Saturday, December 14, 2013

Wish list


It is still called a list if there is only one item?  This is it, my whole wishlist for my birthday in January, a good dressform.  My sewing room hasn't had a dressform for almost three years now and I miss this useful tool.  I featured "Matilda" in previous posts, quite a while ago, and while she did a good job for an old rickety lady I always wished for something more sturdy.  So, when I moved across the country Matilda did not go with me, instead she found a new home where I hope she continues to be loved and appreciated, and my plan was to buy a new form.  Now it's time!

I have been eyeing this dressform at The Shop Company for some months now.  The price is good, much more tolerable than another popular brand.  The fabric is not real linen but some faux linen canvas that is probably a cotton poly blend.  This form is not fully pinnable meaning you can't stick straight in like a pincushion but pins can go in at an angle to a certain degree.  Well, Matilda wasn't pinnable at all really since I could sort of push pins into the surface at an angle with difficulty and have them mostly stay.  Partially pinnable will be a huge improvement.

I'm looking forward to having a standard sized dressform in current numbers so I can try out a pattern drafted to standard size and see how the garment works on a body.  Knowing how a pattern fits a standard size helps me see if that pattern actually makes a decent garment and what alteration I need to do to have it fit me.  The key there is knowing how my body differs from the standard size and proportions.

Since I started oogling the above pictured form at The Shop Company they have added an even more affordable model with removable magnetic shoulders.  What a good idea!  I think I still want the collapsible shoulder one though.

Lots to do between now and January and not much of it sewing related.  I'm planning to spend more time in my sewing room after the holidays.  It's cold here in January and February, good time to sew.  And snowshoe. :-)