Sew a Miniature Dress Form for Half-Scale Sewing

Putting together your Printed Pattern:

1. Print the PDF at 100% scale

2. Measure the box surrounding the symbol legend to make sure it's 2” square.

3. Line up the sheets that have columns and rows in the correct order.

4. Tape sheets together after matching corners so they make a complete symbol.

5. Cut out all pattern pieces.

Further Instructions with screenshots can be found on the guide downloaded from the project resources.

Download the pattern in the next step (under resources).

Putting together your Printed Pattern:

1. Print the PDF at 100% scale

2. Measure the box surrounding the symbol legend to make sure it's 2” square.

3. Line up the sheets that have columns and rows in the correct order.

4. Tape sheets together after matching corners so they make a complete symbol.

5. Cut out all pattern pieces.

Further Instructions with screenshots can be found on the guide downloaded from the project resources.

Lesson 1: Cutting

• Give the fabric a good press (light on steam) moving the iron vertical or horizontally with the grain. Match the selvedge edges and you're ready to lay the pieces.

• Using the layout guides place each pattern piece making sure the red grain line is adjacent to either your folded edge or the selvedge. Use a tape measure at each end of the grainline to your fabric edge, if they equal the same distance then you know the piece is straight!

• Remember to clip or mark all notches!

• Interfacing is typically narrow; double up however you choose. I chose the crosswise grain (horizontal) to make my fold. Cut out pieces in the same manner as the previous.

Lesson 2: Sewing the Body of the Form

• Fuse each interfacing piece to the wrong side of its matching fabric piece. The bumpy, sticky side of interfacing down.

• ALL seam allowances are 1/4"

• Choose a suitable needle for your fabric. A 9/14 is good for medium weight, woven fabric.

• Refer to your machine guide to learn what your "normal/regular" stitch length should be set at.

• Stay stitch all curved seams using a short stitch, within your seam allowance. I use the right edge of my presser foot against the raw edge as a guide.

• Press open after each seam is sewn.

Sewing order:

1. Top Front - Centre Front

2. Top Side Front - Side Front

3. Front Princess Seam (Centre front to side front)

4. Back princess Seam (Centre back to side back)

5. Shoulder + Side Seam

Lesson 3: Finishing the Neck

Finishing the body:

• reinforce the corner where the shoulder seam is with a tight backstitch. To make this corner you'll need to clip right to that stitching.

• If you do get puckering on the underside, unpick that portion, and re-sew.

• grading the seam allowance (trim top seam allowance to 1/8") and clipping close to stitching line reduces bulk.

• Finish the raw edge of the bottom hem with your preferred method. Pinking, serging, zig-zag, etc.

• Sew centre back seam but leave the last 1/2" open.

Neck top:

• use glass-headed pins to keep the folded edge down while you iron

• holding the form like a puppet with your hand inside allows you to hold the topper to the neck easier.

Lesson 4: Filling and Stand Selection

Lacing Cord

• cut your length of cord. Old shoelace, cord, or ribbon (check the ends for fraying on the ribbon. Use Fray check or melt with a lighter)

• use a safety pin at one end and thread through the opening, all the way until you come out the other end.

• tie a knot on the ends for grip and to prevent slipping through the hole.

Cardboard:

• cut out the two cardboard pieces. Score thick cardboard first with a utility knife. Then cut with scissors.

• for the middle circle of the base, cut an "x" shape all the way through, bend the tabs backwards and cut off.

Stuffing:

Start with the neck and shoulders. Fill to max first before moving to another area of the body. This takes a lot more stuffing than you think! It should be firm, but not bursting at the seams.

The Base

I chose a flower vase and filled it with buttons! Pebbles work too. You can use anything you'd like. If you have an old floor lamp or something else that's no more than an inch in diameter, that will work too!

Show off your form and creative bases in the project gallery or share on Instagram!

Keep the creativity flowing! Download these practice half-scale sloper to design all manner of different dresses.

Watch the above lecture and pattern exercise on how to design an Audrey Hepburn inspired dress using the One Piece Half-Scale block pattern.