it on.

Here is my pre-padding mannequin wearing the cover I just made with the side seams pinned together. The cover still has the wearing ease, but you can see that the mannequin is smaller, especially in the hip area. The princess lines are also in the right location, centering over the shoulder and bust points.

On to part 2: Fitting the cover to a live person and perfecting the pattern.