Her name is Bertha, and she came in the mail last week. Bertha and I have a lot in common, like dress size. We are also different in many ways: Bertha doesn’t seem to have a good head over her shoulders, and while her hourglass figure seems to be at 12:00, mine is more like a 6 PM.
I always wanted to have a friend like Bertha, to sew some nice clothes together and play dress-up. But friends like Bertha are expensive, so when I found I could have her for less than $100 plus shipping, I decided it was time.
This is Bertha when she came to me. She’s an adjustable dress form, a very basic one. She’s no pinnable (bummer), and is covered in some ugly gray flannel on top of her plastic frame. You can see the gaps where the adjustable plates join, on top of that, the gaps are more pronounced after I adjusted her to my size (I am bustier). I needed to do something about it.
The process was simple, and the photos self-explanatory.
1. Pin some stretchy fabric (Jersey or ribbed knit works best) along side join, stretching as needed. Then mark the cutting line between the pins. Cut piece. Repeat for the back.
2. Join the two pieces with with overcast machine. Serge the hem with looser threads.
3. Pass a thick cotton tread through loops in the hem.
4. Tighten and gather fabric at the bottom. Tie the threads.
I would rather Bertha were not pink. But that’s the stretchiest jersey knit I had. And it’s better than green, you’ll agree.
While Bertha is not a pinnable dressform, I can pin fabric to the new cover in a pinch. So it’s not only a matter of looking better.
I can now also wash her cover when necessary, and now that I see how easy this was, I can buy other fabrics and make new covers any time (I am thinking perhaps a floral print). This may be the easiest DIY cover for a dress form yet.
Bertha hasn’t said anything about her new looks (she’s a shy girl), but I can tell she looks happier. What do you think?
UPDATE: Check out her newest cover.
Aunt Clara
Aunt Clara's Kitchen is a collection of traditional Dominican and Dominican-inspired recipes, home ideas, crafts, and the chronicles of Aunt Clara and Aunt Ilana's adventures.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Bertha has a very pretty butterfly necklace and she does look happy and content in pink – instead of the gray ☺.
Very nice! And thanks for the source information. -EJ-
A definite improvement.. I like the sound of floral print, I'm sure Bertha does too! It's great when an aesthetic improvement is also a functional one too..
Hello!I think Bertha looks lovely in pink! Love the sweet hearts you made for your daughters room too!Rachel x
Thanks all. The pink "skin" is growing on me. It looks so much better than what she came in with that pink is a huge improvement.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I have been searching the web up and down for a tutorial on how to cover my dress form. Now, I finally have a use for mine (which is too big for me, and I've been unsuccessful in selling). My fabric wasn't quite stretchy enough; however, I made it work by adding a zipper to the back – since I'm only using the dress form in photos that will have the front visible. It looks awesome!
Love it – Thanks for tutorial.Dee.
(Under statement of the month) THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
This is awesome. I have been looking for a black jersey cover for my dress forms, and so I thank you for posting this.
Hi, Thanks for the tips. This will help me greatly. Thanks ever.
I m craft lover person ,always keen to watch new ideas.