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From: Susy
Date: 05-08-2007, 09:57 AM (1 of 17)
| I made one of those duct tape dress forms and I was wondering if I could stuff it with plastic bags or should I use proper batting? It seems to have worked fairly well (pot belly and all), my hubby was going to buy me a dress form for my BD but I am so mixed up on what a good one would be that we decided to try this first. |
User: Susy
Member since: 02-05-2005 Total posts: 39 |
From: AndreaSews
Date: 05-08-2007, 02:17 PM (2 of 17)
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Susy, I'm in the middle of organizing a group from my sewing guild to make ourselves tape dress forms in a couple of weeks. The article we're referencing says to but 5-6 lbs of poly-fill. One friend is planning on filling hers with that liquid expanding insulation (AB Foam, I think they call it). I'm thinking of wadding up old newspapers--Cheap and lightweight. Use what you have handy. All you need is a little bit of substance inside so that if you accidentally knock it down, it will be less likely to get a dent. How did yours come out?? I've been wondering if the size would come out too big, since it's wrapped around the outside of you. Does it measure up to match you? Andrea
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User: AndreaSews
Member since: 02-18-2005 Total posts: 1007 
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From: Susy
Date: 05-08-2007, 03:50 PM (3 of 17)
| I haven't stuffed it yet (going to try plastic bag/newspaper) but it all seems to have my measurements except the waist. On the on-line directions it said wrap loosely around the waist, more snug everywhere else but if we do it again I will wrap the waist a bit more snug on the first layer. I would also get a friend/group next time, its pretty time-consuming and my husband got bored doing it (kind of nice that he did do it though, he's pretty patient with my "ideas", he would much rather have spent money on a dress form for me! |
User: Susy
Member since: 02-05-2005 Total posts: 39 |
From: keljo60
Date: 05-08-2007, 07:01 PM (4 of 17)
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I made one, not quite finished with it. I used different stuff to stuff it! I had a bunch of leftover upholstery fabric that I will NEVER use and cut it up and used it, I used plastic grocery bags, some packing bubbles I had laying around, and some batting I wasn't using too (yeah, mine is pretty big!). It came out pretty close so far, the bust is about an inch small no matter how I keep stuffing it and the waist is a bit big, but I could have checked it wrong. It sure makes a person inclined to lose weight!
Kelly
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup! |
User: keljo60
Member since: 07-30-2006 Total posts: 154 
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From: DorothyL
Date: 05-08-2007, 10:14 PM (5 of 17)
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the bust is about an inch small no matter how I keep stuffing it and the waist is a bit big, but I could have checked it wrong. Sounds like me. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: Kaitlinnegan
Date: 05-09-2007, 09:09 AM (6 of 17)
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I stuffed mine with plastic bags because we always have a ton of them around. (I didn't really want to know how much polyfil I'd need to buy to stuff myself either!) I stuffed the breasts separately and taped the stuffing in so they might be less likely to collapse, but the tutorial I was using said to put shoulder pads in there -- might be worth a try.
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User: Kaitlinnegan
Member since: 03-20-2006 Total posts: 222 
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From: AndreaSews
Date: 05-20-2007, 09:22 PM (7 of 17)
Well, I had my group over yesterday and we all did our taping. We used paper "kraft" tape, which is easier to work with than duct tape b/c if it sticks down funny, you can just lift it and press it back into the right spot without fighting with the adhesive. It's lightweight, and after 5 layers, it's still nice and thin, so we have no worries over it adding to our measurements. An online wholesaler sent me 3 cases of it, so we didn't need to hunt around in the stores. There were 9 of us, and we went in 3 groups, with 2 tapers per victim, and it was a long day! We were all surprised at how long it took, although it got faster as we all got better at it. Well, there were 9 happy people of all shapes at the end of the day, each with the beginnings of a dressform that will work for her own fitted garments every time. We opted to do the stuffing on our own, b/c it was getting late. We were all very happy with the instructions in Connie Crawford's article from last summer in Sew News. 
Andrea
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User: AndreaSews
Member since: 02-18-2005 Total posts: 1007
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From: grandma C
Date: 05-21-2007, 12:43 PM (8 of 17)
| Andrea, How can I get to that article in sew news |
User: grandma C
Member since: 01-15-2007 Total posts: 263 |
From: AndreaSews
Date: 05-21-2007, 09:41 PM (9 of 17)
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Sew News - Sewing Stunt Double (http://sewnews.com/resources/library/0806form/index.html)
Andrea
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User: AndreaSews
Member since: 02-18-2005 Total posts: 1007
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From: Sherri
Date: 05-21-2007, 11:17 PM (10 of 17)
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Andrea where did you get the Kraft Tape from. sher My website
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User: Sherri
Member since: 02-07-2001 Total posts: 357 |
From: Kaitlinnegan
Date: 05-21-2007, 11:47 PM (11 of 17)
I'm glad to hear it was a success, Andrea! I think I might have to try paper tape for my second attempt, whenever I get around to it. 
http://www.sew-whats-up.com - the new home for Sew What's New
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User: Kaitlinnegan
Member since: 03-20-2006 Total posts: 222
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From: AndreaSews
Date: 05-22-2007, 10:16 AM (12 of 17)
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the paper tape: Make sure it's "pressure sensitive," b/c the one that's called "gummed tape" requires you to moisten it and then hold still while it dries! I went to www.findtape.com b/c I needed to buy 3 cases for my group. There are others that provide the same service. I think I saw some at Office Depot, but just a few rolls, and I did need quite a bit! The article says 3-5 rolls/person, and I would say that's a high estimate. We had all shapes and sizes, and I don't think anyone went over 3 rolls.
Andrea
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User: AndreaSews
Member since: 02-18-2005 Total posts: 1007
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From: Susy
Date: 05-23-2007, 02:23 PM (13 of 17)
| I would actually like to try it again, with the paper tape. After I stuffed mine & put a tight t-shirt on it, I found that the measurements with the duct tape are all a bit big for me, not just at the waist. I'm going to try a blouse with it but I am thinking it may be too large everywhere with the 3 layers of duct tape. It does take a long time, though, eh? That's why I would like to do it with some friends, husbands are a bit impatient with that kind of stuff (or at least mine is). |
User: Susy
Member since: 02-05-2005 Total posts: 39 |
From: plrlegal
Date: 05-23-2007, 04:33 PM (14 of 17)
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Susy that's why I haven't ask my dh to help me with one. Patsy Patsy
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User: plrlegal
Member since: 05-19-2001 Total posts: 318 |
From: AndreaSews
Date: 05-23-2007, 06:13 PM (15 of 17)
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The first ones we did took over 2 hours, b/c we didn't know the process well. As the day went on it went more quickly. We got more confident and didn't have to stop and read the steps as often. Also, we'd each found our own tricks for controlling the tape so that it went down quickly and smoothly. Husbands can be wonderful sewing assistants, but yes, they can get worn out too!
Andrea
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User: AndreaSews
Member since: 02-18-2005 Total posts: 1007
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From: thedolphinlady
Date: 06-01-2007, 06:47 AM (16 of 17)
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Hi Suzy, I stuffed mine with batting and it worked wonderful. I placed mine over my existing body double which was grossly not in touch with reality or gravity, and taped it back up. Joannie I made one of those duct tape dress forms and I was wondering if I could stuff it with plastic bags or should I use proper batting? It seems to have worked fairly well (pot belly and all), my hubby was going to buy me a dress form for my BD but I am so mixed up on what a good one would be that we decided to try this first. |
User: thedolphinlady
Member since: 02-14-2007 Total posts: 33 |
From: keljo60
Date: 06-03-2007, 09:20 PM (17 of 17)
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Mine was a disaster. No matter what I did I couldn't get it to set level, and the bust was too small and the waist was too big. I ended up taking it apart and throwing it away. I saved the stuffing for my next attempt. I'm going to try again when I get someone who has some kind of idea what a dress form is supposed to be! I have a torso to put inside mine to help with the stuffing, but it's the shell I have trouble with. I'd like to do the one with the craft tape instead of the duct tape, it was very hard when repositioning was needed.
Kelly
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup! |
User: keljo60
Member since: 07-30-2006 Total posts: 154
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