Replies

1. 
   jatman | Oct 15, 2006 02:45pm | #1

   I'm so excited for you!  I just got my first dress form a couple of months ago.  It's like the one you didn't get that you posted the site for.  I bought it used from e-bay.  I've used it mostly to hang, hem and just get a feel for how things look and drape.  So far, I've been glad to have it even if I haven't taken full advantage of using it for fitting things.  Next I probably need to name her....

   Have fun!

   JT

1. 
   Jazzy_Maxine | Oct 17, 2006 04:35am | #3

   Thank you JT and Mary... unless I'm just too busy using my new dress form I will be sure to post feedback. I'm going to report regarding everything right from delivery to opening the box and from there on... I do that. It's important to me that people know about companies that I purchase from. Good or Bad.

   I can barely contain myself waiting till Thursday. I think that's a reasonable period of time btw for mail order delivery of just about anything. I ordered it last Friday. If it went out on Fri then I may even get it Wed.

   Speaking of naming her. I think I should name her Maxine. Since I'm not really Maxine then I think she should be really Maxine.... lol

   Thanks you guys, for your support and indulging me

   Maxine

1. 
   Becky-book | Oct 17, 2006 03:36pm | #4

   I also purchased a dress form recently.  I call her 'Rosie' because she is a reddish burgundy color!!  She has been helpful, but one of her 'helps' was to show me just how far forward I now hold my shoulders (she stands up nice and straight).  So don't forget to check out all your fitting changes on your own body!  She does help with the preliminary fitting (getting the hip line big enough!!) She may even encourage me to work harder at loosing this extra weight so I can dial her size down a bit!! LOL

   Happy sewing,

   Becky

1. 
   Jazzy_Maxine | Oct 22, 2006 10:28am | #5

   She's here! My dress form! I got her yesterday. One day later than the sales girl said but that's ok. I called on Thurs and talked to another girl in customer service. She was awesome too. she said it would be here on Fri and it was. She gave me a tracking number which I checked with ups and there it was. I was so happy. I will order from them again without a doubt.

   Well I named her Maxine. She doesn't have much in the curve department. I guess you could refer to me as having Dolly/JLo attributes and she certainly doesn't. Someone posted that they had the same problem/uh blessing... however you want to look at that.

   So... After adjusting and measuring I put a bra on her and padded it. Measurement was good. Then I went to Walmart and for $3. I got a pair of full panties. (because I don't own any lol)I took her off the stand, slid those on from the bottom and they come all the way to the waist except in the front. I put her on my work table and am in the process of creating hips and a butt from sheets of batting folded in different shapes. Mostly squares, triangles and rectangles. It seems to be working well. She needs a butt crack though. hee hee...  I think after I get all the measurements correct I will stretch a piece of elastic around her from the front to the back and create one. I'm bound and determined to get her to be as close to  me as possible... After I get all that done I will have to cut a hole in the panties and put her back on the stand. I may make a cover then cause she looks really funny now with the panties and bra. I don't know why I care but I do. Maybe it's just distracting.

   I am so excited now. I have so many things to create and now I can do that accurately.

   I didn't talk about this before but I joined this and a couple of other forums to learn about things like this and sewing and reconstructing existing clothing. See I have a closet full of stuff and well... nothing to wear. I have some great things but I am either tired of them, they don't fit, they're out of style... something. So I vowed not to shop for any new clothing. Instead I got Maxine and did some research and decided to re-do my wardrobe. If something doesn't fit or I just won't wear it for some reason then I either make or incorporate it into something else, use the fabric if it's cool or get rid of it. I intend to go through everything I own on this mission. I am documenting it so I can look back and ... oh I don't know... just look back on all my old stuff I guess...

   Thanks everyone for reading my post. I just go on and on when I am happy with or excited about something.

   Remember here's the website for where I got Maxine

   http://store.atlantathread.com/index.html  I highly recommend them. I need to stock up on things like zippers and thread so I will be checking their site soon for stuff like that... I will give them as much business as I can.

   Maxine

1. 
   Becky-book | Oct 23, 2006 02:47pm | #6

   Good for you!!

   About the cover for 'Maxine' ... good idea!  I took one of my summer dresses that buttons up the front and put it on 'Rosie'; she may have the use of it until spring.  I have a teenage son and did not want a half naked 'woman' standing around the house!!

   I need to dig around in my stash of old shoulder pads and find something to 'fix' Rosie's shoulders!

   Happy sewing,

   Becky

2. 
   Jazzy_Maxine | Oct 24, 2006 08:36am | #7

   ha ha... good idea... I had more along the lines of a body suit in mind. But then I don't have any puberty aged young men around to protect ... or should I say "influence, inspire"  lol.  Just me and my fiance.  I tried a body suit on her that I had but it wasn't a good fit. It wouldn't pull all the way in at the waist. Too tight and not enough spandex. I'll find something else though. She's just so cool to have. I tried one of my wip's on her as soon as I got her padded. She's going to work just fine. It's so cool to have 'youself' standing right there in front of yourself to work on stuff. It makes everything sooo much easier.

   Maxine is a maroon color. I thought she was going to be black like the picture. I don't care I guess. I'm thinking of making her a head. I have a couple of old wig heads and some wigs. I think she's going to end up looking like another member of the family.. lol

   Thanks Becky and everyone for the advice and feedback

   Maxine

3. 
   MaryinColorado | Oct 31, 2006 11:52am | #8

   Sounds like you are right on track with Maxine!  My dressform seems to embarrass my family but since she lives in the sewing room, that's not my problem.  Lately it seems too time consuming to "dress" and "undress" her unless it is for a work in progress.   She wears a flesh colored nylon lycra bodysuit that snaps at the "rise" and a white padded bra.  Lots of padding as "Lola" has been around since I was a size five from head to toe.  She has really "matured" along with me, though, aside from the padding, is in excellent shape.  She loves hats and boas or scarves that are easily slipped on and off.  She is such a tramp!

   I love the idea of a wigform and wig.  An artist friend once gave me a paper mache life size "grannie" which I kept in a rocking chair by the window, fully clothed.  I felt safer as it always looked as if someone was home.

4. 
   ctirish | Nov 03, 2006 07:04am | #9

   How do you like Maxine now? I just saw the post and have been thinking about a roommate for a while.  Instead of a body suit you should go for a nice silk tedddie. Or maybe a camisole and a thong...I am not sure how she would look in the living room. She could start some rumors.

    I don't have much room and my sewing is split between my den/spare/office/sewing room and my dining area of my living room.  My dining room table is my cutting table and I just bought these blocks you put under beds to raise them, I am going to try them on the table so it is a better height for cutting..  You had been talking about Maxine's  waist. Are you able to get her to match your dimensions?  If I buy one I want to able to get her to be as close to me as possible. Is there a way to give her legs so you can check how pants will fit on you? I know you have the hips and the waist, but my thighs are very thin and things seem to hang plus the length of pants is always an issue for me.

   In another post we had talked about the black tape we saw on Project Runway and evidently you get this tape and mark a lot of parts of her. Things like CF,CB, shoulder, I can't remember the list.  I am wondering how much work it is to get her all set up so she can be a help to you.  Thanks

2. 
   MaryinColorado | Oct 16, 2006 08:34pm | #2

   I think you will get lots of use out of it, enjoy!  Thanks for the great website! Mary