Southcoast Historical Associates

 

	Using a dress form for 18th century clothing construction helps the home seamstress achieve enviable results with minimum mistakes and less stress.  There are a variety of forms available for purchase, there is a report on choosing a dress form in the January, 2006 issue of Threads Magazine.  Many internet sites offer information regarding constructing a duct tape double.   I am using a Dritz My Double form that is readily available through many suppliers including Jo-Anns Fabric Stores.  Each dress form has various features and can vary in price from affordable to hundreds of dollars for professional dress forms.  Ebay is alterative source for inexpensive dressmaker dummies.

                                   

Materials Soft bra cups or old shoulder pads Polyester or cotton batting, Polyester stuffing Pins Measuring tape Top of  an old pair of panty hose, preferably white or flesh color Dress Form. Your measurements while wearing stays to include: bust, waist, and over the shoulder from the top of the stays to the back of the stays at a slight angle, over the fullness of the breasts. These instructions are based on using the  Dritz My Double rigid pinable form.  There are numerous styles and price ranges of dressmaker dummies available from dressmaking supply companies.  The Dritz My Double is one of the least expensive currently available. It is important to have the form set for one size smaller than your actual measurements.  The padding you will place on the form will allow the stays to more accurately approximate your stayed figure as it compresses the batting.  The dress form should be set to the height you are while wearing your 18th century shoes, this will help down the line on making sure your petticoats and gowns are the proper length.   Step one Pad the Mannequin Size  your dress form to one size smaller than your actual shape. Place layers of batting around the waist of the dress form, pin in place.  If your stomach is large place more layers of batting in front.                 Step Two Add Breast Fullness If you are large breasted then soft old bra cups or even shoulder pads can be used to approximate the fullness of the breasts.  The pads should extend under where the top of stays will land. If you are small breasted, a layer of batting may be enough to hold the shape of the stays.           Step Three Lace up your stays Place your stays on the dress form. My stays have a two inch gap in the back when laced.  Make sure your stays have the same gap in the back as when you are wearing your stays.                        Step Four Check Measurements Check the waist measurement on the stayed mannequin.  Add or remove padding as required.   sd             Take the bust measure, again add or remove padding if necessary to obtain the proper measurement.                   Take the shoulder measurement at a slight angle from the top of the stays to the top of the stays back.  If you need extra padding at the shoulder add extra batting at this point and pin in place.  If you need less breast fullness make the adjustments now.             Final Step Cover the top of the shoulders and stays with the old panty hose top.  This will keep all the batting firmly in place and prevent shifting as you are working on your dress form.   Make sure the padding is smooth with no bulges or bumps. You are now ready to begin your 18th century garment.