Apr 9, 2007

Tonight the Role of the Dress Dummy will be played by....

Please.. talk to me about the dress dummy. As I contemplate making more designs I am being drawn to the idea that I really need one. (especially after seeing Edna's pictures)

Is a dress dummy essential?
What qualities should one look for in a dress dummy?
Is there a way to DIY a Dress Dummy?


I would love to hear your comments on this!!!

Sincerely,
Dress Dumby Deficeint Denise
at KnitChat.com

5 comments:

Marnie said...

I don't have one but would love to have one. You can make one out of tape. Look up "duct tape dummy" on Google. There are lots of hits.

Upside: very cheap; perfect match
Downside: gain or lose weight and you need to start fresh, plus you can't change it for other sizes.

I don't think you need one but it certainly helps with visualizing what you want.

You migth also want to check out this site
http://www.mannequinland.com/jerseyform.htm
Their prices seem pretty affordable, though, again, not adjustable.

knitterchick said...

If you can a hold of it, check out Threads magazine, #75, March 1998. There's four different methods. Again, not adjustable. But they're cheap enough to do again and again if you have the time. I think a dress dummy would be great to check fit and drape.

You can also check out www.joann.com for their dress forms. There's some that are adjustable. You might also be able to order it from your local Joann's.

Julia (MindofWinter) said...

I don't think a dress form is essential if you design for your own size or for the size of someone in your family, but it can really help if you are designing for a shape that is foreign to you. That said, I would really like to make one. They're just fun to use. If you do make a duct tape dummy, please be sure to share the process with us. I'd love to see it!

Unknown said...

I have a duct tape dummy of myself. It wasn't that hard to do, and for me it was a really good thing, since my back is shorter than all professional, adjustable dress forms. I really recommend making one if you want a dress form - you can always upgrade to an adjustable one later on if you find it useful.

Unknown said...

My MIL has a dummy from Joann's, we paid about $100 for it for Christmas a few years ago, and she loves it. There is also www.inflatablemannequins.com if you could use dressmakers tape. My friend has these to show her samples. They're easy to inflate and deflate and you need practically no space to store them when it's not in use :-)