Making a duct tape dressmaker’s dummy – the right way « Paula O'Brien.pdf

7/28/2019 Making a duct tape dressmakers dummy the right way Paula O'Brien.pdf

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Paula O'Brien

Art & musings, a colorful life

Making a duct tape dressmakers dummy the right way


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9944.jpg)THE RIGHT WAY TO START - AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE RIGHT UNDER THE BUST.

(Be sure to read the post about the wrong way (hp://paulaobrien.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/making-a-duct-tape-body-double-mannequin-the-wrong-way/) to do this project before you read this one. Also please read over the great Threads magazine article(hp://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3631/duct-tape-dress-form-2) before you start too. Good luck and have fun!)

Start wrapping under the bust, as snugly as possible. You need to make it as tight as possible otherwise mannequin will turn out larger than theperson. Make sure the subject can breathe, has access to water and has been for a pee first!


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9945.jpg)Geing the waist and hips started and starting to form the bust area.

Then proceed to a cross-your-heart taping that goes from one shoulder across under the opposite breast then around to the back, to define thebust area. Youll use three layers of tape, with the second arranged vertically, wrapping very snugly and extend the wrapping around the upperarms and onto the neck, always keeping the bust contours well defined.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9947.jpg)Building up a cap sleeve over the shoulder and having subject keep arms as still as possible. Create a cap sleeve effect over the shoulders.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9948.jpg)Building up the waist with subject keeping arms as still as possible.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9949.jpg)Building up more layers around the waist. Remember, were only using white tape because thats what she bought but using ALL SILVER ONLY

is much beer as it is stronger.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9950.jpg)Taping in the waist very tightly with final third layer of duct tape.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9951.jpg)Finished shell front, as tight and true as possible without having Rowan faint.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9952.jpg)The finished shell back, nice and tight and fingertip length.

Use silver duct tape instead of white tape, as it is much stronger. Using first layer in sliver then maybe 2nd and/or 3rd layer in different color thenyoull know you have 3 layers. We made it fingertip length.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9959.jpg)Add some horizontal hatch lines along the center back so youll be able to keep them perfectly aligned when taping this cut line together later.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9960.jpg)Mark the center front, back, side, waist meridians with dashed lines in permanent felt pen with a steady hand.

Mark the final layer carefully with plumb lines at center front and center back, around the waist, and carefully establish the proper height andposture by marking the same distance from the floor to the hip level on four sides. Mark crosshatches down the center back about every 3 inchesapart to make sure it lines up properly later.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9964.jpg)I had to start cuing the neck while standing on a chair as subject is 6 feet tall.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9966.jpg)She trusted me to do this?? Good think I have a steady hand. This time I stopped cuing at the fullest part of the hips and then we wiggled her

out of it.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9969.jpg)Sliding out of the finished shell, did not cut all the way to the boom.

Cut down from the neck down the center back just to widest part of hips them carefully slide out of this dress. Hang on strong wooden coathanger. Trim away excess plastic bag.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9971.jpg)Much happier with longer and slimmer dummy number 2. It was definitely worth making a second time.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9972.jpg)Shaped foam shoulder pads help support the bust area.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9975.jpg)The shaped shoulder pads taped in at the bust to help keep this section from not collapsing over time. This is definitely as good idea as the first

one we tried was already collapsing a bit in the bust without this extra foam support.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9973.jpg)

Raglan shoulder pads for the rump to give dummy some extra support here.

Tape the shoulder pads into breast and shoulders and bu.Tape upper center back closed with smallish strips outside and a few inside. Finish with some wide strips across the back seam to fully secure

back opening.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9977.jpg)Filling up the dummy from the back then closing it up.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9979.jpg)Padding out the shoulders a bit more, then close off with more tape.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9980.jpg)The neck finished off nicely with heavy wooden hanger as the main support as this dummy will hang only, will not stand on a pole.

Lay body down on pillows on a table and start to stuff the upper torso.Stuff as much as possible generally then tape a bag across the boom opening and hang up. Stuff in the shoulder openings and then tape shut.Fill in the neck and then seal up finishing with a turtleneck effect around the neck. Lie it down again and seal up some more of the back to about2 inches below waist. Continue to stuff upper torso as firmly as possible.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9976.jpg)This is the wire and buons I used for my idea of securing the waist diameter so that it wont gradually expand on the dummy. I think this was a

very good idea and have not seen this option shown anywhere else so please consider trying this as described below.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9981.jpg)Visually measure the subjects natural waist depth from center front to center back.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9983.jpg)Mark the natural waist diameter on the wire with permanent felt pen.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9984.jpg)Puncture the tape at waist at CB center back and CF center front, just big enough hole to guide wire through.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9985.jpg)Insert the wire with a slim flat stopping buon at CF center front and carefully guide wire through to hole at CB center back.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9987.jpg)Pull the wire through until you see the felt pen mark then put wire through buon as in next picture.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9988.jpg)Push wire through buonholes, twist off and flaen with pliers.

Visually measure the subjects width at waist. Use big calipers if you have them. Just hold the wire across the waist and visually measure, markwire with black felt pen at width. Cut wire about 2 1/2 inches longer. Punch a hole in CB waist, insert wire already threaded through a buon.Feed it across through stuffing and feed out through the belly Buon. You could feed wire back and turn it off inside the body but we twisted itoff on outside of body.

Close up more of CB center back and continue to stuff torso.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9992.jpg)Paern for plywood base with center front CF and center back CB marked.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9994.jpg)Staple base of duct tape dummy to plywood base with staple gun.

When nearly done, hold torso upright on newspaper and mark the natural boom shape with felt pen. Remove torso and smooth out the line if abit bumpy. Cut out newspaper paern, mark CB and CF. and cut out plywood or heavy cardboard boom.

Stuff out boom some more then staple the boom to the form boom then finish off the stuffing.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9997.jpg)Pinning in the center back twill tape.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9998.jpg)1/4 inch twill tape pinned into dummy to define waist, vertical side, center front, etc.


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(hp://paulaobrien.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/img_9999.jpg)The finished duct tape body double mannequin. A big success!

Slip on jersey skin and pin in twill tape to mark the vertical meridians first then the horizontal ones.Pin in vertical side lines with twill tape, defining most comfortable armhole opening using a favorite t-shirtPin around waist at 2 intervals, covering the buon.

A strong wooden hanger placed inside before stuffing is the start of either a hanging form or a simple stand. For a stand, use a piece of PVCpiping or a cardboard tube long enough that you can cut it to your height when the form is ready to set onto its base (you can use aChristmas-tree stand on the outside of the tube, or a microphone stand inside the tube). Tape the hanger to the tube and put it inside the form

before stuffing it, then start stuffing as explained above. Tape the opening at center back closed as you complete the stuffing, then use thehorizontal level hip markings to help arrange the form on the tube to match the subjects posture.

Rowan is thrilled with her body double and has already used it a few times to help her create her own custom fit clothing, at last! Good luck withyour own as this is such a great idea if youre not a standard body shape and size.By Paula OBrienSee Threads magazine for more suggestions and pictures (hp://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3631/duct-tape-dress-form-2)

Tags: duct tape dummy (hp://paulaobrien.wordpress.com/tag/duct-tape-dummy/), sewing (hp://paulaobrien.wordpress.com/tag/sewing/)

This entry was posted on June 25, 2011 at 9:33 am and is filed under sewing & costume. You can follow any responses to this entry through the


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Making a duct tape dressmaker’s dummy – the right way « Paula O'Brien.pdf