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Dress form questions Old dress form needs adjustment
Gigil   Advanced FL USA Member since 9/15/08 Posts: 29	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 5/29/12 11:05 AM Just bought a dress form at a garage sale, it was really cheap $4, and an older model which has the adjusting screws on the inside. I've looked on the form itself, and don't see any manufacturer. I know it is old and cheap; but I would like to work with it to see if I can get it to approximate my body. Any help on how to adjust this? I do have the time to "play" with it, and it won't have to be exact, I just want it to be easier to sew and fit. Geri
nancy2001   Advanced AL USA Member since 12/3/05 Posts: 6104	Login to reply to this post In reply to Gigil << Like this post Date: 5/29/12 1:15 PM Congratulations on finding such a great bargain. The secret to getting a dress form to approximate your figure is to make sure that all the form's measurements, vertical and horizontal, are smaller than yours, so set the form's measurements to be smaller than yours or even as small as possible. If the form's measurements are larger or if for example the bust is too high, you will not get a good approximation. Take one of your good but worn bras and put it on the form. Then stand in front of a mirror with a measuring tape and some padding and batting and use your eyes and the tape measure to add fluff wherever it's needed. Then dress the form in a stretch body suit and remeasure. And then dress it in a garment that fits you perfectly and see whether it fit s the form. You will want to revisit your dress form over a couple of days or so to modify it as necessary. ------ The essence of life is statistical improbability on a colossal scale. Richard Dawkins
NhiHuynh   Advanced CA USA Member since 1/4/11 Posts: 593	Login to reply to this post In reply to Gigil << Like this post Date: 5/29/12 1:39 PM Peggy Sagers did a webcast on doing just this. Dress form webcast see upper left hand corner. As nancy2001 states, you do need to adjust the form smaller than you.
Miss Fairchild   Advanced USA Member since 8/24/02 Posts: 6980	Login to reply to this post In reply to Gigil << Like this post Date: 5/29/12 3:26 PM Is it grey (or tan) fabric and does it have lots of pieces that should move? If so, it's an Acme form, from the 1940's I believe. I've had a few of those and padded them up by making a fitting shell without ease and slipping it over the form, then adding padding where needed. Lots of fun! ------ "We don't impose our rhythm on Nature. The key is to respect and live within Her." Jean-Charles Boisset, Winemaker "And no, now that you asked, I didn't enjoy that play one bit, and I'd like a refund" Signed, Mrs. Lincoln My Etsy shop: auntmaymesattic My blog: auntmaymesattic.wordpress.com Avatar: First place award for jacket at county fair
BMoyer   Advanced Beginner OH USA Member since 10/10/03 Posts: 93	Login to reply to this post In reply to Gigil << Like this post Date: 5/30/12 7:26 AM HI Gigl, I just did this myself with an old wolf form I had from years ago. I made a muslin to fit myself and then put in on her to see where she needs padding, then used quilt batting (per peggy sagers webcast) to fill her out till she looked like me. Check all her base measurements. I had to pull in the collapsible shoulders on mine to make sure she was smaller than me at the back, funny that was the only place she was to big. But as long as yours is smaller you can make her fit.Betty
KD in ATL   Intermediate GA USA Member since 4/21/08 Posts: 28	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 5/30/12 10:35 AM Kenneth King has an interesting article in this month's Threads that describes how to create a body double that you can put on a form that is smaller than you are. Worth reading...
CBLSEWS   Beginner LA USA Member since 11/24/10 Posts: 13	Login to reply to this post In reply to KD in ATL << Like this post Date: 5/31/12 9:44 AM I am looking for the article and I can not find it. Is it in Threads Magazine? That is what I am looking in, but it is not coming up.
Gigil   Advanced FL USA Member since 9/15/08 Posts: 29	Login to reply to this post In reply to CBLSEWS << Like this post Date: 5/31/12 11:51 AM It's in the Threads June/July 2012. On newsstands now. Article is by Kenneth King
Gigil   Advanced FL USA Member since 9/15/08 Posts: 29	Login to reply to this post In reply to nancy2001 << Like this post Date: 5/31/12 12:04 PM Thanks, right now, she's DEFINITELY smaller than me. It will be a work in progress; but I appreciate your advice. I started to loosen the inside screws; but some of them are tight. Looking forward to playing with it.
Gigil   Advanced FL USA Member since 9/15/08 Posts: 29	Login to reply to this post In reply to NhiHuynh << Like this post Date: 5/31/12 12:22 PM Thanks so much, will check out the webcast.

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