1230 g Flat Disc Weight for Dress Form Bases and Patterns

Disc Weight for Balancing Dress Forms and Display Mannequins

A round, flat weight of 1230 grams, made of metal with a silver finish, with no handle. It is a low, wide disc with a smooth top surface, and it is designed first of all for balancing: you place it on the base of a dress form or display mannequin to add weight and lower the center of gravity.

Anyone who works with a dress form knows the moment when you dress it in a heavy coat, an evening gown with a train or a fabric that pulls to one side, and the form starts to wobble. In a shop window, too, when a display mannequin stands on one leg or on a light base, extra weight in the base helps it stand more steadily. A flat disc suits this exactly, because it sits low and does not stick up above the base.

On the cutting table the same weight does a different job: thanks to its low profile, it holds a pattern and fabric in place and is less likely to get in the way of a hand, scissors or a ruler passing by.

When photographing garments on a form, as you arrange the garment again and again and pull it from every side, extra weight in the base helps the form stay put and keep the same angle from shot to shot.

Common Uses

• Stabilizing a dress form base: adding weight to the base when working with heavy garments and fabrics.
• Stabilizing a display mannequin: extra weight for the base of a display mannequin in a shop or a display window.
• Holding patterns: fixing large pattern pieces on fabric, especially in areas where a tall weight gets in the way of your hand.
• Spreading fabric: holding down the end of a rolled fabric, or a fabric that tends to fold over on the table.
• Leatherwork: holding a flat template on leather while marking.

Who It Is For

Seamstresses, pattern makers and tailors who work on a dress form and want extra stability, clothing shops and window dressers, and studios that photograph garments on mannequins and want them to stand straight throughout the shoot. Anyone working with large patterns will also benefit from it on the cutting table.

Professional Tips

• Before placing the disc on the form's base, check that the base surface is flat and wide enough for the weight to sit on it steadily.
• Place the weight close to the center of the base, around the pole, not at the edge. Weight at the edge can tip the form to one side.
• If the fabric or garment pulls to one side, you can place the weight slightly toward the opposite side.
• On the cutting table, combine it with weights that have handles: the disc for areas next to the cutting line, and the taller weights for the corners.
• Because there is no handle, lift the disc with two fingers from the sides, and do not slide it across delicate fabric.

Common Mistakes

• Thinking a weight replaces a stable base. It adds weight, but a form whose base is damaged or too small needs a suitable base.
• Placing the disc on a sloped or rounded base, where it could slide off.
• Moving the form while the weight is still on the base. Take it off first, then move the form.

What Makes This Model Different From the Other Weights in the Series

This is the only weight in the series designed specifically for balancing the base of a dress form and display mannequin. It is a flat disc with no handle, weighing 1230 grams. The round 700-gram weight also has no handle, but it is lighter and taller in proportion, and is designed mainly for patterns. The 1500-gram models with a handle, in the silver version and in versions with a cover, are designed for the cutting table and leatherwork.

Images are for illustration only; slight color differences between screens are possible.

Type: flat disc weight, no handle

Weight: 1230 grams

Shape: round and flat, smooth top surface

Material: metal with a silver finish

Color: silver

Use: stabilizing the base of a dress form and display mannequin; holding patterns

SKU: 10917

Unit of sale: per piece