Super fast duct tape dummie class

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

I am doing stuff...really! I got my duct tape dummie pretty much in working order this weekend and helped BBB make one as well. I got my Friday skirt done and my Sunday fabric all in one place, and the design all firmly in mind. Only two outfits and a blouse to do. I have a huge energy sap commitment this whole week I am teaching the crafts portion of VBS at church for 45 preschoolers. Needless to say its tones of fun but by four oclock I am wiped out and sleeping really well at night! LOL So the sewing this week might be sluggish (I do my best work on the weekends anyway)

Sooooo

To build a duct tape dummie you need
3-4 rolls of duct tape (this is for the pretty colors they have less yardage. If you go silver you can get two big rolls.)

a BIG tshirt...it needs to come down well past the widest part of your bottom

a piece of scrap fabric to wrap around the neck, because the wide neck of the BIG tshirt will not get close enough to your neck.

I suggest you go potty now and dont drink too much water!

Good sharp scissors at the end.

First you want to get dress in all the victorian underware that you normally wear under a dress. Then put your big Tshirt over all that.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

The next thing you do it wrap the waist in tape and this is done firmly...because you have a corset on does not mean you cant pull too tight, particularly if you have a hubby helping who cant use the words duct tape and gently in the same sentence. Remember that your making a modle of yourself...not yourself smooshed.

But the waist is one area you do want to be firm with. Pull down on your shirt as much as possible here, or it will ride way up as you tape.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

I know I am not an all american dad...but since he got such good new toys this year Matthew was willing to donate an old Fathers day gift to the cause.

Next you want to work your way down to the widest part of the hip. You are looking for the tape to be level on the bottom and dont pull tightly as you tape. A good way to keep this from happening is to pull no more than 18 inch strips of tape off at a time. This way you have to lay them on and not pull. Firmly attach them without smooshing.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Now you want to have three layers total all over...I find it is easiest to do this as I go instead of work my way over the entire shape three times...so what you see is at least two layers of tape here, the third is added as you finish and stuff...as needed.

So now we begin working from the waist up....here is where all the attention to deatil counts.

You want work up from the waist to right under the bust...and also cover the back.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

opps attach photo.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

ok that was the fabric around the neck I was talking about...seems my photographer daughter missed a few minutes in the middle.

You also want to make sure you get right up under the arm and as clsoe to the arm scyth as possible all the way around to give your dummie nice shoulders.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Matt and I look really happy dont we? Its sorta funny because we were joking and laughing the whole time ( well most of the time...we are pretty happy people! ) We seem to photgraph gouchy though...I need to take the Fannie posing class and develope my *there is a camaera pointed at you so smile* awareness.

Aother photo of the arm area...just take your time and keep all of the tape as smooth as possible...wrinkles are not good.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

more arm...while doing the bust be VERY carefull not to smoosh...work under the arm up the side of the chest then lay tape across the bust carefully covering it in three good layers...all nice and smooth. Curvy areas need smaller pices of tape. Dont make yourself crazy trying to wrap an 18 inch pice of tape around a bust curve. Cut them down to 4-6 inches.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

lets try that again...are you starting to look something like this? If so you are nearly done.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

The back will be comming along nicely as well.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

its usually at about this stage that I start haveing visions of going bravely into battle or surviving a day of painball with Matthew un-bruised. Sadly it also has the plate armor lack of mobility to go with it.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

oh and that face its not grouchy its half asleep! LOL! Ok so by now you are all well taped and have three good strong layers to support your figure and all. You may feel the desire to whine are we done yet? Or some other equally peevish comment...but I reccomend you take as dep a breath as you can and bare up a little more, because your taping partner as about to wield some seriously sharp scissors up your spine...and you dont want them feeling put out with you!

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Ok now to keep your dummie nice and straight after you cut it off you. You will need a Sharpie marker to make a straight line down your back...cross it with several hash marks or registration marks you can use to line up when you are taping the dummine back together.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Now your partner is going to cut you free...placing thier hand under the tape and keeping it there the WHOLE TIME they are cutting is key. their hand helps them feel their way along and keeps your corset strings in tact, and your skin too. I recommend you not be wearing any necklaces. Ghinger scissors can go through gold like butter...as my mom in law found out when we made hers.

Deep breath....breath way out...cut.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

your nearly there...that crunching sound is tape...relax you have done a great job!

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

this might feel like th elongest two minutes of your life but just think of all the draping you can try now!!

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

at the very last your cutter may find it easier to go from top down for the last bit.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Wahoo...peel out of that thing and take a potty break and have some chocolate you both deserve it!!

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

happiness is taking off a duct tape dummie mold!

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

After HOW I will go over the stuffing and pole building and all....its definatly a two part process...but I like to use PVC as a cross bar through the shoulders then the pol simple mounts on a normal adjustible stand I have. You could also use the bottom of a large standing umbrella stand/holder they are weighted nicely and often decorative!

[maisondeverneur]

Oh my god this is fascinating!!! You can't stop now - it isn't finished!!! When's HOW???

[Ida Hands]

lets try that again...are you starting to look something like this? If so you are nearly done.

If I looked something like that I wouldn't be worrying if Lowe's has enough duct tape to cover me! :lool You even look great in duct tape! (Do we have a jealousy emotie?)http://georgehernandez.com/h/xComputers/Communicating/eSpeak/media/y6/46.gif
You do some of the BEST CLASSES! :ty

[Lady Fleur]

Ida ys wanna do them together!!

[Kitty Phann]

Yeah!!! A million thank -yous, GG!!!!!
:jp

Kitty , who is going to have a new duct-tape dummy and doing the happy dance!!!!

[Ida Hands]

Ida ys wanna do them together!!

That would be FUN! :tban

[Chantilly]

:ty :ty


Chantilly (who needs a dummy!)

[Lady Leigh]

That has got to be one of the most interesting things I have ever seen!

Thanks, GG!!!

[Boss Lady]

Wow! What a technique! I don't have a dress form so this will definitely be very helpful. Hopefully Big Jim Dandy won't get carried away with the duct tape when I get him to help. This could get scary! :rofl :rofl

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Really Leigh? you have not seen these? They are a little work but I think I like this method best for sewing for myself. I have a uniquely you and its ok....but I am not 100% happy with it...and I waited a LONG time to get one too. I have had a duct tape dummie for about, goodness 3 years now? This thread gets brought up from time to time, but the old one with lots of photos got lost in a crash I think.

Thanks Boss Lady...you really will find them to be useful!

[Ida Hands]

Ida ys wanna do them together!!

OK, Lady Fleur....WHEN?

[Kitty Phann]

I absolutely adored mine until.... well, let's just say just like me gravity started to take hold. :lool So now it is time to make a new one!

[maisondeverneur]

Really Leigh? you have not seen these? They are a little work but I think I like this method best for sewing for myself. I have a uniquely you and its ok....but I am not 100% happy with it...and I waited a LONG time to get one too. I have had a duct tape dummie for about, goodness 3 years now? This thread gets brought up from time to time, but the old one with lots of photos got lost in a crash I think.

Thanks Boss Lady...you really will find them to be useful!

I've never seen one either Diane - it's a brilliant idea!

GG - I've ALWAYS wanted to say this to you......

IS IT DONE YET????

[Madame Olive Yew]

Great class GG! Thank you.

Ya'll may remember I made one back in November (2006) I used a slightly unothadox method of mounting my dummy. Most ladies either stuff the dummy & mount it on a pole or hanger. I, however, inherited a male form that was used in a store display. His shoulder measurements were the same as mine (what can I say, I've got broad shoulders!) Anyway, I took my duct tapt dummy & mounted her on his form (I guess "Tammy" is a transvestite:lool ) I had to pad out some areas to fit, but she (he?) has served me well. I do have to re-pad part of the chest area as gravity has set in with tammy as well, but all I have to do is un-pin her from the form & re-stuff.

BTW, I dont see why you couldnt do this with any display form. Male or female. (Sometimes stores are willing to sell these when they are going out of business)

Here are some before & after's......

[Madame Olive Yew]

I have since removed the "arms" (hubby got a little over-ambitious)

I have also put a tight fitting T-shirt on her, so that the tape residue does not gunk up my dresses.

[Lady Fleur]

Well here are a few pics of ida hands and i playing DD today!! we made REALLY nice DD's!! Here are a few pics in the process I layered Ida in really thick lol!!

[Lady Fleur]

My lesson of the day.. my ductape double is SMALLER than the SMALLEST settings on my dress makers maniquin.:faint HOW COOL. I had issues getting a bust fit while draping because my shape is WAAAAYY diffrent than the dressmakers form. So i will be making a base....

[Victoria Rose Hyde]

Lady Fleur: you and Ida looked like you were just having too much fun. :ty for sharing those pictures. :tban :tban :tban

[Ida Hands]

Lady Fleur, you need to let them see your DD! It looks GREAT (if I do say so myself)! It is much curvier than your "Lady Gray" in the corner! You should put it on like a bodice and take a photo! You would look wonderful.
By the way, for those interested, I have NEVER had to help someone into a corset before! I can't believe how KLUTZY I am! :faint WOW! That is not an easy feat! My fingers wouldn't cooperate! Thank you, Lady Fleur, for being so patient with me. :waiting... :waiting ...:waiting I am sure it had to be frustrating for her. Now I won't complain so much when someone has to hogtie me into mine! :lool

[Lady Fleur]

After years of men corseting me YOU WERE FINE!!!!
I will show a photo straight up it looks GREAT!!! I need to do my poles!! Hmm tommorow possibly!! I need to pull out my jig saw!!

[Ida Hands]

Well, Lady Fleur.. where is that picture of your DD? We can't wait...but, WAIT! :waiting :lool Love to see it.

[Lady Fleur]

I HAVE A COLD and i am washing and drying thee old pillows to recycle the innards.

[Ida Hands]

Get Well Soon! You've been too much sick lately! Is it the cold your baby girls had earlier? Don't give it to Woodstock!

[Lady Fleur]

THIS OT . Nope TOTALLY NEW. akkkk arianne gave it to me and nathan announced he feels funny the minute i started sneezing 2 days ago.... HMM psychosematic?
He is off to a interview today in cardiff.. Still no work since the beginning of may.... WE NEED income... BAD.

[Ida Hands]

Keeping fingers crossed that the employment situation will soon be righted! Good Luck, Mr. Birdee!

[Lazarus Longshot]

It was raining at Oakwood last Saturday, so Lorelei Longshot, Texas Butterbean, and NoGunz Kay decided it was time for a new duct-tape dummy for Butterbean.....

[NoGunz Kay]

This was Butterbean's second trip inside the duct tape, the first time being wrapped by her husband. It was my first time doing the taping. It took just about three hours and all three of us: the tapee(Bean), the taper(Me), and the tape holder(Lorelei). The next victim, I mean tapee, will be Lorelei.

NGK

[Ida Hands]

VERY NICE, Ladies! VERY NICE! :tban Now we just need DDs and Pictures for the rest of you!

[Tatted Lady]

BTT

I know this has been asked before but...

How do you stuff them?? And with what.

Fiberfill stuffed in a T-shirt or what???

TL

PS I have the dummy made.

[Kitty Phann]

Well I stuff mine with plastic bags. The kind you get from walmart, grocery store, department stores etc Just make sure they are clean as you don't want a stinky dumbie. :rofl

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Great looking dummie ladies!!

I have found that the pretty colored tape is more soft or elastic than the silver and so I think I would have to recommend the silver tape over the colored, it holds a shpe better to my eye.

I keep a paper bag in the sewing room and fabric scraps and threads and even paper and tissue pattern bits go into it (watch you dont throw pins in it) and I use this to stuff my dummie...

[Lady Fleur]

Hey GG did my dd get round filed:lool i know wood stock was not much help:tap BUT ida was great!

[Tatted Lady]

I forgot to post the pic.

The first two layers was the silver tape.

Then the maroon for the third layer.

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

very nice tatted!!

Fluer...umm yes afraid so, I used an adjustible form for your dress instead...it was too crumpled after the mail to behave after stuffed. Goodness that was a long time ago.

[Lady Fleur]

:lool :lool :lool i suspected so! I was hoping it helped on the corset or dress BUT i guess now.. plus unless they are fully stufed to ship i think they melt in transit and really get ruined?? just my opinion..

[Mississippi Rose]

:chick:chickTHANKYOU THANKYOU:chick:chick
I have bees=n stressing so badly over not having a dress form to make these dresses. This is just the answer I needed. Economically it is WONDERFUL!!!
OK so we are going to have a duct tape party here at the Emporium, I already called the ladies and told them to BUY TAPE :D
Thank you so much GG

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

MRose...you are very very welcome! Take a look online for more details about stuffing and mounting these things...the ideas out there are great! You really want to get a lazy susan mechanism and use it in the base of your stand so you can turn your dummie (they are about 3-4$) thats a near must have ability.

I am so glad the good old threads get brought back up for new ladies! This site ROCKS! :tban:ty:tban

[Auntie Bellum]

This has been so timely. Daughter Kate is having to go on independent study as she is allergic to something in the buildings at school (mold?) And she doesn't have enough regular classes to fill her day so she's taking up sewing again. She's been sewing since age 7 and won a best of show at the local fair and went to state at age 10. She is well past the basics so I had thought this was where I would start and she was a little reluctant and didn't understand the whole duct tape dummy. I'll show her the photos and then post when were done.

She is soooo adorable. Sorry, it was a mom moment. And, did I say, she made varsity softball and this is only the second year she has played ever....she can cook, and loves kids. Oops, sounds like a want add for a husband or mother in law. I'll stop now.:lool:lool

[Hailstorm Heather]

Will I did it! Last night I had my sister tape me up she laughed the whole time. She said that she touched part of me that she never wanted to touch again.

My 2 year old niece thought that mommy was hurting Aunt HeHe which I assured her mommy wasn't. Then she asked if I had a boo boo that mommy was trying to fix. You got to love kids.

No one told me that when you cut the off the dummie that you would NEVER want to eat again!!!!!:faint I told my self that I can't be that big! :lalala So no more girl scout cookie for me.

[Mississippi Rose]

What Heather NO PICS????:tap:tap :rofl:rofl Ill be getting Zilar to tape me up...this ought to be interesting handing a man 3 rolls of duct tape and asking him to use it on ya!!!
Not to worry..lol there will be pictures of this. Documentation as you would have it!

[Tiffers]

Well, I am in the middle of a snow day and I'm bored!

I bought 3 rolls (each one is 50metres long) of duct tape yesterday and am wondering if this is enough to cover me in the 3 thicknesses? I want to crack on with this tonight but I dont want to start this if we cant finish it :D

I have a fear of spending the whole night in a taped up corset until Mark can rush out tomorrow to get some more tape! :faint:rofl

Also, could the opening to get me out be made up the side and the shoulder rather than the back? I think I prefer to be able to see where Marks hands and a pair of scissors are!

I think it could be a giggle :D

Tiffers

[Lady Fleur]

just a suggestion what if you had a strip of card board like a wide track up your spine to protect the lacing and you... when he cuts..

[Tiffers]

Yes, the thougt did cross my mind that something like that might work!

Right, I have to pop out in the snow for 10 minutes :D

Tiffers

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

side shoulder cut...Well I don't know for sure because I have never tried it that way, however I think you might find dealing with re-shaping taping the shoulder a bit of a trial.

Just keep your hand in with the back of the hand on the spine and the blade of the scissors on the palm and all will be well. I have never drawn blood...although there have been a couple necklace casualities:go

[NoGunz Kay]

We duct taped from the center out about 3inches on top of the lacings all the way from top to bottom, then the scissors just glided along and no problems.
ngk

[Greeneyed Gypsy]

Good idea!!:tban

[Tiffers]

Ok....so we did the track of duct tape up the laces for the scissors to glide along....

I ensured I wasnt wearing any necklaces....

He taped this way, he taped that way, he smoothed and taped some more...

Then he cut....

Or at least tried to! He tried cutting some more....then we hunted for sharper scissors! (have you ever tried looking for things when trussed up like a chicken???) Sharper scissors located....he finally started cutting!

Slowly but surely he cut up the back of the duct tape dummy.....then he cut through the corset lace....then my chemise!!!

I guess I should be glad he didnt cut me!

Saying that though, the lace can be replaced and the corset can be repaired! I really do appreciate his help! He has a joint problem so good days are few and far between and today wasnt one of them.

Now I have to finish mounting it on my Aunt Sally and stuffing it up. I have some saddle stuffing which will work perfectly. Problem is that its at my storage unit right now so thats Tuesdays job!

Tiffers