Material Girl

This is Madge. She is a Lady Valet Dressform, who arrived at my front door, a bit like Mary Poppins, on my last but one birthday. That's in the month of January, and as it was cold outside, I invited her in, and she's been living here ever since. After trying to guess of all sorts of exotic names for her, she settled with Madge. She doesn't pay any rent, but I don't mind as she's good company on days when I'm sewing in the house on my own. One day, she may help with the bills. I've had lots of fun with her, and as you can see, like her famous namesake, she does have a thing about wearing underwear on the outside. This was my idea but I do try to keep her modesty covered most of the time, even if only for an ebay photoshoot. You see, after a few dressesworth of bad fitting boob disasters I suddenly realised that although I may well have adjusted her to the right size according to my own dimensions, that it was the proportion of the fitting that wasn't right - although I have a small frame, I am a little top heavy. In the world of couture, which I am fascinated by, those who can afford such luxury have their very own personal dressform made for them, in the fashion house (or houses) of their choice. Made from horsehair and calico this form stays on the shelves of the atelier (workroom) for as long as their live "partner" is a customer of said establishment, and is adjusted as she or he adds or sheds weight, implants etc., However, unlike Madonna et al., most of us probably wouldn't want to spend £11,000+ on a pair of custom made jersey trousers by Jean Paul Gaultier even if we could afford it, preferring to express our own creativity, and make our own unique creations. Adjustable dress forms are very handy for such a purpose but they don't duplicate your shape exactly, so I took a leaf out of the Couture book and decided to "adapt" Madge to my shape in the easiest way possible. I therefore measured myself UNDER the boobs, adjusted madge acordingly, dressed her in one of my bras (I can't say old as i'm newly refitted by the wonderful Bravissimo method - by M&S standards I have a concave chest!!) and stuffed it with socks until she measured the same as me exactly, and Voila! She is now my body double and I can see just why, some of the patterns I was working with, were not working for me. It's all to do with the "bust point" apparently.

This pattern is from a Vogue dress pattern which I had cut out according to my size. Although the bust size is 34" - which is what I measure, the top and bodice were wrong - the bodice does not lie flat underneath the bust which it should do. I spent weeks and months pondering this, couldn't understand it at all because the measurements AROUND were accurate and the dress fitted Madge perfectly. However, as you will see, when properly "dressed", the problem on Madge is all too apparent ........


Here are some other creations which have been modelled by Madge, making my sewing life infinitely easier.

A rockabilly dress ...


A corset and bustle ...