M in Carolina
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,128 
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Post by M in Carolina on Sept 30, 2017 5:07:40 GMT
I'm setting up a sewing area and am ready to order a dress form. When I was taught to sew in school, we helped each other pin stuff in place. I know I'd get a lot of use out of one, but I want to make sure I'm buying what I need that's good quality, easy to use and will last a while. I have a lot of alterations/upcycles I want to do on clothes I already own: nipping in side seams on tees and dresses, adding darts to shapeless dresses, raising hems on both tops and bottoms. Plus I want to start sewing tee shirts, basic dresses, pj/lounge pants, undies and progress to making more complex lined and intricate clothing like I used to sew. I love simpler lines with draping and structured jackets and coats. I don't have a lot of experience with pants, so I don't think I need a form with legs. I have. I'm just going to make a pj pant pattern from a couple of existing pairs of pants I love. I'd only do simple pant alterations anyway. I can always upgrade my tools as I get more experience. This dress form is the one I liked the best. I have a large bust (40"), a slightly smaller waist, and hips an inch or two smaller than my bust. I like the idea of being able to adjust the size in many places. My default size is a couple inches smaller --once I can eat normally again, I'll drop the extra 30lbs. I tend to carry my weight all over. I'd also like to make clothes for other people.( I'll buy a smaller dress form later.) I also saw the foam pads you can add, but I don't think I need those right now. I would love to pick y'all brains for advice about what works best for you and what you wish you'd known when you started. Thanks so much for your help! |
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scrappinghappy
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“I’m late, I’m late for a very important date. No time to say “Hello.” Goodbye. I’m late...."
Posts: 4,307
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Post by scrappinghappy on Sept 30, 2017 6:16:27 GMT
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Post by elaine on Sept 30, 2017 12:05:51 GMT
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Post by anonrefugee on Sept 30, 2017 13:28:23 GMT
Good to see you M in Carolina . I've been slowly slowly returning to sewing but life has been busy. It will be the new year before I'm really rolling. I hadn't thought of buying a dress form though, good to read comments. I'd love to make a duct tape one, those linked look very realistic. The process seems simple, my complication would be finding someone to help with the taping. |
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Post by vspindler on Sept 30, 2017 14:13:59 GMT
Duct tape ones can be prone to distortion FYI, and are not that great for those who are busty, according to a few of my sewing friends who had made them. I bought an adjustable one that I need to play with more in order to get it set up to my measurements.
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melissa
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Posts: 3,912
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Post by melissa on Sept 30, 2017 15:41:23 GMT
A friend who has a degree from FIT and has worked in couture told me that the non adjustable ones are better. I don't remember why she said that though!
I would love one too. It would be easier to design with. I make a lot of leotards and do some of my own designs and I think I am hindered by not having some sort of a dress form. I would like the kind that has a bit of legs (just upper thigh). I just haven't found one that is reasonable priced and would work size-wise for my dd. Her chest was 30 inches last time I checked. Mine is 40 inches, so I would want 2 eventually!
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M in Carolina
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,128
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Post by M in Carolina on Sept 30, 2017 15:47:48 GMT
Duct tape ones can be prone to distortion FYI, and are not that great for those who are busty, according to a few of my sewing friends who had made them. I bought an adjustable one that I need to play with more in order to get it set up to my measurements. Plus I just don't have the energy or patience. I wanted to do one, but I was afraid it would be difficult to look right. Plus it can't be adjusted at all. I want tees and some stuff really close to my actual body, but other items--blazers, coats, etc I would want more room around my broad shoulders and chest-- so I could adjust the form a notch. ***I am also changing in size--I don't know what my measurements will be after surgery. But I've not been able to eat much before (when I first had chronic pancreatitis before I had my first ERCP stints) and I'd gained weight from not feeling like eating or moving, and then lost two dress sizes.*** My *default* weight--when I'm not on certain meds/hormones, can't eat, etc. is 20-30lbs lower than what I am right now. I really liked the features of the dress form I linked. Especially the adjustable height--I can sit while pinning and move the body part closer to me instead of me having to contort to get to a specific area on the form--mostly fitting stuff under my bust area. Some forms had just a few areas to adjust and others had a ton. I *think* more adjustments would come in handy, but since I've never used one... I do know the most frustrating part of fitting clothes to a body is the person moving around--plus not wanting to be a creepster around certain areas. In class, we'd try to find someone close to us in size and body type. Guess who had the biggest boobs? I was only a full C then. My teacher was the type that thought everyone should dress like Puritans--I had to go back and redo all the necklines and hems afterwards because I was choking in fabric--who wants a thick wool suiting dress that comes all the way up to the top of your clavicle bones? --MUCH more 'modest' than what the dress code rules were. --hems bottom of the knee and collars no lower than 4 fingers BELOW your collar bone. |
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Post by beaglemom on Sept 30, 2017 19:03:13 GMT
I have an adjustable one. I love it. I haven't used it for a ton of stuff. But it has been great and it is so nice that I can adjust as I gain or lose weight. I bought one at Joanns. I waited till they weren't on sale, but I had either a 50 or 60% off full price item coupon and then bought it. It has been so nice for figuring out hem lengths, pinning on details (I did a steampunk skirt with pickups that I would never have been able to do without it).
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M in Carolina
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,128
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Post by M in Carolina on Oct 1, 2017 19:57:54 GMT
I have an adjustable one. I love it. I haven't used it for a ton of stuff. But it has been great and it is so nice that I can adjust as I gain or lose weight. I bought one at Joanns. I waited till they weren't on sale, but I had either a 50 or 60% off full price item coupon and then bought it. It has been so nice for figuring out hem lengths, pinning on details (I did a steampunk skirt with pickups that I would never have been able to do without it).THan Thank you! I totally forgot about Joann's coupons! I was going to get mine off Amazon--now I'll check to see what Joann's sells. I also need to stock up on thread for my sewing machine and for my serger. I love Gutterman's thread for my sewing machine, so I was thinking they would make great surger thread as well. I loved looking at the September Craft Thread but never got around to posting my admiration for everyone's awesome crafts--all the crochet, knitting, and embroidery, those cool painted rocks, etc. We have some amazingly talented women on this board! I was impressed by all the clothes teri sewed. I noticed she had a dress form in one of her photos, but I couldn't tell much about it. Teri, I was hoping you'd tell me about your form and any experience you have. I loved the outfits you made, and I hope to make such beautiful clothes one day. Right now I have a huge pile of alterations--shorten a few dresses, take in the sides to make baggy dresses and tees more flattering, and shorten the sleeves and hems of other tees. (finding knit shirts that have flattering short sleeves is difficult, and I *hate* long sleeves--so I'm really excited about being able to transform stuff I already own as well as turn long sleeve tees into 3/4 and short sleeved versions) And melissa , thank you as well. I would also like to get a form with partial legs and also thought that the kind of forms that Project Runway contestants use might be better. But realistically, my body is changing. I don't want to waste money by buying a form that no longer fits. In my head, I was thinking pinning clothes to the form would be easier, alterations would be much simpler, and I could shorten the pole so I could sit and pin easily. I do have a vintage hem marker do dad--a wooden ruler on a base with a slide to mark the correct measurement and a little nozzle attached to a canister for powdered chalk and a little hand pump (like for blood pressure machines) so you can squirt the chalk on the fabric at the right height. I was really excited to find that because the sewing studio at school had one. I'm all about finding great shortcuts that make tasks easier without sacrificing quality. |
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marimoose
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Posts: 3,282
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Post by marimoose on Oct 1, 2017 21:05:14 GMT
Depending on how soon you need it, Joanns has run a 60% off dress forms the past 2 years online. Thye have always carried a better selection on line than in stores. I bought a Lady Valet 2 years ago which adjusts the way I need it too. I can honestly say that I haven't used it enough to give an adequate review but that is because I haven't had much time for sewing with everything else in life. I know I will put it to good use in the future though. The one thing I wish I had that this model doesn't is the thingamajig for measuring skirt length. I am not sure how I missed that detail
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Oct 2, 2017 16:22:04 GMT
A friend who has a degree from FIT and has worked in couture told me that the non adjustable ones are better. Your friend is correct (I have a degree in Clothing & Textiles). Adjustable forms are difficult to get an accurate measurement, as well as having gaps between the sections which make fitting/pinning more difficult. A professional form that is a fixed size is a much better choice. If you are in the process of losing weight (or if you are between sizes), buy a smaller form and then pad it out to your current measurements. Collapsible shoulders is a nice feature to have because it makes it easier to get garments on/off the form. You also want one with an adjustable height. The Shop Company has affordable professional dress forms. They sell kits to pad out a form, or you can just use batting. I had planned to buy one of these, but ending up purchasing mine from another company at the Quilt Festival last year because they would take my measurements and pad it out for me. If you choose to go with a fixed size form, there is a class on Craftsy that will show you how to pad it out to your size. |
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Post by rst on Oct 2, 2017 18:52:05 GMT
I've been haunting Craigslist for a dressform. Haven't found one that meets my needs yet, but I'll keep watching -- it's the kind of thing that is often offloaded by someone downsizing or by family after grandma passes away.
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Post by papersilly on Oct 2, 2017 21:23:59 GMT
if you are going to get lots of use out of it, choose the most flexible one. good tools (and i consider this a tool) makes all the difference in the world in any creative endeavor.
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Post by **GypsyGirl** on Oct 2, 2017 22:03:59 GMT
I've been haunting Craigslist for a dressform. Haven't found one that meets my needs yet, but I'll keep watching -- it's the kind of thing that is often offloaded by someone downsizing or by family after grandma passes away. I'm always envious when I see someone has discovered a Wolf form either on Craiglist or at a flea market/thrift store for a mere pittance! I hope to discover one someday. |
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Post by rst on Oct 3, 2017 0:25:12 GMT
I was *this close* to getting a really cool German made dressmaker's dummy -- bright red enamel metalwork, and black velvet form-- pre 1920s according to the ad. But someone else got there before I did. It's fun to keep looking.
I just bought a Singer model 99 in beautiful condition-- from 1923, only needs a new belt and a new lightbulb to be fully functional -- so pretty, and under $100. Of course, I had to drive all over creation to get it, but that was part of the hunt.
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perumbula
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,439
Location: Idaho
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Post by perumbula on Oct 3, 2017 5:08:46 GMT
I have a similar adjustable dress form and I like it. You can't pin into it like with set size forms, but it makes it so easy to adjust the size as needed. I don't even have one in my size. I use mine to sew for two dd's who are different sizes. I can quickly add a bit to the waist or snick a bit off the bust depending on who I'm sewing for. Granted, the slightly less accurate part works for me because I do a final fitting on their body anyway.
Oh and the adjustable height thing is the best! I love that. I can make it whatever height I need depending on what part of the garment I'm working on or whether or not I'm sitting.
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Post by deshacrafts on Oct 4, 2017 14:40:52 GMT
I also have a similar adjustable one and I like it. It has been great as I have been losing weight, it let's me adjust the size down and isn't that a big woohoo to make it smaller!
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blue tulip
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Post by blue tulip on Oct 4, 2017 14:54:24 GMT
I have an adjustable one similar to the one you posted- except that the adjustments are made with little gears that are turned the other way- so instead of looking at a circle face-on like the one you posted, you are looking at the edge of the circular gear. this way the gaps between sections are more narrow. I don't use it all that often anymore, but I've had it for 15 years and it's still going strong! ironically I just pulled it from the basement last night to work on my Halloween costume. I did find out that I am now chubbier than the model goes, tho.  |
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Southern Side eyed Pea 
