Tags
bjd, BJD Clothing, Cheaty Method, Clothing Pattern, diy, Doll, Doll clothes, Hack, Laziness FTW, Patter drafting, Pattern
Corsets are absolutely gorgeous, but the pattern sketching process is so painful it’s almost not worth it. If you are lazy and hate measurements like me, you will love this method of sketching corsets. Although it is most ideal for corsets, it can also be used to create any type of tight-fitting clothing.
You will need:
- A doll
- Saran wrap
- Tape
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Paper
Step 1.
Pick a doll to make the corset for. Since this will be form-fitting, it will need to be the exact doll that you will put the garment on.
I am using a Fairyland Minifee body here.
Step 2.
Wrap the body in saran wrap.
Step 3.
Wrap the body in tape. Scotch tape is idea (what I’m using here), but other types of tape will work as well. CoverĀ a slightly largerĀ area than where the clothing will be covering. Try to follow the curvature of the body, using smaller pieces of tape where the curves are more defined. Also make sure to tape in different directions so the whole thing would not fall apart when it is removed from the doll.
Step 4.
Sketch your corset on the tape. Start with the outline, then make out the center front line and the center back line. Next, mark divisions on the breast area. You would need to make cut lines where ever there are defined curves (i.e. chest and waist).
Step 5.
Cut along the center back seam to remove the tape structure from the doll. Then, cut along the outline of the corset. Try it on the doll to check how it looks, and when satisfied, cut along the center front seam to split the corset in half. Take the better looking half and separate that into more pieces by following the lines drawn previously. It is a good idea to number the pieces in order since they tend to look quite similar when cut into smaller pieces.
Step 6.
Trace the tape pieces onto paper, or whatever you prefer to create patterns on. I am using cue cards here because I like the stiffness of them. Add seam allowance. I chose to trace it once, but you can also flip the pieces over and trace again to get the other half of the corset so you do not have to flip the pattern when cutting the fabric later on, but this is completely up to you.
And that’s it! Super easy and fast compared to the traditional way with measurements and math(ew)!
Not only is this great for corsets, but I have also used this method for bras, bodice part of dresses, and even shorts!
Here are some examples of clothing made with this method. I hope you will give this a try, and please share pictures of your work, I would love to see it!