Dressform, Part Three and Getting There!

What you see here is the completed cover but totally unpadded. That will happen shortly but I thought I would share a few construction points first.

The cover is princess seamed, something I had to makeup myself on Vogue's muslin pattern. I would suggest using a princess seamed  sheath dress pattern as an easier way to start this project. Hindsight it  twenty twenty, you know!

The question of how I did this alone has been brought up. I didn't. Hubby was indispensable, particularly in helping to find my waist. When the bodice was complete I sewed the zipper in the center back seam. It extended a good nine inches beyond the bodice waist. I would deal with that later. Then I put on a black elastic cord tied around my waist and wore it while I finished up the skirt section. When the skirt was done, still with the bodice and elastic on, I had DH mark where the black cord was every two inches with a red frixion pen. This would come out once ironed. He got it spot on, bless his heart. You can see his wonderful work in the next photo.  That's the elastic cord on the right and the zipper bottom is hiding underneath.

Once my waistline was established I pressed under the waistline seam allowance 5/8ths of an inch all around the skirt section.

Then the fold of the skirt waistband was matched up with his marks. I topstitched the skirt in place. It was a perfect fit so I knew he got the waistband right! Yahoo! After topstitching I also zigzagged the same seamline for a bit of insurance. This is ravelly fabric and the zipper and waistline got extra protection. 

Then I found the end zipper stop and marked the seamline. I stitched the skirt closed from there down. Now I could install the final leg of the zipper.
  Double stick Wonder Tape was really helpful here. Now the zipper was complete and I could give it a fitting on the form. That is what you see in the first two pictures.

I have wide hips and they cut back in at my thighs. My dress form wasn't long enough to accommodate this change in shape and I felt it was important. Let's say if I wanted to make a pencil skirt, this shape would matter. Plus I had to figure out how to end the bottom of the cover. It couldn't just hang there. I wanted a longer dress form. DH came up with the idea of some heavy corrugated cardboard and duct tape. He helped me wrap a ring of the cardboard around the bottom of the form to get the right length. This would be impossible without two people. Once I got it on, paying particular attention that the bottom edge was parallel to the floor, I cut darts in the cardboard ring. I cut slits almost to the bottom edge and starting duct taping everything tight as could be. Now what you see is pretty nasty but it will be filled out with batting so I am not worried. And, I've got my longer length. Now I can run a drawstring in the bottom of the form and pull it up snug and tie it off once it is all padded.

 Cross your fingers for the next phase.....Bunny