Monday 13 February 2012

Babs has arrived!!

Well - here she is. My dress form Barbara - Babs for short. She was only ordered on Friday and here she is! Now that is service! I like the fact that she seams to have a low bust line - I will have to measure to see how much I need to alter but she isn't a "perky" young thing which is good.



I have called her Barbara as I get called Barbara all the time. It is not my name. Now Barbara is a nice name - perfectly respectable - just not my name. I have no idea why people insist on calling me Barbara. I even had a student that I have been teaching once a month for 8 months now call me Barbara last week. So I figured my "twin" should be called Barbara.


I had to operate on her so I have split her ribs. I was going to buy the Fantastic Fit system and had actually ordered it - however the order didn't go through so I don't know whether to buy it now or just pad her with wadding from Spotlight. It is the waiting that will kill me!

I also need to work out how to use the hemmy thingy.


Here she is wearing one of my RTW dresses/


I have been told I can't use her until my birthday which is still a few weeks away. And OF COURSE I will not use her until my birthday - I WILL have to pad her out then test the padding by testing a pattern or two on her - just to make sure it all works of course!


Progress on the red dress:

I have sewed the front and back fabric and lining but haven't put it together. I am trying to work out how to do it and make it work. I have looked at a few tutorials on lining a sleeveless dress but I need to ponder it a bit more. I really miss my sewing teacher!

I have also realised why we need pressing aids. I watched the Palmer Pletch DVD on jacket making and they have all of these pressing tools. I though - NAH - all you need is an iron and a board - but jeeze I could have used the tailors ham and the seam roll for the bust and darts and seams. So I may just need to order them.

Does anyone else use hams and rolls or do you just do with the board?
Until next time.

5 comments:

  1. Dressform looks good! I need to pad mine up a bit more and put a cover over her.
    I use my sleeve board the most for pressing and my tailors ham, only used my seam roll a couple of times. My sleeve board is an old school wooden base one so I tend to use that as a clapper too, but I'd love to get a proper point presser and clapper :)

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  2. Congrats on getting Barb! I will follow with interest how your padding goes.

    I love my pressing tools - ham, sleeve roll and clapper and use them all the time.

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  3. Hey thanks for coming by my blog! :) One of these times I'd like to get a dress form. Somewhere down the road I will! Where did you order yours from?

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  4. Babs looks wonderful!! You will enjoy working with her so much.I really find using a ham great when ironing a jacket shoulder area or blouse, nothing works as well for pressing and keeping the rounded shape. Hope your red dress is coming along well, looked like you did some great fitting adjustments.

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  5. so jealous of your dress form - perhaps I should put this on my birthday list 10 months away.
    strange to be called Barbara though - lol.

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