How to DIY a Bootstrap Dress Form ? Or attempting to alter a blouse while you’re wearing it? Well, I’ve been there, and I finally decided it was time to create my own DIY dress form using Bootstrap Fashion.
2024: Today, we have access to customizable patterns like those from Bootstrap Fashion. These allow us to create dress forms that exactly match our measurements, combining the best of traditional sewing techniques with modern technology.
That’s when I discovered Bootstrap Fashion, recommended by a fellow sewist in my local crafting group. This website is a game-changer, allowing you to input your measurements for a dress form or any pattern they offer. It’s truly the pinnacle of pattern customization!
How to DIY a Bootstrap Dress Form
So, let me walk you through how I created my own dress form to match my exact dimensions, and even added two arms to it. Get ready for a detailed Bootstrap Fashion guide!
DIY Dress Form vs. Dress Form Cover
Bootstrap Fashion offers two main options for DIY dress forms. I’ll break them down for you:
1. Full Dress Form: This option allows you to create a dress form from scratch using either your custom measurements or standard industry measurements for various sizes. Once sewn, it’s stuffed and mounted on a stand or pole.
2. Dress Form Cover: This choice creates a custom cover to fit over an existing dress form. Since I already had a dress form (albeit too small), this is the route I chose. It was more budget-friendly and required less stuffing.
Bootstrap Fashion Guide: Ordering and Checkout
The key to getting an accurate product is precise measurements. I enlisted my sister’s help to measure me multiple times for accuracy. Remember, imperfect measurements lead to imperfect results! Thankfully, Bootstrap Fashion provides a detailed measurement guide to follow.
Before placing my order for the dress form and arms, I requested a preview. I entered all my measurements and added seam allowances (3/8″) to have that information on the pattern as well. This preview option is excellent as you get the sewing lines for the actual pattern too.
Within 15 minutes of ordering, the preview pattern for my DIY dress form cover and arms arrived in my inbox. After confirming everything looked good, I proceeded to order the actual pattern.
One minor inconvenience is that Bootstrap Fashion only accepts PayPal or gift cards for payment. While I prefer using my credit card for online purchases, I fortunately had a PayPal account from my Etsy selling days.
Once I placed the order, the full pattern arrived in my email within 20 minutes. Time to start sewing!
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How to Sew a DIY Dress Form Cover from Bootstrap Fashion
I decided to tackle the dress form cover first before attempting the arms. For fabric, I chose a medium-weight cotton twill with minimal stretch. I had a few yards in my stash, making this the perfect destashing project.
My dress form pattern was 18 pages when printed. I noticed a few spots where seam allowances were missing from the page, but adding 3/8″ to those pattern pieces wasn’t a major issue.
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of my process:
1. I carefully taped all the pattern pieces together.
2. After confirming everything aligned correctly, I cut out the pieces and laid them on my fabric. The entire pattern required just under 2 yards of fabric.
3. I cut out all the fabric pieces and began sewing. I recommend using a walking foot when sewing fabrics with any stretch to ensure even feeding and prevent puckering.
4. Besides your sewing machine (or needle and thread for hand sewing), you’ll need scissors, elastic, stuffing, and an iron for pressing seams.
The instructions were generally easy to follow, though my printout was missing one step. However, the provided diagram of the finished product was clear enough that I probably could have sewn the entire cover without instructions if needed.
One important note: The instructions suggest trying on the cover yourself before putting it on your dress form. Unless you’re using a very stretchy fabric, this isn’t feasible unless you have an unusually small head compared to your neck. I couldn’t even get mine past my forehead!
Instead, I slipped it over my existing dress form and realized I had quite a bit of space to fill.
Stuffing the Dress Form
This was undoubtedly the most challenging part of the process. The instructions recommend using shoulder pads to alter the shape, but this didn’t work well for me at all.
After some trial and error, I found success using polyester fiberfill stuffing from an old throw pillow. I wish I’d started with this method from the beginning – it would have saved me an hour of frustration! It took about 3/4 of a standard throw pillow to fill the empty space.
Throughout the stuffing process, I frequently used my tape measure to ensure I was adding the right amount to each body section. The polyester fiberfill made it much easier to create subtle curves and contours.
What I’d Change for Next Time
While I’m thrilled with my custom dress form, there are a few things I’d do differently if I make another:
1. I’d use a sturdy, woven fabric instead of one with any stretch. To get it over the dress form, I’d add a zipper up the back. This would make stuffing and maintaining the correct proportions much easier.
2. I’d skip the shoulder pads entirely and go straight for polyester fiberfill.
3. Instead of elastic around the base, I’d add extra fabric and a drawstring to fully close the area and prevent stuffing from falling out.
4. I’d consider adding a layer of quilt batting over the stuffing for a smoother finish.
Adding Arms to the Dress Form
After completing the form cover, I moved on to creating the arms. I decided to make both arms for symmetry. For these, I used a medium-weight cotton canvas with no stretch.
The process for each arm took about 2.5 hours from printing to stuffing. Sewing the arms was surprisingly more intricate than the dress form itself and required some hand sewing (which I usually try to avoid!).
I’m happy to report that all measurements were spot-on, and the arms looked just like mine – minus the freckles and plus a few odd polyester fiberfill “bulges”! I attached the arms to my dress form using long, sturdy pins, inserting them into the original form beneath the cover for stability.
Final Thoughts
Creating a DIY dress form cover (with arms!) to fit over my existing dress form was a game-changer for my sewing room. While there are a few tweaks I’d make for future versions, I’m thoroughly impressed with this pattern from Bootstrap Fashion.
The measurements of the finished form matched my submitted measurements perfectly, and I wholeheartedly recommend this pattern to anyone looking to create a custom dress form. Happy sewing!