![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYKyGKF2zCjasV6RjtNMUVNWAWGQkdK_k58hrzD3qHKqxn0SFEo3XS9pZAg21uuiPr-hAf4re3zr-aoSnaIsxVytxn6xn3jyMgTu2lT_v9rOQMVgG5RF7HlniihtIwZH5jSx5D7ed8nI/s320/form+028.jpg)
I HATE spending money on clothes - always have.
I HATE having clothes that don't fit properly
and
I HATE never finding the material/fabric and textures that I want to wear
Besides clothes are so ridiculously expensive I just can't get over the markup.
Even when I was young and in a scholarship pageant (yes--I had to try to come up with the money to go to college), I wore a homemade dress.
So, Jovan (my son's gfriend) wanted to help me make a dress form - and we did - so I could make my own clothes.
Here's how we did it using an old shirt and duct tape.
First I picked out an old shirt.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqoT7O9u0tW4u3hmhZIH0Kzbo0igglptT5fcTboGo1ioqkWCiuuGnpwNfhPiejsNpa-hHcwD0RLfQ32_iXD7ZKjtyEb__kJXtQwN9Amt_NR-Sf_Vug3uHJUa-4CgQtKP3L7bG9O_MIKWc/s320/form+002.jpg)
Then we started duct taping it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWTRgx4H0hw_lbE6e5gl3Y9oz5c-GSXTVBQBcxXYWsln93UrzPiwrktA8YTD7Cq8u-cnBWUkRKhcWWV6UjwgEAnIy9ha6aEE9Wcl4vwhW_ne3uCrJYm9qUy8evReTr-5F-iJGgOpou40/s320/form+004.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_RO80h_yRAgKbCpvidrEPpDEQT20b2ReHmiY5IE91uPqXcTdsh6gmFkRSf752s_zwDlV9P6SNV2VLA_fBVxCoe0g7-OMqqUYkVUHR3FMdKOZ28CaXLlu_hm6Zsdjc4tguB3ZCnR5Nrs/s320/form+005.jpg)
I think I'm saying, "Hey watch where you're putting that duct tape."
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEcwacbtt9MitprllB4MTI9_369uFjJ7n4Y7PyeUYCMvXUb6twc4fAhei0YIq77zswjKtU_T1SSkIbj134qBDU92W-1H8n-lechvB4RhAaf7iQZNYQBlHnq-K8pYi_9R0zEN887pusQPY/s320/form+006.jpg)
After one layer was finished
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKrRHihVhA5DroVGpkmHIr2ln7dS_pcXWhZ265JXHBEvWTGUo0wVn13lE8NUh0c5rxUriR-iCxqqzs-cBU0wfWP7JfOf2bk9mcXJMkjEhWag_e8ntZ4mgKI54iZHtW_wKudJFXoS_SKA/s320/form+007.jpg)
We put on a second layer of duct tape, using white duct tape so we could see where we'd already put the tape. I was getting tired standing for so long (maybe because it was 11:30 p.m. or maybe because I'm just getting old) but it was worth it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8HNzoWCzkRuVIi6RQedUj9COQPwv5ds2VMdJBnlFcsD3_tcFJxMWRPKsHVOCU6b3gIrISHAbfC_JFpMSgbAxGc_598DZy0NTZZgdKGoevPcEwRLH2rXKmetYbpKqlRP23ZQvNX2BCbA/s320/form+008.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8Bfw6_EmahXuKf68RheFv0JVHLh74YAC25ngPDh_qhMDIAXZFf299sojdUrqmm_B4GUNrvx51gGNDa3jh3LgbtO7ySOXmS5_aoibn4VaUnUEaMrOa0EVSYzTsEOC5rIwEFWUY3TIxSw/s320/form+009.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXow8IJx5bcgPrxAJhf-NA6u53IISw51_ZUR6RO-mdfqKn0eGR5eHBnbWqEslkNwx7O4Mhf7pbjHENVKGDR3jxVJ2N7iDApEt1YZO7hRx3w89gezO7EfIdd6Wx87tIITZ4U-Mwa0ng310/s320/form+010.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLs5t5gCRNOscQfr7KVkIbcbieqtXizVUg6tTU5uYVBSlN7DUhJrAUOKLGTP5jwDaMkhIOLNTzdJ94HaldcGSuUZORJ-hJgfB2cROHIa5jAhgVNPiAx_0CEBeeCg8f9MCSH6zgwlp0Hk/s320/form+011.jpg)
We ran out of white duct tape but thought we had enough layers already so
then we cut off the duct taped shirt
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIvXlEm9YVaLw-y9I94cSponoSs38oOVFW_txYL5YR9_q8AKIakMsbXg8UTAumb-DI_Ccg6LAo-5QB3PHfdMOwXn9e3gimVreSmEpOLNj-M9QZC222is9fizaaZ82AXCp-ecZOW3sNA0/s320/form+012.jpg)
Then we stuffed the shirt with newspaper
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9O2isAkQGn-aY3xy2EAZVOrkabuuO-fC1HS1vtlX_4wKfxbSj3nL74EtgkawT34tzVc2hoaJv-HznNLv3myr33CtUzPZhiCSPco8Ms5Mr_Z8HF0M80f7o7h3Sr0C2D0545uePshLk7zk/s320/form+022.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Qz_2g8PY1ZHSwLgWP-TXLQClwxUtI7zM0m4V9bHCDzOvpFbEe-EkRhLC7i4pm0MyHPa-K65u_UyGZrqbCOeS3m3fOhn7cNEl_xRfMt1xTFYuzR2nTCyzizOxlcgKY4rWppEbIXOIRBA/s320/form+020.jpg)
and sealed the bottom with paper and tape.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PyzPjJ1NMRweQubhvRsppLdnRbG2b45yp_-RXmPQuq-0iY4JTz-JZlAX7vseeN0fNWzERrMZ7N84qgidla0yge3PpRzTDUQ3wcNCUvv0LiVEORA06Wy-M8ReVeG3l_pCCt1J1I1SR5E/s320/form+024.jpg)
We used black duct tape to seal up the top portion so the paper wouldn't fall out.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKQGH2vZVWARvxQaDUyYawSq5tHQPKH75TW2p23rFeSqQtOXGIo9aIhgXU7o7Gt1W0AJZrzLRPo6nyQ1uNar7y3SQFK-pdC5Hoy-j1hrhhfghudtcpEvDul64tJVfEII37STbaQ_ZiE4/s320/form+031.jpg)
Then I made my own pattern off of one of my favorite dresses.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVN_X9TqrVFncT74vzWNAOUJFPlnYzJ8eO9lFA4qYMqA67H9WEkvf3gTz4zN06Ct8cL1pKTF0tG_2Z_AZTho2MydkjrQfgYWg1cA3SW75YaSSu1MAsXcFL_L8mTqHrM0JNVhHTuriSDtE/s320/form+046.jpg)
And started sewing
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhowxj7O_L8CsPGZoQ7ba2LIHV0MYDCCehLM85hyiICEA3nDk7vyK9b76RkjE_hVOEWwVmNNrJQNc-4ctoJm9sAjPaXHEOOHLv0Pk7MNtD8tSyRw3GO-HGHq1jRs0FX9mLfmaMBlEdbyQ/s320/form+051.jpg)
I had to adjust the shoulder seams and take it in on the sides, but it is a whole lot easier to get a good fit when you use a dress form that is made to your body.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MjpGww-V-GQMFsuoKetTYQ0Hcj-O03FEGMwsbcfEhED-h_QIswWXrFuruNy63JX67MpkqoWXCJe6SpWB9zbbiSAugfmvGHwOaKxzLxJjofMDFJq_fnFTe4MoM5fV4zrHO-EsfdEzx-U/s320/form+050.jpg)
And, I'm not model but here's how it came out (and I even had enough material to make a scarf)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQN7xdxel5jxeoiB3JGbMunsRc1CY9xeiGFDeKlHGse4Zf1oG6qC3ekCTNpPEj11MCDQ2ObCq7QTCLOzy7Ay-8jatRfgsiuQ771zwQQIAOERvBDajJW6jTfSUgQFBZmVJWx5bhwNzvIc/s320/dress+008.jpg)
I also tried using the scarf as a belt and a cummerbund for another look