I have been talking about getting a dressmaker’s dummy for a goodly while and Mark finally got me organised to buy the necessary bits to make a plaster of Paris mould of, er, me.
This was an interesting activity, to say the least. I did some early research, but then Mark decided he would do his own and gave me a list of things to buy.
He decided on the plaster of Paris design as shown in Threads, filled with expanding foam. I won’t bore terrify you with photos of me “dressed” in the PoP, but suffice it to say that it was not attractive!
Anyway, I couldn’t stand still, and kept breathing out when I should have been sucking everything in, but eventually he took it off me and let it sit for a few days to harden off. Several times we got confused about which was the front and which was the back – what is that telling me?!
This is really a post about his sewing skills because he stitched it all together
Pretty neat sutures huh?
Then he sealed her up with the ubiquitous gaffer tape, much loved by all my family
drilled some holes – not sure why…
and went to town with the expanding foam, which expanded everywhere!
I do not normally name inanimate objects, but the dummy became known to all as “Bertha” – “big Bertha” in fact! Anyway, Bertha was left in a warm spot to dry out for two weeks and today was the big unveil.
As we began, we noticed a “bubble” of liquid, so pierced it and drained it
It appeared that the expanding foam had simply run to the bottom and liquified.
oops, this is not looking good!
As we looked inside we could see that the mould was hollow and that the plaster was completely stuck to the foam that had solidified, in spite of oiling it.
Mark took to it with an axe to fit it in the bin. The images are too horrific to publish here, but suffice it to say that the first attempt at dummy making was a complete disaster :(. This means that I have to go through the whole torture of standing still again. Having said that, we’ve learned a lot and will be chronicling take two, so stand by!
Happy Australia Day everyone!!
I have so much enjoyed your blog, I truly got a kick out of sewing at the campground, but this one, wow! I laughed and shared it with my husband. Nice job with the aphabet series, I didn’t get there until late, great fun. You do such a nice job, thanks for,sharing the process.
Thank you Vera, I very much appreciate the comment and so glad you are enjoying the blog. I was actually sewing in a paddock with sheep – a far cry from anything as sophisticated as a campground!!
Glad you came to my blog so that I can read yours. Oh dear! a blogger called Flossieteacakes had a very similar experience. My bloke bought me one for Christmas but they are not always the right dimensions are they? But it is great to get me started. Jo x
Thanks Jo, I will check out Flossieteacakes!
Hi Sue, loving the blog (I actually started following you on Twitter first and added the blog to my WP reader too). But the reference to the dummy in your 2014 round-up made me get in touch. I have made one too and I love it to bits, it came out unexpectedly well and has served me so well since I made it in March. I have a few pics on my blog (my pic in the About section actually) and I am planning a detailed tutorial. I’d be happy to help with tips if you’re ever planning on doing one again. Very jealous of your sunny Western Australia, it was freezing in London when I was making it…
Ooh standing around making a dummy in freezing weather would not be good! I would love to know how you did it. Checking your blog now…
That is so hilariously funny, just found it via your roundup 2014 post, I’m now in stitches. Hope you got it sorted in the end, it certainly didn’t stop you making stuff….
Nope, but I still need a body double…