Two Teen Seamstresses: duct tape

Guess what Bascha and I did today? Got hot, sticky, and looked really funny. We actually duct-taped ourselves up and made dress forms :). There are several tutorials out on the web on how to do this, but maybe you follow our blog and don't feel like searching to see how it's done, or maybe you've never heard of duct tape dummies, so we'll do a little tutorial anyways :).

To begin, put on an old t-shirt, or one you don't really like. You'll never have to wear it again. It shouldn't be really tight. (I don't know why, but that's what I read) Make sure that you are wearing a good supportive bra underneath.

In most pictures of me I will appear to have my eyes shut. This is because I always blink. And it's just faster sometimes to look down and get it over with than take 15 shots so we can try to get my eyes open. :P

Then, start wrapping the duct tape around the rib cage under the bust. The whole dummy will take a little over 1 roll of duct tape.

Then wrap the lower portion of your body, going around in a circle.

Then upper body. For the bust, be careful not to squish and minimize your chest...you're trying you replicate yourself, not make a new shape :). We just put smaller sized pieces of duct tape going in different directions to make it as smooth as possible.
We forgot to take a picture for this step. sorry! :O
For the neck, put plastic wrap (I thought that stuff was only for left over food, but nah, it's for necks too) around your neck, and tuck it into your shirt. Then duct tape that area too. Please don't choke yourself.

Bascha was so funny, she had on a tank top, so she put a grocery bag on as a shirt (I think it could pass a modern Edwardian!), and said she was a earth friendly recycle person who was really into it :D

For the arms, wrap it around so it's taped to the body, but you don't need much more than right below your shoulder.

Tada! You look like a bonafide idiot now! :D Go look in the mirror :) Don't move your arms too much though, you don't want to mess up your hard work :P

Bascha

Now take a pair of scissors (not fabric scissors), and cut straight up the back. Do not cut your bra...especially if it's expensive. This dress form is supposed to save you money.

Now you've got your second body. Lay it out on the floor or table. Put some stuffing in the bosom dips. We found it easier to stuff the bosom by putting in a lot of stuffing in the whole upper body, then taping the whole body shut, then adding more stuffing, taped the arm's shut, and then packed the filling in really snugly in the bust area.

Bascha's mannequin is stuffed with a variety of things since by then we had run out of stuffing. Pillow insides, pillow cases, scrap fabric, torn tissue paper, tangled yarn, and pieces of wadded tape make up the insides of her second self :).

Tape the back of the dummy closed, making sure not to leave a gap.

I taped the neck closed. Then you fill the dummy with stuffing, making sure it's "packed" down pretty good. You don't want the Madame to collapse while draping something. :O.

my mannequin Lettice before we gave her a two inch waist reduction. I'm not really sure what happened but her measurements were a little off! She still needs a bit added to her behind as well...poor lady! :O I've named her Lettice since that's one of my first person names at Latta.