Create Your Own Body Double With Wendy Gardiner - 7th & 8th August 2024

Create your own Body Double

We are all different and unique so making garments to fit our personal shape can be a challenge! Join Wendy Gardiner and create your own perfect body double and take the guesswork out of making garments that fit. In this two-day class, you will turn an adjustable dress form into your personal body double so that you can easily make garments to suit your shape every time. Using an adjustable dress form also means you can alter it should you have weight loss or gain!

Wendy Gardiner has been teaching dressmaking for over 20 years and is author of 21 books, including Great British Sewing Bee, from Stitch to Style. She has worked in the sewing industry all her working life and is still Brand Ambassador for The Design Group UK (Simplicity, McCalls, Butterick, New Look, and Vogue Patterns). She loves to share her passion for all things dressmaking and to inspire people to have a go and enjoy the process!

What You Need To Bring: The Sewing Room is fully equipped with Janome Sewing Machines and Overlockers as well as all the tools you need to complete your project.  You are very welcome to bring your own machine and sewing box if you wish.

Materials Needed:  You will need:

• Adjustable Dressform - choose one that fits your smallest measurement, (you can open it up and pad it, but you can’t make it smaller). I chose a ‘leg dress form’ so that I can also use it for making trousers.
• A bra that fits you – preferably a full cup variety (If not, fabric remnants to make cup fully covered)
  
  1.5 - 2m of polyester wadding (I used a Bag of 2oz Polyester wadding approx 40 x 45” piece)
• Dressform cover  - buy a larger size than the dress form so it will fit over the padded form.  Here are a couple of suppliers - Shopfittingshop, Amazon
• String or narrow ribbon to fit around the waist
• Chalk marker

• Good tape measure
• Notebook and pen
• Plenty of Pins
• Pack of 6mm wide Quilters Tape, or 5m of 6mm wide ribbon (this will be used to wrap around the final dress form at the waist, hips, bust, high bust etc).
• Box of cling film

To test your Body Double

• Your choice of simple pattern, fabric, and haberdashery for dress, skirt, or top to test out the body double dimensions.
• Pattern Paper 
• Scotch tape

Also, bring:

Leggings or thick opaque tights and slim fit T-shirt to wear when taking body measurements.

A dress or blouse and skirt that fit you – to check the body double is the right size for you once adjusted and padded

 Venue: The Midhurst Sewing Room

Dates: Wednesday 7th & Thursday 8th August 2024

Workshop Start/End time: 10am-5pm

Workshop Duration: 2 days

Workshop Tutor: Wendy Gardiner