A Little Quandary

Published: Fri, 02/16/24

February 16, 2024

We all have valuable resources, and time seems to be my most valuable as I get older. When you're a teen, time is nothing, and it's implausible to see how it would possibly pertain to be of value!

As life matures, it seems to grow more valuable. But the good news is that when you are older and have worthwhile projects to fill your time, your life is filled with joy.

But time isn't our only valuable resource. So are our funds. I ran across this article the other day (and I put it in a pdf because I don't like referring to articles that are behind a paywall and you can't read it). They were talking about a service/product that can scan and make you a foam mannequin for around $400 to $500, and I thought that was a pretty decent price. Still, it was a lot of money and would put it out of range for many folks. But a mannequin can be a game-changer in your sewing studio.

I taught a class on mannequins that were probably a finished price of about $300 to $350, and I still thought that was fair for what the student got. This mannequin you could press on her, pin her, drape on her, AND she was changeable after your body aged so that it would last your whole life. Mine has (for about forty years now), and I'm still using mine.

This was the Uniquely You mannequin, which came with foam innards, and then you constructed a cover, I really didn't like the cover that came with the mannequin kit and recommended that folks get duck canvas at Joann's to make the cover sturdy and last a lifetime. I could even do posture and stance on the mannequin for my students.

But something happened to the company. I would love to know what if anyone finds out, let me know. The idea of foam inside and cover wasn't that far-fetched. Even better, it was a nice alternative to the $800/$900 Wolf forms that lasted until you changed sizes and then returned it and paid another $800/$900 for a new one! Yikes!!!

So, the idea of a foam inside crafted from a scan of the body sounded remarkable. The article was originally published in 2016, which is six years ago, and the price was reasonable. Even if it went up slightly from $500 to $600, that would be too bad.

But HOLY COW!!! Almost 400% price increase. That sounded a little high to me.

But I wanted to ask you all what you thought. Would an exactly-measured mannequin be worth it to you? They clarify that this mannequin is a copy of your body in time. That is, if your body changes, you would have to purchase a new mannequin.

One commenter responded that they could make a sloper out of the measurements, and the response was they were thinking about that.

I'm trying to put this into perspective, comparing my sewing machine I got a couple of years ago - more like 5 years ago. But I didn't mind spending that money on it, cause the last one I bought lasted for 20 years, while the one before that, lasted about 20 years (and I still have both of them).

Here's the prototype DIY version of this mannequin, which would be less expensive, although they don't say how much.

This looks promising and is something that could bring the price down. This would make this product much more accessible for many more sewists.

I'm looking intensely at this because the Uniquely You company has quit making mannequins or closed. My Bernina dealer called them to see if she could sell them to my students out of the store because we were having a hard time getting them. They had sold and promised to return to shipping them soon but never did. Most stores sold out of their stock and never got any more in. I always hate hearing these stories about sewing suppliers, particularly when they make valuable products that work and last so long.

I'll watch this company, but let me know what you think about this price. Do you think this is worth the price they are charging? Would you pay this price for this product?

I'd be interested to hear what you all have to say.

The SewingArtistry Resource Library is designed to contain information to not only make your sewing better, but to aid in you fitting and flattering your shape, size and style. Check it out.

Look for future classes coming in 2024
The Core Pattern Shirt, (one of my favorites for woven core pattern that you can make into a myriad of different garments),
Basic Knit Top (core pattern class for knit basic tops, shells, tees, dresses, and tunics)