This. And duct tape dummies that burst apart everywhere whenever you so much as look at them :I

Yeah. If I ever received an unsuitable dummy, I would ask for a whole new one and put the suit on hold. I'm not going to try and tape it up and guess their measurements based on scraps of fabric.

THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME TO IMPLEMENT THIS! <3

How do you stuff all of the limbs if it's already taped up? o.o

Slice a hole and tape it back up. I don't want to say "tape up everything except the chest" since everyone makes their seams in different areas and it's easier to just make it an all or nothing policy.

Also Often I stuff limbs from the hand/feet opening. My hands are small :3

Hm. I always sort of stuffed it as I went along taping it up. This... this would probably be much easier.

I always tape up the arms/legs/hips then stuff it halfways then tape up the rest and cap off all the edges with extra stuffing.

I'm a little confused. Just to be sure I understand, after one is cut out of a DTD, you'd like it to be taped back up before being sent in?

yup :3

Ah, I never did this because honestly no one told me to before now. I guess I figured that the fursuit maker wanted it unsealed to make stuffing easier on their end?

No you're not the only one. In my memory I've never ever gotten a DTD that was taped up. It's just not commonly discussed, DTD tutorials do not mention it usually, and something I myself never thought about before.

If folks still want me to tape it, I will. It'll just add a little bit to the suit price for the time :p

I don't have a problem doing it, simply said, no one ever brought it up before. :) Interesting, though, I wonder if others will start doing it?

Well from the sounds of the feedback on this, sounds like many already already have. Just quietly.

*nods* I will keep it in mind when I give you more work. :)

I personally despise having to tape up the seams, and thus this has been part of my TOS for YEARS...
and I want to rage-quit every time someone fails to read my site and sends me a cut up dummy. >_0

I always just took it as part of the service, but given how tight time seems to get as I go on, it just occurred to me that there's no reason I need to do this for every suit when it does not really take any particular skill.

exactly, time is valuable, and taping up a dummy is something anyone can do, creating a fursuit head however...

Oh~ I believe I need to send you my DTD when you start to make my suit, right?

Just make sure, I need to tape up all the seams, like it's a non-seams DTD suit?
And how do I send it? Just press it as flat as possible? ^^;

I don't think you are in the queue right? I don't recall what you wanted (partial or full) but if you commission a full from me then yup you need to send a duct tape dummy about a month before I begin your suit.

Yeah tape it up like I mentioned then just fold it flat and send it in a box. I stuff it here.

Errr.... I asked a 3/4 upper body partial suit in March via email. @@
Then I also paid 550 for the first payment.
You told me you will give me a notice when my slot is, so I'm just waiting. ^^;
If you can't remember, my email is jcintw[at]gmail.com
I hope I didn't misunderstand anything.^^;

Ah! I found your quote form in the 'unpaid/customer not interested pile' but went through paypal and DID find your matching deposit.

I really have no idea why for the major oversight but I apologize :( I will add you to my queue on my website asap. I have not actually sorted out who will be done when yet so no worries that this has put you at the back of any lines.

Yes for you I'd like a DTD so I can get the tailoring on the upper body correct ^^

Haha....glad I asked...^^;
I just sent you an mail for some DTD questions. ^^;

Just wondering- why do builders ask for duct tape dummies specifically? I've always wondered. :0 Do people usually fuck up their measurements?

even if the measurements are really accurate, there's always some give/take in the areas between the bits mesured, not everyone is made of the same curves. In short, a DTD is a proper body double, measurements are just numbers. Accuracy is awesome :)

A duct tape dummy is the closest (and cheapest) way towards making a portable body mold of an individual. It generally only costs $20 the most to make a DTD and the end result gives the closest thing to the individual him/herself. This is a substitute towards a mannequin, which can only match certain dimensions.

Some builders also rely on DTD for making the body suits have proper dimension with the individual (much like UV maps to my modeling folks).

A quick question though: wouldn't the additional duct tape on the seems, which were normally apart, cause shipping in certain boxes to now be a problem in comparison to prior dummies that could fit in said boxes? Just something I thought may ask about, though doubt it'd have any major effects.

-Flame

You may need to use a slightly larger box this is true. It is rare that I receive a dummy that is just *crammed* in there though (there is usually lots of room left over) so I don't see it as a major issue

4/5 people who do straight measurements get them wrong :X To date, only 1 person who doesnt make fursuits professionally or is a tailor(out of a good 40ish) have had their measurements accurate enough that their bodysuit fit them. But thats just my experience.

Yeah, that's what I figured. :0

The "I need a body double" thing just seems kind of absurd to me for sewing a simple bodysuit with a zipper in the back. :0

Most people who ask for DTD make very form-fitting bodysuits tailored specifically to that person - not a 'One size fits all'.

In addition, if they want padding in the suit, it's really something that needs to be done over a body double.

Oooh. I didn't know people used shaping in their suits- most I've seen have curve to the waist or something, but no darts or shaped seams (I can't imagine what it's like to press fursuit seams while you work, so heavy!). I'd love to look at the inside of one of your fitted suits that don't have padding. Most I've seen are just basic jumpsuit patterns with maybe a little curve in the sides and some tapering in the sleeve. I figured people were just taking measurements off of a big heavy duct tape thing they ordered in the mail then using it just to check fit. I wouldn't call a custom drafted pattern one-size-fits-all, though.

Cutting up a dummy into a pattern is boss XD Makes life super way easier than taking measurements off of it.

THE MORE YOU KNOW.

ps. you better sit with me in the Alley at FWA this year. :0 and buy a muthafukin hat

I never even thought of doing this ever until you mentioned it. X3