Judy Jackson

Fitting Essentials: Customize Your Dress Form

Judy Jackson

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  • In-depth Instruction; over 154 mins
  • On-demand video access anytime
  • Bonus downloadable PDF resources
  • Access to class Q&A
Meet your instructor, expert sewer Judy Jackson, and learn about the three varieties of dress forms you can customize -- studio, adjustable and foam -- including their advantages and disadvantages. Whether you already own a dress form or are considering purchasing one, you'll be delighted to discover how to modify it for a perfect fit every time you sew.
Grab a fitting buddy to calculate both your linear and depth measurements, evaluate your shape and compare your measurements with those of the dress form you've chosen. This will give you the numbers you'll need for making your dress form cover and for padding out or trimming the form itself.
When working with a studio or adjustable form, you'll need to make a cover that fits you like a second skin. Judy suggests suitable dress patterns with princess seams and explains how to alter a pattern to make it work as a dress form cover. The foam form usually includes a cover, which you can customize to your own measurements.
Try on your dress form cover and work with your fitting buddy as you learn how to take in seams, let them out or add darts to address fit issues unique to your body. When you've got your fit just right, add markings to your cover as landmarks for future dressmaking.
Judy walks you through the process of padding out your studio or adjustable dress form to fill out your custom cover and replicate your shape exactly. You'll learn how to feather the edges of your batting to get a smooth look, and how to cut out layers of padding and foam for the curves of your tummy, thighs and bust. Judy also shows how to mask the dials and gaps of an adjustable form.
A studio or adjustable form is typically purchased in a slightly smaller size and padded, while a foam form can be purchased larger and carved down to size -- literally! Judy wields an electric carving knife to demonstrate how to shape the bust, waist and back, then adds batting to smooth out and shape the form.
Your dress form just needs a few finishing touches. Check the final fit with Judy's guidance, then mark side seams, neck and waistline with braid to use as guidelines in future projects. Judy shows how to cover the arm and neck holes with fabric for a smooth finish and shares tips for putting your new body double to good use!
 
 
7 Lessons
2  hrs 34  mins

Personalize any dress form to your measurements with acclaimed sewing instructor Judy Jackson. Start with Judy’s tips for selecting a dress form and working with a fitting partner to record all the measurements you need. Then create or adjust a dress form cover to ensure you end up with a perfect body double. Learn how to pad a studio or adjustable dress form to fill out your custom cover and replicate your body. See how to carve a foam dress form to personalize the shape before you add batting for a smooth result beneath the cover. Finish your custom dress form with a fit check and markings for design lines. Use accessible materials and simple sewing to create a body-double dress form that opens the door to your best-fitting garments!

Judy Jackson

Judy Jackson has been teaching fashion design and theater costuming for more than 30 years. She's an instructor in the fashion departments at City College of San Francisco and Canada College in Redwood City, California, where she enjoys sharing her love of patternmaking, draping and design. Judy is involved in many local theater companies, where she both designs and constructs costumes for the stage. She has also published research in the area of computerized pattern-drafting methods.

Judy Jackson

Bonus materials available after purchase

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