I have another question - we tried the technique last night but had a real problem with the T-shirt bunching around the waist. We wound up with the waist being about 3" too big! I know we can dart and tuck it and all, but how can we avoid the bunching problem?

Ya, this is a pain, but there's not much I can say except to be real careful while you wrap to not push the shirt up. If you have an extra person to hold down the shirt, that's great, but most people are lucky to get just one friend to help wrap. I also think you might be wrapping a little too tight through the hip area. This will push the shirt up toward the waist because it's smaller than the hips. Try wrapping tight at the waist and then slack off a little going down through the hip area.

Do you think wrapping over pantyhose to make a leg form will result in an overly "smooshed" form?

I think I'd try over sized tights so they aren't so tight. I bought some at KMart once that I wanted to use as tights but they were too big and bagged all over. I think that would work well.

When making the DTD I am wondering if I should wear my usual bra underneath, as I am very small and always wear a fully padded A cup bra.  I am afraid if I don't wear a bra (like I saw recommended), the DTD will be flat. Suggestions?

For you I think it would be a good idea to wear the bra. I am also small and I was glad I did wear mine when I made my first double of myself.

I have a friend who has made 3 doubles with paper tape because of body changes. She loves them. I've been contemplating the use of 'painter's tape'. It's just like masking tape but is moveable till pressed firmly. It's slightly flexible to make covering curvy areas easier & was manufactured not to leave any residue on surfaces. It'll be easier to cut through, lighter & thinner, so more layers won't add much to the overall size. Also, it is significantly easier to work with. You don't have to be Hercules to pull it apart should 2 gummed sides get stuck together & is easier to smooth out ripples. When finished, a spray or brush-on fixative could be applied so it won't peel with time.

I doubt masking tape would be strong enough to hold the shape when stuffed. I had to stuff mine very well to get it to stand upright. I've had it 6 years now and haven't had sagging or shape distortions except the boobs have lost a little firmness, but I was able to fix this by adding a little Fiberfil from the neck when I added the head. I'm going to add instructions on using a raglan shoulder pad in each breast before stuffing.

When you tape, do you wrap around and around in a continuous strip, or do you cut different sized lengths?  Any suggestions you might have would be appreciated.  Thanks :)

I started out doing cut strips, but have switched to continuous lengths because it's much more secure when stuffed. You need to stuff firmly, but if you stuff too much cut strips can give a little and make the form larger than you are.

The bust area is the most difficult to tape for sure, and often comes out squished. It's not a hopeless situation though. When taping go carefully around the bust and do not tape tightly at all. If it still comes out smushed, you can make cuts in the area that needs altering, add stuffing or a set of raglan shoulder pads to enlarge as needed and retape over the added stuffing.

Is there any particular reason why they always instruct you to start at the bottom? What if I have to go to the rest room, or get claustrophobic?

I always start from the top. It takes me about one to two hours to wrap someone. Your idea of leaving the bottom for last is perfectly fine. It's the easiest part to do too, You could probable do the bottom in less than 20 minutes.

The claustrophobic and bladder difficulty points are both well given. But this process is very accommodating to changes for you personal needs. Like I say, this is an old art and not patented. You can do it anyway that suites your needs.

How long an estimate should we allow for doing from start to finish the double?

It takes me 2 to 3 hours to wrap and at least 2 to 3 hours to stuff, sometimes 4.

I am very large busted, with my breasts being very close together.  I am afraid the the cross your heart thing would a) make my breasts stick out 6 inches on either side of me and/or b) compress my breasts so that the form would not be accurate.  When wearing a bra, which I must, there is very little indentation between my breasts in the bra area.  Any suggestions for taping this kind of bust?  I know that I am not alone in my fitting problem.

I have been wanting to try some ideas on someone with your figure, but haven't had a body like that to do as of yet.  My Mom's figure was close but she did just fine with the regular method.

So here are two untried ideas I've thought a lot about but am not sure which is best. They both may have merit depending on your shape. If you decide to try one, please tell me how it worked out for you.

1. Do tape the cross in-between the breasts to the breast bone taking care not to misalign them. Place a piece or two of tape along the sides of each breast (after the crossing tapes) that starts at the first setting tape up the side and across the neck to the opposite shoulder and then down the back to the setting tape. This should keep them from spreading out to the sides unnaturally.

2. Don't tape in-between the breasts until about half way out from the breast bone. Then follow the natural curve to the nipple area with slashes and darting.

Dear Ms Leanna, I purchased the instructions awhile back. I was hoping to lose some weight before I attempted making the DTD. Well, I didn't lose the weight. My daughter and I attempted making it on me just the other day. I am a Pear person, lots of hip. My hips are a good 12" larger than my waist. Has anyone come up with a good way to keep the tape from bunching up at the waist. Would starting below the hips help alleviate this problem? Thanks for any help you can give me.

Deborah

This happens to many people with ample hips. You are wrapping too tightly and the tape is bunching because it is seeking the smaller area nearer your waist. Many folks find it easier to do as you suggest and wrap starting below the hips, in the thigh area where you are slimmer and wrapping up through the wider area toward the slimmer waist. You can also try doing the vertical wrapping layer first, then wrapping horizontal.

The results:

I want to thank you for your advice on the DTD. A while back I emailed you with a problem. The duct tape was bunching up badly around my waist.

My niece came to visit a few weeks ago and did my taping. We took your advice. We did the top just like the instructions to the waist. In the back which was where it bunched up the most (I am apparently very sway back) we did the vertical strips. She did short horizontal strips in the front. Then she did the second wrapping from the bottom up. When she came to the waist, she did a lot of clipping (like you would do for clipping an armhole in a garment) so it would spread out and not bunch.

I have stuffed her this weekend. Boy!! was that an eye opening experience. Now I know why I couldn't alter my clothes to fit me. I knew I had put on weight, but I didn't really comprehend it until I saw myself in 3D. I see me how others see me. My doctor had already put me on an exercise program. This is even a better incentive to keep on it.

For my stand I used what I thought was pvc pipe. I later found out it is a sewer pipe. I wondered why it was black inside the pipe. I cut a 2' x 2' , 1/2in piece of plywood into a circle and centered what I assume to be a flange in the center. To be sure it doesn't wobble I will probably seal it with silicone or drill a hole in the in the side and put a screw in it. Now I am armed with a body double of myself and the book "Fit for Real People". I am looking forward to making some new clothes now.

Thank you so very much,
Deborah

Hi Leanna -

I got the instructions easily. Thank you! I have a couple questions -

1) when doing the initial crossover taping between the breasts, does the tape come down in the back to make an "X" also or does it come straight down?

2) when taping vertically, am I supposed to use one big piece of tape to go from back to front, and if so, how do I shape the tape around the tight curves by the neck and shoulders? I'm assuming that the sides just come down from the armpit.

Thanks! Scott

Great ! It bothers me when folks have a hard time getting the file. I know it's large and some computers have trouble with it, but once the problems are overcome it's usually easy to figure out.

Yes, the turtle neck should work nicely. I don't suggest it because it does get cut up and many folks would rather use an old T-shirt.

And yes, just ignore the bust details, unless you are the type of guy who has been body building. Then you may want to capture the muscle definition you so carefully worked to create. Or if you're into cross dressing you will want to do your wrapping with your regular undergarment that change your shape and then wrap as directed in the bust area.

There are lots of tips and detail in the instruction on how and where to wrap, but you also have to gauge that to your body's needs. The whole idea is to get a double of "you" what ever that may be.

I haven't been doing whole arms because that's just something that's better fitted on the real body. Though the Double is a great tool, it can't replace a body totally. You still need to try the garment on for the best fine tuning of the finishing alterations. That includes things like sleeve length because you need to consider the movement of the arm, which the Double can't do.