UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WOKK IN AGRICULTURE AND HOYlE ECONOMICS

l'~ I\' ERSI T\ 0.' i\I L.SOll kl C Ol. LEGE OF .l.. C: kl n .d.Tti ll F. A~I) TIll'. l"S i T r. O 5T .\TE~ D u,.\RT lI E S T O f A ti ItIC ULT l; RE COO PE R\Tl S';

P. H . Ro,,~ . Actin, DiN!ctor Agricultural E.'h:1I510n Scn'j, ... 1);.tr;bUI ~ d j,. iUt lhu~nu olt he .\C'. 01 Con ll r ~, . ol ~l", 2 . .. n,1 J u ne.)O. 191 '

CIRCULAR 82 COLUMBIA, MISSOURI JUNE, 1920

How to Pad a Dress Form l\ (ary E. Rohinson

i iOle. energy and money are saved by the ,\ oman \', ho lISes in her d~ssJllaking a dress fornl padde<] to her ow n meaSll rements. She C;!xes time Oecause she can hang her 0 \\' 11 !Okins ami fit her O\\"n d OI Les

1I1 0re quickly o n a dress form. ami because she docs nOt ha I'e to tIlui ress and dress aJ;!ain each time she tri es on a garment: she s:n'es energy be('alls~ she does no t ha\'e to stand for long fittings ami because the making oi garments is more easil~ .. done with a dress fonll: she saves money becd llse she can I make more o f her o\\'n clothes and does not have to hi r~ them made or buy titem ready-made,

tt is di ffi cult for the average woman TO find 0 11

the market, dress form which can be \l sed withont some alte ra tion because, like commercial patterns, dress forms are made accord ing to ayerage measu re­ments, and few women are average in every par­ticular, Their wa ists may be a trifle latyer or smaller in compari son \\'it h thei r hu~ts o r hips; their shou lders may be broader or more sloping; their bll stS higher or lo\\'er or more or less ful l , their hips large or small and their waist long or shan, :\one of these indi,'idllal ,' afiations is accounted

fo r in the oniinary commercial panerns or in the usnal dress forms, .and there are man y dress forms on the market that are not the correct ~b ape. The commercial dress form, therefore , needs to be padded so that it will fit exactly the woman who is going to use it.

The padded dTtss form is quite inexpensive \\'hen one conside rs it s L~flliness, It is substantial, and is well wort h the few dollars it costs.

Archive docum

ent

To make a padde(1 dress form the foll owing- are neocdcd: (:II .-\ tightly fin ed lining mad .. from paper t .. mbric or I'trr firm unbleach­

ed nUb lin, (b) ,-\ com mercial iorlll "ne ~ i,e "l1\aller th an lhe l1<, r<on for whom the iorm

I'; 10 be made, k) Tlm:c or iOll f roll < o j cOI Io n hatti ng,

MAKING THE LiNING FOR COVERING Select a fined \\'aist pattem which is long- enough to come \\'ell

down o,'er the largest IKtrt of the hips and \\ ilh en ouI:h seams so that it can be htted lightlr. USltally a pattern hav in~ three pieces in the front. iulU' in the back and a lined collar, is .:ho'-<.'I1. Paller cambric or:l goot! grade oi muslin are probably the most satisfac tory materials to use for the covering oi Ihe forlll. easte the St',II11S in the irolH and hack of thc waist all the r igh t s ide , le:l\' ing the shonhler allli under­arlll Sea1l15 TO 1)(' pinnerl \\ ht'll thc iil'illg is fitled, Put the lining on the person ior \\h0111lhe ior.1\ i3 bei'l .,' made \\ilh sea ms on the 0\11-side an rl fa "len the iront anJ back i,uo place \\"i lh occasion:ll pins dow n the cema of ea<:h pie":t:, If th i" is <lone it is easier to pi n the "calll" d osely 50 th at ther wil l c.}n iorrn 10 the lines of the body and corrc"pond \\ ith eadl other, Pin the ~hO\ l lder seams directly on top of the sll) ulder \\'i:11 sea m rllnll in~ straight from hca\'y cartil age in neck to bone Q il sh oulder. and "it h the l11Hlcrart n seam directly UI1-derneat h the arm extending- from the h ol low of the arm dO\\11 o\'er the hip , If front and back do nut iiI. em basti ng threads and pin seam5. I.:e eardullO tit the lining \\ ell arolllul the armseye so thai in fi :t ing a \\' .:Ii51 on the form dIe armhole call 1)(' trimmed anrl the slee\'", sel in \\it ltout try ing on the "aist. Often it is necessary to make darts at the armhole to make the firr ing 'Illite pedec!. \\" hen the sea m5 of fhe lining ha\'e been pinned ,'ery tight ly, mark the I\'aist line and remo \'c fl'Ol1ll ite model by opening the seam dO\\ 11 filecenler bad.:,

Trim all sea ms to ',)IIe·hali inch amllrace 5eam line wi th trac­inl: wheel. or Hlark II ith tail or' s tack, Remo\'e pins fro m the lin ing. one 5ea1l1 at a time, turn the sea m anti baste secure ly oJlthe opposite side. t:xactly On tracing, If a pel "O:l \l ere exactly ali!.. ", on hath si(les it \\ ould nOI he necessary tu ba stc the sea11l~ and fit on tltc right side and then O(JeIl t he ~ealllS and baSil: a ll the wrong sidc . but since "ery few wo men are alike on both si ~l es this is nccessary. \\ hen all bast­ing has been done, tryon lining to see that it fi l", st itc h all seams:11l.1 I1'Y a ll aga in to s,'e that stitching is d" ne correctly, Pi n a \\'e ll-fit ted collar in pi act: at the neck. The armhole shou l(1 be mar!..ed \I'il h a pencil ior an~' ncce~s3ry trimming, collaI' im o place, Bind the edge at to pre\ enl stret ching o f arI1lS':~ c.

Remove the lining and stitch the the armhole \\'ith a bias bindinir

3

A Foundalion rorm 0 11 whi o.;h Ihe ra rl ,kd form is TlI:I {I~ lila), be 1)~II\:lns:c'd ,,'''Ill a dr.'· g 'hld .. StOI C u r irom :t rlealcl' in such 1I.;l.IerI31s. (.":11"(' 111"l~t h o:: 1~)..ell ill .he 'ii!i(,Cli vn 0; , h i;. 10llnll,IIion fo rm t u g t! one

,11<111 C II"I~jl . The hill a n d 1)\1;1 1U t :l :illr~ , lIcIUS IlHl "t be COIl ~ ; [lered

d< " d J ;u Ihe , hici.:ntH "~I Ihe i,~rm ill compa riso n with t hou of Ihe 1II.-I"' j·\II:1 1. \l i~se,;' oIre~$ iOl li lS an~ 1t~l l "IIY:l lill :(' buu:r PH.poriion­

erl ' hall bIl l': ' " T il .: lni$~e~' ~ i l.e~ ;me bOIl\:1\1 b~' ilJ.,(tll II hich C(lrres­p["li ltl II) Ihe ioti.w. ill j; b ll~ 1 lIIt'aH l re~ ' 18 ~ e'\ls . JS bll~1: 16 ~·e a rs . 36 h\1~!: I ~ yea r;, .3~ lm;l : I~ ~ ca r.s . J~ IHI ~ I .

D rt :;.'; ' -WI1I:' . ll 0 u ld I)e 1>0111;111 Vile si~c 5111311e r Ih:\I1 ('II ,e's h l1 s t

me.1~u re. f ur ;11:;(;'\11( (' . Ii Due's 1,11'>1 mea sure I$; 38. 11 11,\' a 36- in.:h ~ I l': . :\ i ') 11 Ia'i ) !! io,. \1 {,)I' i\ ch ild t weh'~ r~i\r~ old is :l !rood siz~

10 hu.\ ii :I nni ~ h~d d r<! ss fQrlH is (),:~ s ired ,,' itlr :l bll~r measlI re o f J..J lil chts. \ ' el"~' I.!"ooll p.lpiu machie i"rllls llIay b( pL1rcha~d fro m come .:')mp :lIl ;c ~ I,i lholll rh~ s l oc k;lI~ r ,;ol·trings "uel t'qually ~ .. dsfac­lory. C":ll l1lt r.;ial , I.'eS5 io n \H C'J ~t $2 vI' 1II0re.

PAnDING THE DRESS FORM Thn:e ~"' r iOll l' fvll . o i (C\tlOII l)afl1ll!! 3re US« I 10 fi ll onl Ihe fo rll1

10 t ht p rope,' I Hl1ntS~, T ht lill i\lg i ~ filii Pili on Iht fo rm 10 d~ h!: r­

lllinc II helt: r\1 e h,;nl Ilteds d ie 1110,>1 paddi n~. T he 3mOUlli o f [lad. (lin; I\ c~e;·· ;H.\' r .lr i e ~ " iTh rhe ;ll<li,·i,I\l.lIIi~I\re , l'h( COtton is cnl

,nt ., \. ien'" whi..:h ""' ~ [)<! IUlIflled ': ' Il\\"tn ; e lll l~' and pl:lced 011 rh e j.lt"tllw h <! r ': il is m l)~1 need ed . Tire p:t (\(l inj2" ~hol1l c\ h( clOIle' ~o th.u Ihe f" m will I)e l·tI'.1 finn \\'hen thli~hell. L'SUil ll ," iT is lin t COIII'ell­,ell l ,. pad I1le l1(rk. $IIOllllkr5 and bust ri r ~r. en l a vieee of COllon wh ich \\ ill hr ;'I1):11!l rhe ned.- ;'In<l pin it illlo place. .'1 Ihe ba ck. \\'jl h lII')sr brlll~. kill!: piC"..:e~ 'I i .::o ll o n ex tending- jWtll shollhlers ( I"> hips m~y he \rsed in b., ... rh iron l allli had.. The5e IOIl~ ! httlS when t rim· 'lh '(1 :t b it ar rh t m'~· I.. , rhen Vin""d ;' f , hc 511 (1 111{lelS and h ips, aid in ho1(lill(:, ;m y ~'t her ne ceH:Il'r p<ldrl in; in pla ce. \,"hen Ihis padd ing h;as b.-c ', d ·.';le . ~ ; ip rh e rll1 <!rl lj lli ll~ ()II the' l~r ll1 10 see' j1l51 hOIr much ,

ii <Ill Y. a (\ ,11110\\<l 1 p;rdd il1 l! is !1t'eJed aT I h~ shoulder. ncck o r b ust. D", r ; l i~ p ;lI lc1 ill1.: lin! all ' 1 pin Ihe linin£ toe-cTher <II the' neck in t he had ,. Then Ii " rhe I,uin;: ami rio all Y 3<1dl1ioll0 1 p:Hldin E \\ hich is Mede/l al tlw wa iH an,) h illS . l:eio1'': se\\ illg- tIP Ihe lini ng .11 the hack . » in ;1 r.:are il1 l1 ~· ami compa re Hle:l 3111'c1l1elllS o f for m ill n(c\;:. \) I1 SI, waiH <lUll h i p~ Il ith I h()~e 0 ; person jor IIhOIll fo rm is bein!: made. to see , 11:11 rhe pa .lding' \I ,IS been rlolle eorrtc rly . The paddilli II\ I\SI !)e .I one ~n Ihar rhe ;' .... 111 \\'ill be linn :11I c1 S11100111 and 110 Illmps o r hol­low s shoul'l 1><." "jeible. The inrm 11I3~' he reHed . roo. by try ing 011 a ~OQII tiltinJ,!' \, '3;Q a nd sk in ,

The o pe.ni lli: kif by rhe rtrll1 ho le ma r he fi lled in lI'ith 3 piece of Iht' l inill!: s,' rilal tht sll1ff i ll~ lI" illl1l)l f,,11 mit no r the paddine inler '

4 U:-; f\' I'.. I(SIT\' 01' :\hssu \,; l([ A r.R I CUI.TL: H,I!. E ,,\ TE:\ SI I)" S " \(I' I CE

fere with the use of the form in fi lling. :\Iany fi nd forms 1!'3sier III

1I~ if this armhole is padded alit sl ight ly so th at the form will ha n;> a bulge about li ke that of the anl1 . T his i~ Illore easi ly do nI!' ii a square piece of lining is pl aced at the sleeve o lleuing with a corn er at the tOp and the oppos ite comer a t t ile bot tom . The piece oi clot h should 1,.;­s li pped underneath the bound edge o f the a l111 hole: pil1ned in pI~..:e , so that the piece covers the o peni llg smoothly, but <ioes not li ra ll ; and hemmed,

F inish the bottom of the for lll by pl1 ll in~ dOl'"" t he lin ing snugly. turn ing and tacking to the boa rd a t the bottom of thl!' iorlll ,

STANDARDS Various kinds of stan da rds lIl ay be u"ed for the hOllie-made or pad­

ded form , W hatel'er kind is used , care sho uld be taken to raise the fo rm so that it will be the exact heig ht o f the per;;on io)r \\ hOlll [he form is made, A I'ery ~ood standard can be made by [>la ~'i llg the larg-e end of a broom handle in a h lock to make it st:lIul fi rmly 011

the floor. A hole is then llIade in the ce nte r of the hi p board thru which the small end lI"ill just fit. ;\ sat isfactory sta ndard llJay also be made frOIll a block o f wood slig htly smaller th an the hip b0 3rd . and 4 to 6 boards about 3 x 911 in ,. and long eno ug h to ra ise the st anda rd the des ired heig ht £1'01Il the Aoor, ~ai l the board s to [h e hip board on the form and to the block of I\'ood whidl sen 'es as the Comme rc ial stalvla rds may be pu rc ha sed for abo ut S2,;;O, fotlnd for sa le by companies who sell dress form s,

Aoor re:.1. These a re

A sat isfactory dress form of sOllie kind is within the readl o f e\'ery woman if she will btU take the ti me and pains to adapt it to her 0 1\ 11

meaSllrt' l1lr'nts,