A few moths ago I decided to clone myself. The reason I wanted to do so was to make sewing, and altering clothes easier for myself. Basically, I wanted to have my own dress form, and here's how I did it.
I found a t-shirt I wasn't using and a few rolls of transparent packing tape and kindly asked my boyfriend a.k.a Mr Kitten to tape me up. I wanted my dressform to have a bit of an arm, so that I can make things that sort of go around my shoulders. I also wanted it to continue down to the wides part of my hips, so that I don't accidentally make a skirt too tight. When I was all taped up, Mr Kitten cut through the tape and the t-shirt from the back and I could peel of my shell;
Then I taped the back together again. We used about 1 ½ rolls of tape and the form was pretty sturdy made from tape + t-shirt alone.
Looking right trough me...
I wanted my form to have a filling, so that it would keep it's shape, and a stand to make it easy to work with. So I went out and after a bit of a search found an old lamp stand for 5 €. I also got some filling material that builders use, makroflex I think it was called, which expands.
I cut up and old plastic bottle (for the neck) and taped it to the stand, then filled it with the flex-stuff...which didn't work out too well as it needs air to dry, which there wasn't too much of in that sealed off bottle and that caused the flex-stuff to sort of melt in parts. But it was still good enough for me, so I continued.
Before the melting.
When the bottle was firmly attached to the upper part of the stand I turned my shell up-side down and put the neck/spine in place.
And started filling the shell up. This took me several days to do, as the flex-stuff takes about 12-24 hours to expand and dry, and you have to do it in layers, because if the layer underneath is not dry, it will melt when there's no contact with air...At this point I did wonder why I hadn't filled it with something else, but hey, trial and error is the way to go, right?
Filled-finally!
Finally I taped a piece of cardboard cut to shape on the bottom to cover the filling up and put the stand back together, et voilà;
My home-made dress form (and my hoover).
If you are into sewing and want your own "customised to you" dress form there are a few things that might be useful to know:
Choose a better looking t-shirt than I did, alternatively cover the finished dress form up in a new fabric/long neck tight t-shirt when it's done. I still need to get one of those cover up shirts as I am not too keen on that yellow t-shirt being visible...Another alternative is to use a coloured tape, or duct-tape, as used on the site from where I got my inspiration.
Be careful when getting taped - don't let it get too tight because you will need to breathe!
Choose a good assistant who isn't shy, they will need to be very careful when doing the taping to avoid creases and get an even result. Me and Mr Kitten were a bit too impatient and as a result, my clone is a bit funny under the arms...I would also recommend using strips of tape, instead of you spinning as your assistant moves the roll of tape up and down. Don't rush!
And finally, use a different filling! Maybe old newspaper or scraps of fabric or old pillows, but nothing too soft or loose.
I am quite pleased with my result, although it is a bit too wide under the arms, and the shoulders got deformed after standing up side down for a few days, but it's close enough. Pinning pieces of fabric together on my back and sides is so much easier when I have a clone to do it on!
Questions?
I found a t-shirt I wasn't using and a few rolls of transparent packing tape and kindly asked my boyfriend a.k.a Mr Kitten to tape me up. I wanted my dressform to have a bit of an arm, so that I can make things that sort of go around my shoulders. I also wanted it to continue down to the wides part of my hips, so that I don't accidentally make a skirt too tight. When I was all taped up, Mr Kitten cut through the tape and the t-shirt from the back and I could peel of my shell;
Then I taped the back together again. We used about 1 ½ rolls of tape and the form was pretty sturdy made from tape + t-shirt alone.
Looking right trough me...
I wanted my form to have a filling, so that it would keep it's shape, and a stand to make it easy to work with. So I went out and after a bit of a search found an old lamp stand for 5 €. I also got some filling material that builders use, makroflex I think it was called, which expands.
I cut up and old plastic bottle (for the neck) and taped it to the stand, then filled it with the flex-stuff...which didn't work out too well as it needs air to dry, which there wasn't too much of in that sealed off bottle and that caused the flex-stuff to sort of melt in parts. But it was still good enough for me, so I continued.
Before the melting.
When the bottle was firmly attached to the upper part of the stand I turned my shell up-side down and put the neck/spine in place.
And started filling the shell up. This took me several days to do, as the flex-stuff takes about 12-24 hours to expand and dry, and you have to do it in layers, because if the layer underneath is not dry, it will melt when there's no contact with air...At this point I did wonder why I hadn't filled it with something else, but hey, trial and error is the way to go, right?
Filled-finally!Finally I taped a piece of cardboard cut to shape on the bottom to cover the filling up and put the stand back together, et voilà;
My home-made dress form (and my hoover).If you are into sewing and want your own "customised to you" dress form there are a few things that might be useful to know:
Choose a better looking t-shirt than I did, alternatively cover the finished dress form up in a new fabric/long neck tight t-shirt when it's done. I still need to get one of those cover up shirts as I am not too keen on that yellow t-shirt being visible...Another alternative is to use a coloured tape, or duct-tape, as used on the site from where I got my inspiration.
Be careful when getting taped - don't let it get too tight because you will need to breathe!
Choose a good assistant who isn't shy, they will need to be very careful when doing the taping to avoid creases and get an even result. Me and Mr Kitten were a bit too impatient and as a result, my clone is a bit funny under the arms...I would also recommend using strips of tape, instead of you spinning as your assistant moves the roll of tape up and down. Don't rush!
And finally, use a different filling! Maybe old newspaper or scraps of fabric or old pillows, but nothing too soft or loose.
I am quite pleased with my result, although it is a bit too wide under the arms, and the shoulders got deformed after standing up side down for a few days, but it's close enough. Pinning pieces of fabric together on my back and sides is so much easier when I have a clone to do it on!
Questions?
11 kommentarer:
shit det är ju hur smart som helst. och billigare än att köpa en docka!
That's a great idea and very clear tutorial. If I was good at sewing I would definitely clone myself your way. Until then...just have to buy my clothes.
Very clever! I know some people who have made clones, and they're all very happy with them! Most of them used ducktape, but then you would need the expensive kind, not the cheap one that peels off after a while.
It seems very practical, I wish I had place for one. Maybe in my next-sometime-in-the-future appartement =)
Betty Lou; Oh ja, kostade typ 15€, och sen är den ju specialgjord enligt ens egna former ännu till!
Mrs Munster; Thanks, however buying clothes can be pretty fun too ;)
Erika; Aha, ok, didn't even know there are several types of ducktape!? :)
Very good idea!
Little Rascal; Isn't it? I'm so glad I found this idea on the net... :)
helt genialiskt ju!
tror jag tänker använda mig av den iden alltså!
Sofia; Fritt fram! Du kan ju meddela ifall det blir av, skulle vara kul att se resultatet, och lycka till! :)
I tried to do a clone of me about a year ago. I followed the same instructions you had and I propably had the best and most patient partner to tape me but... I don't know if we used too much tape or what but the measures were not too close of mines... Then I filled it with newspaper and it wasn't enough sturdy for pins. Maybe I have to try once more because I really would need a fitting assistant! Eventhough you didn't recommend that what you used as a filler, I would be ready to try it. If it is that what I think it would be just perfect if I manage to fill it right. Or maybe I learned from the first attempt, the clone looked so sad. It made me look at the mirror and see if I really, truly have that kind of a body! :)
But have you used your clone and managed to do fitting clothes with it? I mean really fitting and tight ones?
Betty; I've answered in your blog comments!
Thank you very much for the information! That makes me more sure that I am not going to make another duct tape clone of me. If I do try to do a clone once more, I will try this http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/3665/molded-papier-mch-form method. It is a little more expensive but it sounds a lot better. And I am familiar with the paper maché so that I probably have some chances to turn it out ok. The most expensive part in that method is the making of the mold. The plaster bandage isn't over expensive but you need quite a lot of it to make firm enough mold. I will be posting about it if I decide to try it! :)
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