Make a Model of Yourself for Sewing

Chickie W.U.
by Chickie W.U.
4 Materials
$20
30 Minutes
Easy

Hello Readers. Sewing is a lot of work. One tool I really like to have is a dress form. A dress form can hold the clothes while you work on them. Most modern dress forms are adjustable and you can easily change the size to match your size. But what if you don't have a fancy modern dress form. Read on for an easy way to make a perfect model of yourself to use in your sewing.

Chickie W.U. and her perfect match. This dress form was given to me but you can find them used for less than a new one. You might find one that is not adjustable and need to change the size your self.

To start I gathered all kinds of padding. I used the removable cups from some bras and some soft cotton batting. I also grabbed a few elastic rolled bandages with Velcro edges. Then I used a tape measure to see exactly what my current size was.

I started with the bust and kept adding bra pads until I got a size measurement that was close to my own body. The closer it is, the better it will be for trying clothes on it and seeing if they will fit me well.

I kept measuring and adding padding and bandages to the dress form. When I was all finished it looked a little like a mummy. I wrapped the bandages tight to hold all the different padding in place. The Velcro on the bandages has held on well and my dress form has stayed wrapped with no problems.

When I measured and added padding I tried to be ruthlessly honest about where I was bigger than the dress form. That includes the stomach and bum. If the clothes are too small for the dress form than I know they will be too small for me. This is going to help me make accurate sized clothes. This is not the time to pretend that 3 kids has not changed my body. I have a mom tummy. It is what it is. My dress form is a little lumpy in spots (So am I.) but it has worked fine for my sewing.

Here is a bit more about the padding and wrapping. I hope this helps with your sewing and makes it all easier and more fun.

Chickie

Suggested materials:
  • Dress form/mannequin   (Used/On Hand)
  • Elastic Bandages with Velcro Ends   (Pharmacy)
  • Padding   (On Hand)
See all materials

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