My Doppelganger Needs More Butt Padding

Keen eyes may have noticed my mention of an Epic Meltdown (post before this one) due to my missing out on family fun at the lake.  Well, I have to admit that, in my petulance, I ended up doing a little online shopping.  However, it did mean I snagged a Singer Dress form for $99 (still going for another couple days... qualifies for their fee shipping, too).

Please excuse the mess. 

And this time I was armed with knowledge of how to pad it out and make it more "me" shaped.  I started out I used the dial for the upper bust and under bust (which on the dress form  = waist) measurements. Then I used one of my older bras and padded that out and then started with the quilt batting. I did two wrap-arounds with low-loft polyester, tucking it under the bra strap.  Next I cut out more rounded shapes to pad the tummy and posterior.  I measured as I went, both myself at the moment, then the dress form.  I'd stand side by side with it to make sure it was approximately the same shape as me.  This also meant I ended up in my underwear. Actually, that happens a lot when I'm at the "try it on" phase.  I don't always remember to pull the blinds cause we practically live in the woods, so its really only an issue if I have pervy neighbors with binoculars and insomnia.  In any case, I now I basically "bump breasts" with it if I'm trying to put a tape measure around or something, which means I probably have a good height too.

I then draped and pinned some scrap red knit/lycra I had kept around pinned an approximation, and then serged. You can tell from the white showing that I didn't bother to change the serger thread. Cause I'm lazy like that. I didn't really think to take photos of that part.  It was around this time my roommate woke up and wandered through the sun room and said "Hey, that's very you shaped!" Bonus.

The padding did settle after a days sleep, so when I got up and had enough coffee in me to ask his opinion, my husband says  "Good job, but your doppelganger needs more butt padding".  *insert BADUMDUM TISS here*

Oh yes, I plan to put BOTH sergers to work on these. There's one more that I cut but is not in this picture. 

He's right, probably need a bit more of a tummy pooch too. Ah, the joys of motherhood. Now I just need to sew up that pile of knits sitting next to the sewing machines. Hmmm.

How to Acquire More Sewing Machines

Well the first thing you need is a family full of pack rats that also happen to sew. My first sewing machine acquired was my Grandma's portable quilting machine that my Aunt Kristi sent me after she passed away. I cut my teeth on it but found myself very frustrated cause I wanted to work with knits and other fidgety fabrics and quilting machines really only like cotton.

The next machine was a Brother SE-270D that Mom got for me as a Christmas present. That doesn't really count toward the pack-rat tendency, but that put me at two sewing machines. Ok, cool. I packed up the portable for emergency backup sewing machine purposes. But this only made me lament for a serger. I really wanted one badly, but they are expensive so I made due. But then my husband's grandmother passed away and my mother-in-law now found herself with THREE sergers. So I inherited one of them. I have been very happily honing my skills with knits thanks to Gertie's guest poster.

And this past weekend my Mother-in-law brought me this (just the machine, Manga* was already there. In fact he's still there. I'm not sure he's moved in two days):


Its an old Sears Kenmore made out of solid metal and I think it might weigh 40 pounds. Thankfully no one had to die for this one to come to me. HAHAHA *ahem* Right, tasteless jokes. Anyway.... All it does is a straight stitch and SUPPOSEDLY its heavy duty enough to sew leather and denim. This is good cause I have some projects coming up that need to do just that. One day... maybe, in my dreams.

So add this to my daughter's sewing machine (One of the last of the Singer Featherweights) and That makes five sewing machines. FIVE AH AH AAAH!

Speaking of tasteless jokes:




*If you are wondering about Manga's one eye looking all weird its because he survived a coyote attack earlier this year. We thought he had lost the eye all together but it turns out he's still able to use it. It get weepy from time to time and I try to put medicine in it but then he gets mad and won't come home for a day or two.