Projects « Offspring

Customizing a Tailors Dummy (Padding Out)

12 May 2011 2 Comments

Materials:
Approx 1m 8oz wadding
1m 4oz wadding (optional)
4 large dishcloths or roll of stockinette
1 bag of toy stuffing
Curved needle
3 reels of upholstery thread
Approx 1.5m heavy calico or ticking
Approx 10m narrow, black cotton tape

My dressform has always been a source of deep dissatisfaction to me because it just isn’t possible to get it to represent my shape. I have a narrow back and chest, next to no bum and a full bust. Oh, and the nasty, loopy, plushy nylon fabric gives me hangnails.

Another big annoyance was that all the places I wanted to place a pin were represented by gaps. Centre front, back and side seams all gaps, not tapes. There was no point in buying a Stockman or K&L as I would be paying for something which represented the average form, which I was not.

So I decided to modify my existing dummy. The first step was to cover the existing dummy in stockinette so I had something easy into which to anchor some stitches.

Dummy covered in stockinette

Next I placed one of my bras onto the dummy, secured it firmly and stuffed it out with toy stuffing. A full cup bra is best for this. I then covered the bra area with another layer of stockinette and padded out any gaps. I used some tape to hold down the stockinette close to the body.

The next step is to encase the whole dummy with layers of 8oz wadding, cut in a sort of princess line to mould around the bust. I drew up the pieces tightly and stitched them together to form a tight casing. Using a curved needle I sewed small stitches across the whole surface of the wadding, drawing it in flatter, compressing the fibres and giving a springier, firmer base into which I could pin.

Sewing down the first layer of wadding.

Extra contours were built up with patches sewn on, added to and drawn down with stitching until the correct shape and dimension was reached. It is essential to keep measuring so that you’re sure that the inches are going on the right places. An extra inch may not need to be put on all around. I made a mistake with mine in that it just looked, at one stage, much, much too barrel shaped. I am quite slender from the side and this wasn’t. Realising I had overestimated my ‘mummy tummy’ I took some off there and added the extra to the sides of my waist instead.

I created the mummy tummy by sewing on a circular patch, leaving the top edge open and stuffing with toy stuffing before sewing the pouch shut at the top. This was then stitched down and formed just the right bump.

Once I had the wadding all in place I added a second layer in 4oz wadding, lightly secured in place at the seams. Unlike the first layer it does not need to be compressed by stitching across it. This is because the first layer was intended to give a springy but substantial layer into which I could drive pins but this second layer was to smooth out any unevenness and create a looser, more spongy layer that could easily be compressed by my ‘tight lacing’ the outer shell.

This second layer should leave the dummy an inch or two bigger than the finished size. This is necessary because the cover will be drawn in and stitched very tightly, pulling the form in a little further so if it is not to end up too small, it must reach this stage slightly too large.

This in place, progress ground to a halt while I made some decisions about how best to approach the outer shell. Traditionally the method for this style of dummy is to wrap loads and loads of wadding (kapok,or cotton wool) around the dummy, make the shell as a tight toile fitted to the body and then padded out with more kapok to make it solid.

I have instructions for this method in an old needlework book but the finished item features a flattened mono-bosom rather than the cross-your-heart, lifted and separated silhouette I needed for mine. I make a lot of v-neck and cross-over garments so it is vital for me to be able to see where my sternum lies if I am not to end up with garments gaping at the neck.

I had to find an alternative method and this caused me a lot of headaches. Firstly, I wanted to cover the bust as two independent hemispheres with the sternum drawn down tight. I decided to base the cover on a princess line as I could then shape the panels to cope with the bust issue. I started by drafting a basic bodice block according to my measurements. My bust is large so requires much wider darts going into the waist seam than those which go from waist to hip so I always draft my bodice block to the waist only and do from waist to hip separately, as a skirt block.

Using my own measurements gave me a very odd armhole which I had to override and redraw according to common sense and after the first toile I also moved the bust point and shoulder dart.

Sometimes you just have to use some common sense.

Next, I created a second block based on this but with the armhole dart closed and pivoted into join the waist dart. I chose to swing it here rather than split it between shoulder and waist as because of my bust size my waist is comparatively close to my bust line so an exaggerated dart would be very helpful for gaining the close fitting silhouette I desired.

I then created a princess block from this draft and married the skirt block into it so I ended with eight hip-length panels plus a little extra to turn under and take a drawstring for closing it under the bottom edge of the dummy. Then I cut out the pieces and stitched them together, leaving one of the side seams open which would be hand stitched once the cover was in place on the dummy. I would then hand-stitch the other seams again with a curved upholstery needle and strong, upholstery thread, pulling the cover tighter by so doing.

I wasn’t happy with the central, waist section – I had adjusted the shoulder and neck quite a bit so whilst the length was fine at the front it now needed a little extra length at the back. So rather than go out and buy more calico and start again I cut the cover in half at the waist, moved the bottom half down a little and then added a new section around the middle and stitched and shaped it into place. I had to do quite a lot of yanking and dragging and strong stitching and my panel seams were far from the perfectly even ones you see on the professional dummies but I kept the stitches small and closely spaced and eventually my little Frankenstein’s Monster came together.

I have added narrow black cotton tape to the construction lines so that I can pin and drape with confidence. My dummy resembles me in proportions, in dimensions and most important of all, in balance front-to-back. At last I can model garments on the stand which I can personally wear.

The finished dummy.

Front close up.

Back of the dummy.

Side view of dummy.

Copyright HA Lewington 2011

Dragonflies & Embroidered Ric-Rac Toddler Outfit

14 Feb 2011 Leave a Comment

by Offspring in Projects

I’m afraid that this project was done in a bit of a hurry. That doesn’t mean that the quality was stinted upon but it does mean that I was not able to stop and photograph each stage.

Some of the extra time spent on this was on account of having to travel to get fabric and further time was spent drafting basic blocks for a three year old and from them drafting patterns…all the while dealing with the very eager intervention of a 33-month-old child!

The finished outfit

The outfit was designed for a little girl’s third birthday. She was born eight weeks premature and is quite short and petite so whilst I knew that a standard size 3 clothing would almost certainly swamp her I wanted to design something which would fit her both now and through the forthcoming summer and be versatile enough for all of the seasons in between.

So, with this in mind I decided to make a tunic-style pinafore, slightly flared at the sides. It is sleeveless, is short enough to serve her well as a short pinafore over tights and a long sleeved t-shirt yet when she grows taller can also be worn as a sleeveless tunic over the matching cropped trousers I have made in the same fabric. To add one last piece of versatility to the outfit I made a simple skirt in a contrasting fabric and picked out the colours from the main fabric in rows of embroidered, ric-rac satin stitch sewn in parallel bands around the hem.

The three pieces can be worn together (the ric rac embroidery is fully visible below the level of the pinafore hem) or in any combination. It is all very reminiscent of some favourite “mix-and-match” separates which my mother bought for me when I was about four. The colours were shocking pink and white, both as plain fabrics and as a sort of chequered tartan pattern incorporating both. I had a tunic top in the pattern, a pair of white trousers and a pink skirt. Before you question my mother’s sense in putting her tomboy daughter in white trousers I must stress that this was 1970 and the fabric was crimplene!

I ummed and ahhhhed for a long time over fabric. The little girl is half Indian, half white british so has café au lait complexion, huge dark eyes and hair which though very dark brown shows, in sunlight, the most gorgeous auburn highlights. Her mother quite rightly shudders at the preponderance of shocking pink, mid pink, lilac, sugar pink or all shades pallid in girlswear and opts where possible for strong, jewel shades, especially reds and oranges.

The fabric which caught my eye had bright dragonflies in jewel shades and this really seemed to reflect R’s personality but then came the choice of backing shade as it came in several, most of them strong such as orange, yellow, turquoise and ultramarine but the dragonflies seemed dull against these strong shades and I opted instead for the cream background which really showed them off best. I then selected a plain cotton in a contrasting shade with which to line the garments and add accents. I chose a strong, egg-yolk yellow of a shade and intensity only usually seen in free range eggs or Birds Custard Powder when mixed with that first tablespoon of cold milk.

Because the pattern is busy and the little girl small, I elected for as simple a design as possible. Sleeveless, slightly flared and with a “Norman Arch” shaped neck front and back. The back and front were completely plain.

The tunic was fully lined in the plain cotton.

The trousers were cut with the lining extra long, with a whole extra section grown on which would fold up onto the right side and then be hemmed and topstitched in place to form a deep, contrasting cuff. As usual the Singer 201k did me proud with its tiny, evenly tensioned stitches, its superior feed and clear view of the stitch line. I have yet to tire of marvelling at its ability to sew slowly and consistently even though it is teetering on the edge of uneven layers. I also used it to understitch and top stitch the sleeve and neck edges of the tunic – this topstitching was less than 2mm from the edge and was faultless.

The ric-rac embroidered skirt was made from some cream twill. I used my Bernina 830 Record Electronic to do the embroidery and as usual it was perfect. Even so, I went back to the 201k to do the French seam. It seems to treat the fabric with more respect – less punchy.

Incidentally I used the smallest of my back-clamping hemmers to do the hem on the pinafore and its lining. The hems were slightly curved and I wasn’t entirely happy that the rolled hem foot would deal nicely with the thickness of fabric. The back-clamping hemmer was wonderful. Like the rolled hemmer the fabric still needs to be guided or fed into the foot as the hem is being formed but because the hemmer feeds in the fabric much further in advance than the rolled hemmer it was much easier to control this and get it right.

The finished outfit.

The trousers and underskirt.

The lined tunic.

The fully lined trousers.

The underskirt with ric-rac embroidered hem.

The ric-rac hems on the underskirt and pinafore linings and the small hem done with the hemmer.

Close up of ric-rac embroidery.

Close-up of topstitch quality on trouser turn-ups.

Kate’s Pinafore

04 Dec 2010 Leave a Comment

by Offspring in Projects

I have finally finished the little pinafore ensemble I have been working on as a present for my friend’s daughter who will shortly celebrate her first birthday.

The Finished Outfit

Just to recap, the fabric I chose was a cotton velvet in a cool green shade and some matching glazed cotton to line it.

I did, in fact, make the garment reversible so all of the construction stitches are hidden by bagging out the lining and main fabrics and joining the two at the waist seam which is then concealed by braid or ribbon.

The Pinafore skirts are formed from four identical, rectangular panels pleated and set into the bodice. First of all, I prepare the skirt sections by sewing the fabrics right sides together along the side and bottom seams, leaving the waist seam open. I do the same with the bodice sections, sewing up the side seams, the shoulder seams (fronts and backs are later slip-stitched together invisibly and covered in braid/ribbon) and down the neckline and centre front.

You will, at this point, have four identical bodice sections and four identical skirt ones. Trim the seam allowances close to the sewing line, turn the pieces right side out and press.

Now, set the pleats. I do this mainly be eye, with a tape measure to help me get them exact. When I’m happy with the way they are sitting I pin them in place, trim off any excess which sticks up above the top edge and sew along close to the sewing line to fix their position. I then set this top edge of the skirt section up in to the bodice section, turning the bodice seam allowance up into the inside and pinning it in place. I then sew the two together and repeat these same steps for the other three sections.

The pleats set out ready for stitching

Skirt section pinned into bodice ready to sew

That’s just about it for the pinafore. The rest is just decoration. I chose a dusky pink velvet ribbon which I sewed around the neckline, the shoulder seams and along the waist seam. I hand stitched a whipped running stitch in vintage DMC Perle cotton to add a seaside-rock pink accent and stitched some hand embroidered flowers and foliage along the ribbon at the waist. The sections are caught together where the ribbon meets and the front and back are embellished with a hand made button whipped with the same DMC threads as are used in the embroidery.

The matching bloomers and optional skirt frill are worked in the same glazed cotton as was used for lining the pinafore and are trimmed with the same velvet ribbon.

Bloomers!

Optional skirt frill

Close-up of embroidery

Front detail

Splayed out to show sectional construction

Close-up of bodice

The finished outfit

All content copyright HA Lewington 2010.

Pinafore Progress

25 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment

by Offspring in Projects

This is coming along well, although as is usual with me it is developing rather than progressing towards a pre-conceived conclusion. This is undoubtedly why I’ve never bought a pattern in my life – I can’t rigidly follow a set of instructions as I am too fond of inventing improvements along the way.

In the case of this, the two main “improvements” are reversibility and expandability. The first I am still undetermined over; much depends on my coming up with a design which I am happy with although again as I write this I think I have reached a conclusion about that. The lining will be embroidered in blue forget-me-knots I think. That will give a completely different ‘look’ to the main fabric which is a cool green velvet, trimmed with dusky pink velvet ribbon and whipped running stitch in a glossy, cotton ‘Perle’ DMC thread in seaside-rock pink.

I cannot settle on any of the buttons I have but have have an idea which involves washers so I must head into town today in search of fibre washers. We will have to wrap up very warmly though because it is snowing here in North Yorkshire and I think I will be grateful for the sensible boots I bought on Monday. Ugg boots would be a complete waste of money for me; I spend too much time tramping through mud and dampness so these are like an extended galosh; rubber foot section extending up to mid-calf with a draw-string cordura upper and as they are fleece lined they are every bit as snug as an Ugg but practical for puddles and snow and much easier to walk in than wellies.

Right, I’m off to make a shopping list. I also need a tiny crochet hook.

Mix and Match Separates

20 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment

by Offspring in Projects

Today’s project is the beginnings of an outfit for a dear little girl who will shortly celebrate her first birthday. It has to come out of my existing stash because I can’t afford any new fabric at present and because 90% of my stash is creams, beiges and white linens and cottons this is a bit of a challenge as I really want to make something which is pretty but also practical and warm.

I’ve decided on a deep jade glazed cotton and a matching cotton velvet and want to make a little mini-dress length pinafore in velvet, to be worn with matching cotton knickers, a little ruffled skirt, or both.

The green is a very pretty, cool shade but as it is quite a strong colour nevertheless I will be tempering it with some cool, mid pinks in my hand embroidery to add a bit of ‘prettiness’ and notch up the good-taste a little but without altering the overall practicality of the garments.

I will post some progress, together with photos, as I get the chance to move forward with this.

A Little Cotton Shirt

07 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment

by Offspring in Projects

This is the little cotton shirt I made for a friend’s baby boy for his first birthday present. The fabric was cream poplin, the buttons were vintage linen laundry buttons from my stash.

The pintucking on the front bodice section.

Shaping the front neck by eye.

Shaping the back neck.

Piecing the shirt.

Pinning and basting the collar.

The finished shirt.

Embellished Wedding Shoes

07 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment

by Offspring in Projects

Here are the shoes I embellished for my wedding. With the help of hand stitching and a glue gun I secured pieces of guipure lace across the tops and the tongues of the shoes, added a few tiny little clear and pearl beads and added some colour accents in pale salmon pink Pearsalls silk floss from my step great grandmother’s stash.

My Wedding Shoes

The shoes with a small drawstring bag I made to match them using tulle over wide satin ribbon, organza ribbon and more of the lace, embroidery and beading.

Detail of the lace, embroidery and beading.

A Handmade, Linen Christening Outfit

07 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment

by Offspring in Projects

This is my son’s christening outfit. It was totally handmade from approximately a metre of pure, white linen, ten matching mother-of-pearl baby buttons from my grandmothers stash (Dad’s side) and embroidered with ivory and grey Pearsall silk floss from my step-great grandmother’s stash (Mother’s side).

The shirt is made entirely from squares and rectangles, the sole exception being a slight slant put on the shoulders. The shoulders themselves have a yoke, from which hangs a placketed front and back bodice worked with pintucking, fastened with small rouleaux loops and tiny, mother-of-pearl buttons. The collar is, like the bodice, exactly the same front and back and is set across the shoulders to fold back down upon itself across them. The sleeves are square set, with diamond gussets to allow the arm some movement and there are small, triangular gussets strengthening the bottom of the side seams also. All visible seams are made by the French Seam method. Top stitching was done as a whipped running stitch in embroidery floss.

A little pair of shorts with turned-up cuffs decorated with whipped running stitch completed the outfit.