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LEVEL 3

Welcome to Level 3 of Draping Path! “Show me your friend and I will tell who you are.” As this Greek saying states, we are like our friends. So this means we need to turn our best friend into our shape so we can share clothes 🙂 This journey is exciting but can be challenging, mentally and physically. But I assure you, once finished, you’ll see a big change in self-perception and acceptance, which is the first big step in transformation. We’ll start by learning how to take measurements horizontally and vertically like scanning your body. Then we’ll dive into Padding your dress form into your own shape. At this point, you can choose to either do soft padding, or the detailed but more complicated version. Finally you’ll tape and pin your reference points on the padded dress form, and make sure they are stable. As you progress through the level, make sure you share your progress with us in our Community group, so you can get support & feedback from our members & also from me during our Weekly Live Q&A Sessions! Let’s dive right in.

LEVEL 3 ACTION ITEMS
  • Learn how to take measurements horizontally and vertically like scanning your body.
  • Pad your form into your own shape (You can either do soft padding or detailed removable one)
  • Tape and pin your reference points on your dress form. Make sure they are stable.
  • Share your progress in the Community & get feedback from Neda and other members!
LEVEL 3 STUDY MATERIALS
How to take measurements horizontally and vertically like scanning your body

How to Measure the Body

How to properly measure the body and mark important reference points for dressmaking.
Padding Your Dress Form Into Your Own Shape: Easy Padding (beginner/intermediate)

How to Do Easy Padding On Your Dress Form and Cover with Jersey

This guide shows a quicker way to pad a dress form to your specific body measurements and shape, rather than the more detailed removable padding method. It involves using semi-circular batting layers, breast cups, rolled gauze for smoothing, and tight jersey covers to achieve the desired bust, waist, hip, and back curvature.
Padding Your Dress Form Into Your Own Shape: Removable Dress Form Padding (advanced)

Removable Dress Form Padding Information PDF

Print this PDF for future reference!

Full Torso Princess Bodice – Draping

How to drape a full torso princess seamed sloper that fits very closely to the body. This sloper can be used as a base pattern for tight-fitting dresses, gowns or bodysuits.

Full Torso Princess Bodice – Patternmaking

How to transfer a close-fitting full body princess sloper pattern onto dot paper and prepare it for cutting. I carefully pin the pattern pieces, aligning them with the grid lines. I demonstrate measuring key points like bust, waist, and hip, and making adjustments to achieve an extremely close fit around the body.

Cutting Fabric and Interfacing

How to cut the pattern pieces and interface them for a fitted garment. I demonstrate the process of carefully cutting the fabric pieces, ensuring they are securely pinned, and trimming any excess fabric for a close fit. I also cover cutting the interfacing pieces and preparing them for fusing.

Sewing Fabric and Interfacing

I demonstrate how to sew and fit a dress cover using fleece interfacing. I attach the front princess seams, sew the shoulders and side seams, and make adjustments to achieve a skin-tight fit on the dress form.

Padding the Dress Form – Part 1

How to pad a dress form to match specific body measurements and shape. I demonstrate adding padding to create a fuller bust, rounded stomach, and wider hips to replicate the body's curves.

Padding the Dress Form – Part 2

how to pad a dress form to create a customized body shape for draping and fitting garments. I demonstrate adding layers of fusible fleece and shaping the padding to achieve desired measurements and proportions.

Covering the Padded Dress Form with Interfacing

In this session, I demonstrate how to cover the padded dress form with thin fusible interfacing to create a smooth shell before draping the final fabric over it. I demonstrate cutting and fusing long strips of interfacing around the dress form, overlapping and shaping them neatly over the curves.

Draping the Top Cover

How to drape a close-fitted full torso sloper on a dress form with a larger size. I tape the dress form, cut muslin pieces, and drape the fabric tightly around the form, pinning and adjusting to achieve a snug fit.

Sewing the Dress Form Cover and Finishing – Part 1

I demonstrate how to sew the linen dress pieces together after draping and patterning on the muslin. I show the steps to attach the front and back pieces, pin the dress on the dress form for fitting adjustments, and hand-baste the side seams.

Sewing the Dress Form Cover and Finishing – Part 2

Continuing our dress form cover, I show the steps to insert a zipper at the back, and finish the raw edges around the armholes and neckline using hand stitching.

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