dress forms

You may recall the fiasco that was my attempt to make a duct tape dress form. Needless to say it hasn't been used and I have no desire to reproduce the experience or making it, even with the superior gummed tape. But my desire for a dress form just grows. In recent months I have been doing a lot of refashioning and making garments without patterns and this involves a lot of taking half finished and pinned pieces on and off and attempts to fit things in a mirror. Hardly ideal!

Previous attempts to locate a dress form in my size has proved pretty fruitless. All the ones I found online were overseas and offered by companies that don't ship internationally. I did find one, but the customer reviews about the quality of the mechanisms for adjusting it were so scathing I was convinced it wasn't a good idea.

I did find an aussie ebay seller who imports dress forms and sells them at a reasonable price, but their larger size was just a fraction too small for me. Despite supposedly fitting up to size 20, the measurements are smaller than mine and I wear a size 18. Yet another dead end!

And then it occurred to me to ask my local fabric retailer if she could order in dress forms in larger sizes. While she didn't have the size known as fuller figure, the manufacturer of the style she had on her books did make it so she said she'd find out for me. In the same instant it dawned on me that getting it back to Melbourne would be a bit of a pain so I rang a couple of places in Melbourne to make the same inquiry. Experience so far tells me that there is a lot of price variation (I have been quoted between $195 and $395 for the exact same thing!) so I decided to do my research on this one. Clegs came back to me fastest and they could get me a fuller figure, though at $395 I was looking at a fair bit more than I thought I would have to pay.

I also realised that while all the forms I have looked at are made by the same manufacturer, Clegs only carry the supafit model, while my local store and my favourite store, Tessutis only stocks the Diana model. In searching for reviews it seems the Diana is a sturdier and easier to adjust model with a better stand, and it was the short comings on the supafit that I had read about with the very first place I looked to buy.

But a side benefit of trying to find reviews and comparisons of the different models (through this fantastic sewing forum discussion site) I found a long thread about padding out dress forms. Not only does it seem possible, but most of the experienced hands recommend padding as a way of achieving a shape closer to your body. You see adjustability to the right measurements is one thing, but mimicking the distribution of those measurements on your body is a whole other thing. Those who hadn't padded their forms repeatedly posted that their dress forms never got used while those who had made their forms look more like themselves found them really useful. And of course if you are going to pad it out, you want the actual form to be smaller than yourself.

So now I am contemplating buying one in the easier to get smaller size and doing the work to make it look as much like me as I can! I'd love to hear from anyone about their experiences padding models out, reviews of different models or recommendations of places to buy.

Edited to add -

I just read through another tutorial on fitting a form to your shape (thanks for the link Nichola!) and found a couple of interesting things. The first is, the author recommends distributing your padding more evenly than you are in reality and claims this will make your garments look better. I'd like to know how, so I'm posting a comment and will let you know!

The second thing I found was that reading through the comments section there are recommendations for two form types I hadn't come across. Unlike the standard dial adjustable types I've looked at, the Fabulous Fit has a solid base with a padding fit system and removable cover. This means it is adjustable by size and shape and saves you the trouble of making your own padding and cover to fit. I gather this is the kind of form used by professionals and I can see why. Sadly, it stops at an American size 16, but the Uniquely You, which has many similarities goes up to a 50" hip with adjustments via the covering. And this company ships to Australia! Of course, while the form is only $139, the shipping here is $254.38!!

But aside from the issue of cost, another comment got me thinking about another problem. I hate how if ever I buy commercial patterns I measure myself accurately and find that the pattern size chart says I'm a size 26 or so. I know I may choose a size 18 or 20 in commercially made clothes, but the pattern says that for my measurements I need a size 26. If I make the garment in the size 26 (don't laugh - I've done this!) it is of course miles too big. I don't know why this is, but I basically don't use commercial patterns so I avid dealing with it. But it occurs to me - what if the dress form is the same? What if I buy one and find it is way too big? One commenter on the above post had exactly this experience and I can't imagine what I'd do if I paid $250 shipping only to have to return it!

Anyone else been down this road and know what I'm talking about?

test knitting

Just a super quick post here to let you know that the lovely and talented Kate is looking for a test knitter or two in the 42-50inch bust range for a really lovely cardigan she has designed.

I have to say as a long time knitter who grew up knitting men's garments and mostly disasterous home designed knits because commercial patterns stopped at a size 14 I am thrilled to bits with how many pattern designers now take their sizing up to the loftier heights. And critical to this is good test knitting and feedback to designers.

So I hope someone here will take her up on the offer and get a great cardi and ensure the rest of us continue to have access to well designed and fitting patterns!

shopping by body type

So a friend of mine who is in search of a dress for a special occassion has been spending quite a bit of time looking for ideas on line.

Now I don't wear dresses much (recent sewing notwithstanding) since I spend most of my time running around after children, doing domestic chores and generally being a graceless slob, but I so think a good frock can look stunning. I also think a badly chosen frock can make you look really awful.

Anyway, she found that the large US retailer Nordstrom has a really excellent feature for their online dress shop - that capacity to search by body type (see the drop down menu on the right hand side half way down the screen). You can also search by plus size or garment type.

I don't have plans to buy anything from Nordstrom any time soon, but I think this is a fantastic way to think about garments and feel a little more confident that the dress you like might suit you. I haven't explored the site in detail but my guess is we'll be seeing more and more of this kind of thing, assisted shopping. Anyone else know of other retailers or sites that offer similar features?

another shirt renovation

You might remember a shirt I altered last year.

Well, I've done another one, this time in a quite different way. I started with the exact same linen shirt (except in black this time instead of olive) and ended up with a fancy shaped and detailed top.


You can read more about what I did over here (scroll down to the second half of the post.)

sewing with knits

For all those who wanted to know more about the sewing of the bathers, I did a post on my other blog with some info about sewing with knits. Happy to answer any questions!

new bathers modelled

new bathers modelled, originally uploaded by Soozs.

Thanks to Ellen here are some photos of me n my new bathers that I can bear to look at! Dry and wet.

before -> after

before -> after, originally uploaded by Soozs.

Another refashion from a classic fat garment to something a bit more stylish.

The photos aren't great, but I raised the shoulders, shortened the sleeves from elbow to mid upper arm and the length from almost ankle to mid-upper calf, added pin tuck detail to front and darts to back.

The whole job took less than an hour, was very quick and easy and has taken a classic sack to a nice dress. Still a little boring though. I may yet do some kind of embellishment on the front...

swim shorts

swim shorts, originally uploaded by Soozs.

So I think the shorts are going to be great. I haven't trialled them in water yet, but they feel great and meet all the criteria I had in mind before I set out. I think a big part of their success is that the lycra I used is really thick and hangs well in the non-cling way. Hemming without a coverstitch machine is a big ordinary, but I'm hoping they will settle with wear.

This lycra is actually inside out - the 'right side' has white dots and while they look cute, I think the shirt has plenty enough going on. But the reverse side has an interesting texture where the dots were printed and change the properties of the fabric.

in the swim of things

I'm so seventies, originally uploaded by Soozs.

I know, I know. Summer time means dealing with swimwear. Few things fill me with dread quite like the annual reality check like no other.

Pass the choc chip cookies while I have a sigh and maybe a cry...

For years I did my best to hide in a black one piece, but it's always been hard to find a suit I liked and which fitted me and didn't squish my boobs down to my navel.

I can't remember when I sewed my first suit, but it was a long time ago and a move motivated by sheer desperation. How hard could it be? I thought to myself and set out with cotton lycra and lots of time. No pattern, just winging it.

Those early suits were really quite OK once I had recut, re-sewed and altered for a day or two. I tried making my own patterns, but since no two pieces of lycra are the same a healthy amount of fiddle is always required.

And then five or so years back I discovered the tankini and I was pretty happy to stay there. Nice boy leg black pants in chlorine resistant lycra and a tank top with an in-built shelf bra. I'm not saying I looked like a model or anything, but they were comfortable and serviceable.

But as the tank began to age and the straps began to loosen, the cleavage got a little deeper than I was comfortable with. In bathers as in most of my clothes I like firmness and any possibility of a wardrobe malfunction does not assist in relaxation.

So the tank remained in circulation, but wasn't really what I wanted. I was also increasingly finding it hard to avoid sunburn and was thinking perhaps it might be time to seek a little more coverage - a rash vest and board shorts were the next additions.

I don't know if it is just me and my shape, or whether this is a universal phenomenon, but I find board shorts really uncomfortable. I like the sun protection, but they seem to be loose and flappy and extremely unflattering at the same time as restrictive and tight whenever you are trying to move.

And the big black rash vest is eminently functional but somehow unsatisfactory too. Hopeless for feeling remotely summery or attractive and when sun isn't a big problem, unnecessary levels of coverage. Plus I really can't get over the need for a dedicated swim bra.

So now I find myself with no less than 5 pieces of swimwear, pretty much all of which are a compromise in some way or another. Now that I am spending a good slab of time living at the beach, swimwear is a daily reality.

Armed with a load of lycras in interesting prints I am setting out to remake the swimwear wardrobe. I'm boldly going away from black because I'm tired of it.

This is the first of the items I had in mind, a short sleeved rash vest. I used the same pattern that I use to make most of my T-shirts. After a trial wear this morning I decided it needs a bit of shortening and I might hem the edges instead of leaving them overlocked, but otherwise a much more pleasant garment to wear than the old rashie.

Next up, some hybrid bike/board shorts. I want something that looks more like regular shorts (ie less clingy), but has the stretch and comfort of lycra. I'm planning on using the jazz pants pattern I used over here.

After that I'm going to make a new tank and perhaps even a one piece just for the hell of it.

So how to you deal with swimwear? Do you make or buy? What kind of swimwear do you like? Where do you get it?

seasonally inappropriate but...

I received an email recently from Annette at Subway Shoe Diffusion, a Melbourne based shoe importer. This coming winter they will be importing a range of reasonably priced boots with sizing for 'athletic' calves. The styles look nice and are really competitively priced. While I know most people are really not at all focused on winter boots right now, I'm mentioning it in case I forget to chase Annette up next year for a list of stockists! Now you can all feel free to remind me...

I also wanted to give all our blog authors and potential authors a giddy up! Come on guys, lets see some content! If you'd like to contribute in any way at all, please drop me a line - soozs[dot]com[at]gmail[dot]com