Padding a Stand and Making and Bum Pad

Padding is used when there is not a stand available that is correct to the size of the character. Padding can also be used to shape bodices where specifically the hips or the chest might need to be larger than the average mannequin.

Simply for padding stand you wrap wadding around the mannequin. You wrap it once, so that it is all covered joining at the back in one line.

You repeat this until you reach the desired size.

At each level of wadding check the size of the waist, bust and hips to check how much more or less wadding in needed for the correct size.

It is helpful to put a tape around the wadding to recreate the lost waist and get the waist to the correct size.

To hold the wadding to the mannequin it is good to pin the wadding at an angle so the wadding pulls against the pins without coming loose.

You now have your new mannequin to the correct size for reference

Bum pads, like the one above are used to give a costume more shape, and were often used during the Georgian era.

To create our new bum pad, we used a bum pad that had already been made to help give a starting point for drafting the new bum pad paper pattern.

Having drawn roughly around the bum pad, we also measured the centre back to get an accurate measurement

Having drawn out the pattern on paper with the measurements we then cut out the paper patterns and drew it out on fabric.

The pattern we drew is thinner around the middle so that there is less wadding inside than the one that we drew the pattern from. We also extended the sides of the bum pad to make it fit around the character better.

To construct the bum pad, you sew the right sides together, stitching ties on each end, and leaving a small amount not sewn on the inside of the pattern.

You use this unsewn space to help pull the fabric the right side out, and then fill the pad with wadding, hand sewing it back together when the bum pad is full.

Character shape achieved!