Clone Yourself A Fitting Assistant, page 4

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From the pages of Threads Magazine

Clone Yourself A Fitting Assistant

Molded papier-mâché form is an exact replica of you

Molded papier-mâché form

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The best thing about the poured-foam form that you make from a surgical-plaster cast or mold is that the mold makes a very accurate copy of your body contours, complete with distinct collarbones and shoulder blades. It's more accurate in this regard than the other methods described here. Plaster is also better at molding to and preserving concavities, so this is a good approach if your body has distinct hollows that tape might simply fill over. But the downside of the poured-foam process is the foam itself, which is expensive, somewhat toxic, and hard to find.

Gail Gosser, an artist and art teacher from Schwenksville, PA, likes the accuracy of the plaster mold (you can get the plaster and directions for making the mold from My Twin Dressforms, 32429 Pensador St., Temecula, CA 92592; Phone: 866-4MyTwin, 909-303-9075; www.mytwindressforms.com). Her method solves the foam problem by replacing it with ordinary papier-mâché. Use paper-pulp insulation mixed with wallpaper paste (both from a building-supply store) to make the mâché, and cut the plaster mold from the body along the sides instead of in front and back as is usual when pouring in foam.

Line each half of the mold with paper towels to keep the papier-mâché from sticking to the plaster, then build up a 1/2-in. layer of mâché, forming a smooth, wider edge along the mold's edge where the two mâché halves will be glued together.

	A STURDY DRESS-FORM STAND


	Here's a swiveling stand you can make for any dress form from easily purchased materials.

When both halves are filled, let them dry (helping with fans and hair dryers if the weather is damp), then smooth the surface texture by spreading more thin mâché over the cracks.

Join the mâché halves with white glue spread thickly along the widened edges, and tie them together firmly, inserting shims to tighten the cords as the glue dries. When the glue is dry (and at any point in the future, if needed), reinforce the join and edges with more mâché in pulp or traditional strip form. Finally, cover the form with knit fabric (the mâché is too hard to pin into directly) and mount it on this clever stand.

This method is time-consuming (drying time can add days) but very accurate, and it suits Gail's training as a sculptor. One further advantage: you can make neck-and-shoulder-only molds to create anatomically correct coat hangers for finished tailored jackets and works in progress.

Duct-tape dress form #1

Duct-tape dress form #2

Molded papier-mâché form

Paper-tape dress form

Duct-tape dress form #1

Duct-tape dress form #2

Molded papier-mâché form

Paper-tape dress form