It cost wayyy too much to purchase a dress form of good quality, so I made my own. Link to pattern: patterns.bootstrapfashion.com... More about Me ins: @clairezhangyx website: clairezhangyx.com
Sooo I've had this dress form for a bit over a year and thought I would do a little review on it. Hope this helps a bit if you are deciding whether or not to purchase the pattern. PROS 1) I wanted to have a more flexible dress form that can be cinched down at the waist for historical recreations. With a corset the waist measurement can be reduced by 4", and I'm quite happy that I could fit my entire 1876 ensemble onto it. I was worried that the dress form would be a bit misshaped if corseted for too long, but so far I haven't seen that happening. 2) It's SO EASY to stick pins onto this dress form. No weird angles to put the pin in or accidentally stabbing yourself with it... 3) It is very light and easy to carry around compared to a professional dress form. CONS 1) Many people have mentioned in the comments that the bust seems to sit lower than normal. For me the bust is sitting at the right place, but I came to realize that the distance from the neck to the bust points seem to be longer than my actual measurement. It created some problem when I was draping my bodice and I had to do many more fittings on myself to get the perfect shape. In the website you can actually adjust this measurement under the "Fit Adjustments" tab. It's been so long that I don't remember if I did that or not...(probably not lol) 2) I would suggest NOT making it out of muslin because I almost cut into it once while draping with the exact same muslin fabric. But then again I also cut into the muslin covering my sewing table so maybe I'm just stupid.
Pfftttt I choked on my hot tea, lol!! You're not stupid! I actually really appreciated this video because I purchased a dressform from Fabricville (Canada) and it didn't fit to me at all. I am 210lbs and I have an hourglass figure so they don't make dressforms with me in mind. I got them to exchange it and they sent me the wrong size AGAIN. I was in the middle of a crisis move so I couldn't return it. I ended up selling it for 1/4 of what is was worth!! I had no idea you could buy a pattern to your specific size until I saw your video a couple days ago. I had just been thinking I really need one but I can't get one because of all the issues I mentioned above but now I can because of you. That makes you very smart and helpful in my books! Thank you so much!!!
I don't have money yet, but I did enter my measurements and screenshot both tabs. I almost missed that "Fit Adjustments" tab! The one thing holding me back on projects is money and the fear of investing time AND money if it it is going to be messed up. So it's good to know the risks. I'll still probably make one. Thanks for the pros and cons!
What specifically were the materials you used? What canvas? Interfacing? If anyone knows So appreciate specifics on materials. Also, I’m thinking of getting raw art canvas-the kind that artists use to make art canvas’s. There are different weights so care would be taken to get what my sew machine can handle because it’s not a heavy duty industrial machine. But some is heavier than muslin and with a different texture. So I didn’t know if you said stretched fabric or what interfacing.-is inner support pieces..Thanks!
@@thistree9028 IMHO I think that would be way too stiff. Making and stuffing the breasts would be particularly difficult. Why were you thinking of doing that?
I made this dressform a few months ago. I ended up refilling my dress form with fabric scraps instead of stuffing because the stuffing was too mobile and would change the form when trying on knit dresses. Fabric scraps are more compacted and imitate a human body better than stuffing in my experience.
Another great tip is to look in thrift stores I found a couple of big bags there with polyfill and some old pillows. Also, when I lived in London I found inexpensive pillows from Shepherd's bush market to use for stuffing.
I’m a little late, but... what did you end up deciding? I did a duct tape of myself a while ago, and I think something like this would be much more worthwhile. My duct tape twin is near impossible to pin, and a little chonkier than myself (as the tape sits on top of your body, and is quite thick)... and because I used black duct tape, it looks like have someone’s torso rapped in a trash bag in my closet 😳 eek
After 60 years of sewing WITHOUT a dress form - pinning the garment together and trying it on, getting stabbed both ways, guessing the fit and guessing WRONG, 10 years ago I purchased the Bootstrap dress model sent to me with my EXACT MEASUREMENTS as I gave them! Why did I not know about this 50 years ago!!! My sewing life would have been a sheer joy instead of hit and miss! Putting the model together was also a joy and delight, loving intricate and slightly complex sewing. The instructions were spot on! 🥰😍🥰
I’m nowhere near advanced enough in my sewing journey to warrant a need for this, nor do I have the skills to make it, but this was a really good tutorial!! You explained things so easily and made me feel like I totally have the power to make it :) I’ll be saving this for the future for sure
Lindsay - please don't say that about yourself - you actually DO have the skills, you're probably just a little unsure. And having a dress form that is virtually an exact duplicate of you will make your sewing easier and more accurate, even if you're a beginner. The pattern is only a large, easy-to-solve puzzle when done one step at a time. The most difficult part is putting the pattern together if you've printed it on 8.5 x 11" paper. So-o-o-o, If you do this (and I hope you will!) I strongly suggest you take advantage of Bootstrap's downloadable file designed so you can have it printed on one large sheet of paper at a Fedex store, or most any print shop for that matter. Then all you need to do is cut out the pieces, no bits to match up and tape together. I learned this the hard way; it's a b**ch! Please consider what I suggested above to some others and make a practice version first with leftover fabric and/or scraps even. Use a seam guide attached to your machine set for the correct seam allowance and your seams will be perfect. Learn how to watch your presser foot and seam guide as you sew, not the needle, and it will be easy. If you already know this, please don't be offended, Many new sewers don't get it right away. I'm currently teaching a "newbie" to sew and she's having a hard time learning to do just that. If you make mistakes, and you might, just examine what you did wrong and you'll know how to do it right the next time. This is why we have seam rippers. It's actually fun and satisfying if you take your time. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer them.
I am very particular, so it didn't take me long to start engineering different pieces of patterns into new patterns. But it would be really nice to just drape something on me (or a form) and just get a piece from that without measuring. My friend would say, "But HOW do you do it?" And I would reply, "Uhhh ... you just do it." Heh. Yeah, she hates me. Some people need instruction no matter at what level. I mean, I'm not advanced neither, but I can totally see how a dress form would just make my life easier in the way I want to sew. And maybe that'll never be you. Or maybe just later in your sewing journey ^_^ Keep creating!!
Im considering the duct tape method to find my pattern them im going to follow this with a few adjustments of material so i wont spend nearly as much, im still very much a beginner with minor experience so we'll see
I was looking all over to find out how to draft a pattern for a dress form since I couldn't exactly duct tape myself. I fought the idea of paying for a pattern because I was in pioneer mode lol. After searching many videos I found that almost ALL the tutorials for dress forms (not made with duct tape) were demonstrations of the Bootstrap Fashion pattern. I caved in and bought this and made most of it yesterday. So glad I did. It is easily a 1 day project. For my base I went to Home Depot and bought a 48 inch wooden dowel 1 1/8 or 1 1/4'' wide ($4.89-ish, pvc was only $2 something though), a double end screw and a round (approx 16' diameter) table top from the lumber section ($6.49 or so).
In all honesty, unless you already have the pattern drafting skills, you're probably just better off buying a pattern, especially if you can get one custmised to your size and shape. Form fitting drafting isn't the easiest of things to do, because if you're out in any direction, it won't work. I'm making my mind up at the moment whether I can be bothered to cut one, or just buy one, and I'm trained in pattern cutting!
I love my bootstrap dressform! I am a plus-size lady with very wide hips, so no dressform from the store, adjustable or not would produce clothes that fit me, and you can imagine that a custom made one would likely cost me several hundred euros! So my self made version, with a fancy stand, and a lovely snake print fabric cost me about a 100 Euros in materials (which of course will be cheaper depending on your measurements and choice of snakey-fabric-goodness lol). So now I have a dress form, which I otherwise could never afford, and/or would likely not be available. So especially for plus-sizes, or if you tend to have a belly, a swayback, a big bust, a low shoulder slope or whatever... all of this is an adjustable option with this pattern. You can also purchase a pattern for a dressform arm-piece. And of course it was a fun project, even for me as a back-then beginner to do :)
I have the exact opposite problem- my figure is far curvier than most dress forms allow for, and that most patterns that are commercially sold are designed for. I'm so glad I caught this video, because I was finally fed up and intending to create a dress form next month to help me adjust patterns.
Emily - and Ludmila and Landa too - Please don't wait! Get some inexpensive, medium-weight fabric (just make sure it's woven, not a knit), cut out your pieces and sew! Novices CAN do this. Just take your time. You don't really need to do all the reinforcing and such, just learn how to sew it together, and perhaps stuff it to see how it looks. If you end up making mistakes - no problem! Use your seam ripper. I've been sewing for 60 years and I use mine all the time. We are human and this is only practice. You'll make all your mistakes on this one so the "good" one will be perfect. And yes, there are zippers in the bottom of it-don't be intimidated. Just get a few short zippers and watch a couple of videos on how to insert a zipper. They are sewn into the flat bottom of the form and they're actually quite easy - just straight sewing. You CAN do this! It's fun and you'll be very happy and proud of yourself.
@@maggienolia3079 You're welcome. And I just thought of another little tip to save money...if you have any pieces of clothing that you're going to get rid of and they have zippers, remove them - you need two. Use that handy-dandy little seam ripper and save them for your new dress form. Even if they're too long, you can just cut them shorter to the length you need PLUS one inch. Don't unzip them! - just sew a bunch of hand-stitches around the bottom "teeth" so they won't come apart and they'll be ready for use in the dress form - both your "practice" and your final version. The color won't matter because they're on the bottom out of sight. Happy sewing back at you!
This is the best tutorial I've seen on this project- thank you for providing the clear flat lays showing the construction process. It helps a lot! Now I would love to know your review. Is it accurate? I am extremely curious about how the bust height of the dress form compares to your actual form. I saw another video where the final bust seemed much lower than the sewist's. Thank you for this video!
I’m also a small person, with smaller than A cups. The cups were okay but I did notice they were a little low as well. Not to significantly for me since I’m small and I don’t make many thinks that require cups and overall my draping has been successful.
I know I'm late on this, but when you go to purchase the pattern, there's a "fit adjustments" tab for optional measurements. One of these is bust height. I naturally have a pretty high bust but I filled in all of the optional measurements and my pattern ended up being pretty accurate for my body. It also helped me to make a mockup and fine tune the fit first.
I just ordered my custom form from bootstraps. I am very small, 5'4", 110lbs, Acup. The first iteration of the pattern showed the bust and waist line slightly lower than they should have been but bootstraps reprinted my pattern to make those small adjustments quickly, for free and without issue. I have not made mine yet, just getting started.
I'm so happy I found you before I bought the regular standard pattern. I didn't know there was a custom option. Your instructions are so well done. You deserve 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!
I made one about 2 years ago and love it. It IS easy. Just make sure you have enough fabric, sort you pattern pieces so you're certain you know which is which, and read the directions all the way through before beginning. I used a heavier fabric than muslin and heavy-duty iron-on interfacing. For the inner support, I strengthened it with Pellon 808, which is very sturdy. It worked beautifully. The nice thing about this is if you lose a little weight, (yes!!!) just remove a little padding where needed. Hopefully you won't gain weight (no-o-o-o!) but you can always stuff it a little more too.
@@eh5320 Yes, I used Bootstrap Fashion and it's holding up very well. As I said, I used heavier weight materials than it suggests because I wanted it to be sturdy yet still easy to pin. It worked perfectly. The only problem I've had is having to add some padding (D**n!); I've gained some weight during the Covid quarantine!
As a plus sized woman, I've been thinking about a way to make my own dress form for a while now. I might have to check out this Bootstrap pattern. You're one of the several creators I've seen use it and it seems to be pretty good. I loved your idea of slightly under-stuffing to allow for corset to change the shape, just like the corset changes your personal shape. Very smart!
The red stitch lines are brilliant! I'm planning on doing a duct tape into a pattern form like this but knowing that there's a website that I can just plug my measurements into and get a pattern is neat too! Initially I was just going to do the regular duct tape but I've decided that being able to pin into it is going to be really important for me.. I also have limited floor space so I'm going to end up making mine suspended from the neck instead of up from the floor
Wow, I’m so glad I found you. I’ve been wanting a dress form to start drapping for a few months, but I’m quite chubby so it’s hard to find a form that represents my size. Now I can make one for my own 🤗 Thank you, friend. Your video helped me 🐶
Are you able to share a video showing how corsets/stays fit on this dress form? Like how squishy is the "squish factor" 😂? I'm thinking of getting a new dress form and your video was super helpful 💕💕💕I can't wait to see more of your videos 🥰
Awesome video! If anyone goes to bootstrap fashion looking for a plus size dress form pattern and sees that it only goes up to a 28, don't be discouraged! If you scroll down the list towards the bottom there is a plus size one. Being plus size is hard enough clothing wise, you don't need the trigger of them not having a dress form big enough!❤️
I thought it meant the finished form would have the sewing allowance included, not the pattern to make it! I would have selected no on the seam allowance as well 🤣 good heads up
Watching the video: This is very affordable and I sure can buy the materials! Great! After converting to the local currency and remembering there is a general lack of almost every material needed: Oh... okay... **hits fav to try it later**
I wish I could double-like this. Thank you so much! I had no idea this existed. I'm currently brainstorming ideas for my diy wedding dress, so a dressform would really be great right about now.
this is so exciting 🥺😭 if i can make it myself i’m in a hundred percent...seems so much cuter to make ur own than buy! thank you! this will definitely help my future knitwear
I really really like how you laid everything thing out after every step to point arrows out for the next part. It must have been so tedious, but it explained everything so well to me.
Really clear and concise, well done!You are a good teacher, and the gentle music is very conducive to learning. You are also easy to follow. Thank you!!
Thank you very much for this. It seems like by far the best option for a decent custom dress dummy at a very reasonable cost. I might try one, the idea of it is very tempting.
Great job!! It looks so professionally made. I didn’t even know dress form patterns were available. Taking good measurements would be crucial I think. Thank you for this information! 😊
Thanks for this video! I was on the fence about doint this and this helped greatly in my deciding to try this out! Really simplified and made it very doable!
I have seen so many tutorials about making your own dressform, but none of them were this good! I love that the form will be soft, so that I can use a corset on it. I love the company that makes these patterns. Bootstrap Fashion! I am buying a pattern that resembles my body now! Thanks Thanks Thanks. Going to follow your channel!
I'm definitely liking this much more than the other DIY dressform I found on RU-vid. I was really not wanting to coat myself in plaster to create a cast. And frankly, this just sounds easier and cheaper to make anyway.
You went the extra mile to show how easy this form is to create and have to use for fitting and for draping patterns and clothing to sewing for yourself. Took me years to figure this process out. Might be time to upgrade my body form cover and make some needed changes to it. Thanks for sharing.
Bless you for this video!! Just ordered this pattern, got it cut out, and then realized I didn't have instructions, and remembered you had done this video! So well done and easy to follow. Thank you so much!!!
This is by far the best dress form video i have seen. All i ever got before was the duct tape and t-shirt methods which i don't like. This is clean and pretty too! Makes a person want to sew. Thank you.
I loved how this looked and how easy you made it look @Claire Zhang !! I am very new at all things tailoring and sewing in general, so this is likely why I couldn't understand a majority of the sewing jargon/processes you mentioned. I hope to do this one day!
this came at the RIGHT time! I was looking for one thinking there would be NONE that were my measurements but this seems GREAT! And a nice price to (WAY more affordable then I thought!) I have wanted to make a steampunk jacket for SO LONG and this might just push me to do it!
