Duct Tape Mannequin / Dress Form

I needed a body.
However, our local Ed Gein was out. So, I bring to you the Duct Tape Mannequin! For those of us short about $300 for a custom made body form, a little creativity will take your wallet a long way.

Basically, I had Aunt Jackie put on a loose t-shirt and used duct tape to make a body mold. Now that I think back on it, I really should have taken advantage of my Aunt's vulnerable state. Damn it! Next time, next time...

And yes, that is an old  fake Christmas tree stand. Schhhwing!

Check out this link for a tutorial on making your own Duct Tape Dress Form!
http://www.threadbanger.com/episode/THR_20090403

For something entirely different...

This morning I realized I my son's summer wardrobe was looking pretty bad. So, I attempted to make him a pair of shorts without using a pattern. After all, how hard can it be? Well, hard. After stitching on the wrong side twice and unintentionally creating a very tight crotch area, I gave up. I will be purchasing a pattern on Saturday. However, here is my question: What do you think of the length? I feel that this length is kinda cute. Reminds me of something you would see while strolling on the beach. I think the color and fabric is great.

  I don't know why this photo is sideways. I'm too blog-challenged to fix it. Turn your head sideways.

The Battle of the Wedding Dress: Fabric Hunting

  It was a cool, damp morning as the sun slowly rose over the horizon. My small companion and I slowly creeped through a dense forest of polyester and 100% cotton. The smell of plastic foliage filled the air and the surrounding consumer wildlife was muted by the sound of a squeaking shopping cart wheel. Senses heightened, we relied solely on our training to overcome the mission put before us. Fabric Shopping.

  Ah, fabric shopping. My little addiction. Although, I really do not recommend bringing your offspring to Joann's if you can help it. Just today I got smacked in the head with a bolt of fabric my son yanked down...totally ruined my high.

  Now, fabric selection for the wedding dress went like this:
Me: So, what kind of fabric do you want?
Aunt Jackie: Satin.
Me: Alright, let me pull up some photos of Satin fabric and you can pick out the color you like.
-------Pulled up Mood Fabric website, Satin selection----------
Aunt Jackie: I don't like how shiny it is.
Me: You don't like that satin is shiny?
Aunt Jackie: Yeah. It might look too fancy next to a suit.
Me: /Facepalm.

   After about an hour of looking through silk, satin, and charmeuse, our eyes started to bleed and brain matter was oozing out of our ears. We decided to order some swatches and see what happen. Guess what swatch Aunt Jackie ended up choosing? Satin.

  This is the fabric:

Blue Satin- This will be the main fabric used.

Beige Taffeta- For under the ruched opening

Beige Tull-This will either go over the beige taffeta or be an underlining for the sleeves to add form.

And this is why you always bring a sample of the material you initially bought in case you have to buy extra...  I now have mismatched embroidered tulle...which cost $24.99 a yard. /facepalm
One of these will be used to go over the taffeta, to make the sleeves, and to minimized Auntie Clevage,

Up Next - Bondage Baby!

The Battle of the Wedding Dress...

So here's the deal, my Aunt Jackie is getting married in 2 months and I will be making her wedding dress! However, technically speaking I've only made one complete dress...it was a fairy costume..for a 5 year old....

Probably should have mentioned that to her. 

So begins the Battle of the Wedding Dress.


PREP
  You would think that most women (or men, I don't judge) already have a generally idea of what they want their wedding dress to look like. I mean, most of us have been preparing for "The Big Day" since we got our first Wedding Day Barbie (or whatever the hell she was called). Not the case with my dear Aunt Jackie. Here is how it went...
Me: So, what do you want your wedding dress to look like?
Aunt Jackie: I don't know.
Me: No problem. Who is your favorite designer, we can get some ideas from their dresses.
Aunt Jackie:...
Me: Ya know, for instance, do you like Vera Wang?
Aunt Jackie: Vera who?
Me: /facepalm

  We then decided to get out the handy dandy laptop and Google Image the hell out of "Wedding Dresses". And an hour later we were no closer to ANY wedding dress designs. I then decided to banish my aunt to Joann's to hunt down her dream wedding dress pattern and we would go from there. This is what she brought me:

  

 Ehhh. ::Crack Knuckles:: Time to get to work...

Digital Design
...And turn this bad prom dress into a fab wedding dress. I have an old photo program that I have been using since 2006 to edit images called Microsoft Digital Image Suite. And yes, I know Photoshop is better. Send me $600 and I'll start using photoshop. Until then, bear with the bad graphics and use your imagination. Basically, I Google Image a bunch of shit I want on the dress, and photo-collage it all together. Voila!

Theoretically, this is roughly how the dress should turn out. The "lace" is actually going to be this embroidered tulle and there will also be some embroidery on the opening. And it won't be as voluminous. I hope. If we had things my way, she would be going down that isle in something more like this...

But apparently this just isn't her bag, baby. I'll just have to save this style for my wedding dress...(Hint, Hint, you know who you are).


And that is all for tonight, folks. I'm pretty sure all the Mountain Dew I drank is giving me heart palpitations and a stomach ulcer. Time to hit the sack. Judo Chop!

Tomorrow: Fabric selection, Ohhhhhhh yeahhhhhh! And some uber sexsay duct tape bondage body form.
You know you want to see that shit.