My Dressform Family

THIS is my family of dressforms as it was in 2004. Over my 37 years of pattern making I have ended up with an interesting assortment of ten. But, now it's time to say goodbye to most of these friends. And I want to pay tribute to all of them first.

I needed a family of forms because I was often asked to make things for families.

Simplicity was using a lot of digital color mapping when I made this set of fleece jumpsuits, so they asked me make them GREEN. I got a great price on the fabric. This green wasn't too popular and it was greatly reduced at Joann's!

So, to start, let me introduce you to Matilda. I bought her when I was expecting my first baby in 1982, which is stamped across her abdomen. Having her allowed me to do some of my work from home. I was working for a designer in SoHo, New York at the time.

She is high end, a Wolf form that cost me $300 or $400 dollars at the time. Something like $900 now. She was a size 10 then, but would be about a size 6 now ... vanity sizing!!!

Here she is right about the time I bought her, hard at work. With me, also hard at work behind her. 

I will NEVER sell her. She is my alter ego.

In 1985, while I was expecting my second baby I started working for McCall's and then Simplicity in 1991. I was using Matilda for all the lady's costumes and using any kid I could find to fit costumes on. At that time I was working out of a tiny, tiny space in a small New York apartment and didn't have room for more than one form anyway. 

But in 1992 I moved my workroom into a shared artist loft space near our apartment and one of the first things I did was buy this size 10 child, again from Wolf. This time Simplicity placed the order to make sure it was made to official Simplicity measurements. They ordered - I paid - $800 for it, About $1,500 today.

Then after we moved to Maryland in 1993, I bought the kid size 4, also made to Simplicity specifications.

These forms were so expensive, I skimped on my Men's form. This adjustable Dritz form was about $250. For finally fitting, I am very lucky to have a husband who is a nearly perfect Men's 40 and a good sport.

Then I was assigned infant Disney princesses!!!! I couldn't bring myself to spend another 7 or 8 hundred on a Wolf form, so I found a store display mannequin that did the trick for less than $100. I did very few infant costumes. They shouldn't fit too closely anyway.

Meanwhile, poor Matilda was legless and I was starting to get projects with pants and leggings. At the time Simplicity was carrying PMG forms on their website, so I got an employee discount and got her for only about $400 in ... I'm guessing ... 2006 or 7.

She was my model for this!!

All the dressforms up to this point have been the rock hard paper mâché kind covered with linen. Great for pattern draping.

BUT, they are not corsetable. All the serious re-enactors and historic clothing enthusiasts wanted patterns that were more authentic. And since the Renaissance was always my thing, I was asked to make an "as authentic as possible in the Simplicity system" pattern for the kind of dress Ann Boleyn would have worn. I needed a form that I could squish into that flat front shape the Tudors and Elizabethans wore.

So, I bought a Uniquely You foam dressform.

They are foam with a canvas cover that you fit to the size you need! A good choice if you want an affordable form.

Here are the underpinnings on this dressform. These were worn under this gown.

So then when I was asked to make a corset with bust cups for the fashion department in regular misses AND plus size, I bought a larger Uniquely you form and fit the canvas form so it was exactly Simplicity's sample size for the Women's patterns.

This is the Amazing Fit Corset. I find that name kind of embarrassing. It still needs careful measuring and fitting. But, I did my best to make a pattern that would be easy to fit.

I don't know if I was getting cheap ... which I am known to do. OR I just didn't have room for any more dressforms! But, when I was asked to make a pattern in a sample size Toddler 2, I simply made myself a 2 year old kid doll. The pattern I was making needed a head and legs. A professional form would have cost me more than I would probably make on the pattern.

It worked fine and won't this be a fun thing for my granddaughter when she gets a little older. I'll give it hair and a face and dress it!

Last but not least, here is the dog form several people asked about. It is a dog clothes display mannequin.

It served me well, as you can see! And was super cheap, something like $50.

So, if you live in the Washington DC area and are interested in owning any of these forms, I will be selling them at very fair prices. I want them in good homes.

Matilda is not for sale. Neither is the toddler doll I made nor the dog. Everything else is though.

Write me at [email protected]