August 14, 2011

Quite possibly the cutest miniature dressmakers form ever!


Day 226 of Vintage 365


 

There's an unspoken rule that if something is cute in its regular size, it stands to be utterly adorable if you shrink it down. From teacup pigs to miniature ponies, the animal kingdom is teaming with examples of this rule, but everyday life has plenty of cases, too - just think of doll houses, bite sized cupcakes, and baby clothes to name but three.

I think that dressmakers forms (aka busts or dummies) are amongst the most beautiful items one can have in their home. Whether used for their original purpose as a tailoring aid, put to use for storing and displaying items, or merely as a decorative element, there's something about there endearing blend of functionality and feminine beauty housed in dress forms that makes me swoon right, left and centre over them.

Usually, however, while strikingly attractive, "cute" isn't the first adjective that comes to mind when describing these classic sewing room inhabitants. Not at least, that it is, until some clever soul started making miniature forms of them. These pint sized version are nearly always just for organizational or decorative purposes, being to small to aid in the tailoring of just about anything but doll clothes.

I've seen numerous examples of miniature dressmaker's busts over the years, in all manner of materials (from metal to plastic), yet few have come close to being as wonderfully cute as the very, very lifelike version I spied this week on Pottery Barn's website.


 

There is such a marvelous authenticity to this smaller sized, vintage inspired sewing bust. From the wooden spindle leg to the cotton canvas body, I'm flat-out smitten with it. I could see this in so many spots around the house, from a dresser to a vanity, home office desk to a bookshelf. Really, for something this deeply sweet, there's scarcely a spot that wouldn't help its adorableness shine.

If, like me, you've fallen head-over-heels for this 26.5 inch tall miniature dress form, you can pick up one (or ten, you know, whatever works Winking smile) online from Pottery Barn, where they're available for $63.63 Cnd (apologizes to my US readers, the website is automatically showing me the price in Canadian dollars).

Then prepare to sit back and watch with a smile (and keen sense of what's coming) as everyone who walks into you house and sees this incredibly darling vintage style mini dressmaker's dummy squeals with delight and implores you to know where you got it from. Smile


3 comments:

  1. When I first started taking fashion design classes, there was a 1/4 scale dress form in the sewing lab office. I thought it was there for decoration and then it turns out that some of the most famous designers draped on a 1/4 scale dress form and then had one of their minions enlarge it and make a pattern for the design. You can still buy them from places like PGM but they are at least twice as much as the Pottery Barn forms and not nearly as cute for draping necklaces and pinning rings into... :)

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  2. ~ * ♥ * ~

    I am smitten with the mini dress form too! It's amazing how everything is cuter when it has been shrunk... : )

    xox,
    bonita of Depict This!
    ~ * ♥ * ~

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