Draping garb

[LadyStitch]

I do custom work for people and theaters.  I've got some art pieces that I want to do for competitions and for clinets, the problem is they need to be draped on a dress form.  My problem is that I don't own one.

My rogue and family want to get me one, but are  not sure what size to get me.  Since I sew for other's making or getting one to fit me, really isn't the best option.   The adverage size of the ladies I sew for are size 12 with Full bust adjustments, but I do custom work for some goddesses as well.

What brand do you suggest?  and what size would be best? 

::itching to drape some flowy fariey gowns::

[gem]

I'm sure Kate will have excellent *practical* dress form advice, since I know she has several in different sizes for her clients. But if you're willing to entertain a less practical solution, you could use a mannequin like this:

Catalogue page here.

You would probably only be able to use it for your art pieces, since it's not adjustable, and they're being insanely generous when they say size 8 (it's more like a 2).  But they're very pretty, lightweight but sturdy, and not terribly expensive.

[LadyStitch]

That is an option.  I would need to pad out what ever the form I go.  Thankfully  I know how to do that.  They even have a men's form that is a 42 . I would need a 36 or a 40 , but a 42  would work for most of the guy's I work for. 

[DonaCatalina]

duct tape dress form
slightly different instructions
and yet a third variation

[Adriana Rose]

When I had Gadys out she made draping and fitting SOOOO easy! I love her so much, I really wish that I could get her out of storage! When I get her out I want to make a duct tape uhh well me to help things fit better. Just gotta find someone to help me out with that lol

My granparents got her for me I think from hobby lobby, she has adjustable size ranges but the wheels got stuck in her bust line making things that I thought would fit WAY too big.

[Kate XXXXXX]

The duct tape solution is only OK if you are prepared to make a new one for each client.

Yiu won't get an adjustable that will do both a size 12 AND anything bigger than a size 18...  The best solution, if you can afford it, is to go for a couple of these in the sizes you are most likely to need:  http://www.adjustoform.com/acatalog/AEArthur_PerfectFit_82.html  They sell all over the world via mail order, but are also available in the USA.

My oldest one is now 28 years old.  She's seen better days and recently needed renovating, but is now good for another 30 years! 

I have five...  a old medium (more like the current Small), a newer Medium, a Junior and a Full Figure, and a male.  I'd like a Petite.

I find the best way for historic dress is to dial them up a bit smaller than the figure required and pad to the correct shape for the customer, fit the corset on the stand and then use the combination to get a decent fitting.  You still have to fit to the real body, as the way the customer moves and stands has a bearing on fit.

[LadyStitch]

I have over 75 actors I have in my database, and counting. I don't have enough storage to keep all those duct tape guys.   
I think you are right it would be better to just get say a medium and then padd out to fit my actresses.   
The next question is brand.  As much as I love the link you gave me the shipping is murder, but I will keep it as an option.  Our wardrobe in NZ had a medium adjustable.  We liked it because it was able to be "squished" when doing corsets. 

Thank you for the suggestions Kate.

[Kate XXXXXX]

Contact them and find out who stocks them in NZ.  They do sell worldwide.   

[peacewing]

Padding out dress forms is a great idea!
Or what about the Uniquely You dressform line? They are made of a squishable foam that can be used for many sizes - you adjust it by simply zipping a premade cover over the foam. And if it doesn't fit quite right, you can always make adjustments right to the cover.

[LadyStitch]

I moved back to texas in 2007    I miss it. 

Regardless shipping from the UK would be bad, but then again there are US suppliers. We shall see.

We used to invest in various bras to give our "models" more cleavage.  It worked well for general draping and basic fitting work.    We had one men's dress form we had to pad out from a 40 to a 48 with a bay window.  Any time we had a bad day  we could always go hug Mario since he was squishy.   

When we pad out we always put a tshirt over what we padded. It smooths the lines.

[Dayna]

I will take measurements from the customer in a "standard size" corset that I own, and note the gappage at different spots.  Then pad the form until the corset matches that gappage.  This is the working model.  A t-shirt goes over the padding, then the corset.  It means I can only work on one person at a time, but that's how I would do it anyway, so not a problem.

[Aunty Lou]

Have you given a thought to keeping the paddings in place?  What I mean is, to putting a t-shirt over the medium form (a sort of tight one...), padding to size, then putting another slightly larger t-shirt over the padding, and stitching them together.  Then, when you are done with that size, you take the tube of padding off the form and start over.  The tube of padding can be a general 14, or an 18, and extra added per individual...  (A little less space hogging than one duct tape person per person.)  I suppose it depends upon your storage space...

[LadyStitch]

Have you given a thought to keeping the paddings in place?  What I mean is, to putting a t-shirt over the medium form (a sort of tight one...), padding to size, then putting another slightly larger t-shirt over the padding, and stitching them together.  Then, when you are done with that size, you take the tube of padding off the form and start over.  The tube of padding can be a general 14, or an 18, and extra added per individual...  (A little less space hogging than one duct tape person per person.)  I suppose it depends upon your storage space...

If I'm custom draping something it would be one person at a time anyway.  As for doing the two tshirt thing.  It might work, but how would you keep the padding from shifting?

[Aunty Lou]

When I build fat suits for the stage, I take big, ling needles and string and tack the alyers and padding together to make the shape of fat rolls and dimples and breasts.  Kinda like soft sculpture.  There's a box in our costume room (And it gets larger every season!) full of pregnant bellies, fat cops, musclemen, and various size bras...  I once fooled one actor, and weighted the bra to the exact wieght of my rather large girls.  He lasted about 5 minutes!

[LadyStitch]

When I build fat suits for the stage, I take big, ling needles and string and tack the alyers and padding together to make the shape of fat rolls and dimples and breasts.  Kinda like soft sculpture.  There's a box in our costume room (And it gets larger every season!) full of pregnant bellies, fat cops, musclemen, and various size bras...  I once fooled one actor, and weighted the bra to the exact wieght of my rather large girls.  He lasted about 5 minutes!

Heh I love it.