1st puppet progress

[Phantom]

I've done this build and cut method also to get the patterns I routinely use. I started doing mockups this past year. It definitely saves fleece in the end. I can't tell you how many foam heads have made it to the dust bin in order to get what I want.

 

[ravagefrackle]

Interesting - how much work do you put into a mockup? Is it just paper or what kind of material?

i think everyone else has answered that for u ,
on a recent job i have done up to 10 mock ups, (client is very particular ), sometimes its one or two, sometimes its fifteen , all depends on what you or your client find works best , , i suggest you pic up some of the "junk" foam at a fabric shop, 1/2 " works for me, its easy to glue togother with contact cement and thin enough to cut and pinch quickly to find the right shape

 

[Snark Blarmsten]

Thanks everyone, lots to think about! I'll post again when I have some kind of update.

 

[Snark Blarmsten]

Update

Hi everyone,

As suggested, I tore off the neck - it wasn't going to work. I took my patterns and made fur pieces from them, slightly larger and made the cap for the head. This took some trial and error of course. In the end I did make a small mistake but I was able to adjust for it with the back part.

I made the jaw fur piece. Then I took measurements and got the circumference of the back of the end, front of the jaw area to make the sleeve. Out of this sleeve I cut a spot for the jaw and sewed it in. (This took about 3 tries with scraps to get it right).

That piece got sewn to the sides and back of the 'hood'. I did some of it while it was on the foam and some off, leaving the back unstitched in the center so I could shove the head back in, this I did and pinned it all up (nothing is glued yet).

I made a nose and pinned that on, it's some funky material glued on to a foam golf ball. Here's the pics as he stands now:

http://www.pixelmech.com/rev/pinned1.jpg

http://www.pixelmech.com/rev/pinned2.jpg

http://www.pixelmech.com/rev/pinned3.jpg

You can see where the back is still open, that's going to be a tricky sew. All the sewing was done by hand. I couldn't use a sewing machine because it left way too much of a thick edge around the stitch.

I'm going to do more finishing on the mouth probably, maybe like Dr. Teeth's bottom lip. I want to use ping pong balls for the eyes but I'm scared to cut into the head after getting the fur right! I'll make a practice piece first.

Comments are welcome. When I get some energy, I'll glue up the fur in some strategic places and move on to the body and arms.

Tom

 

[Melonpool]

Wow! I'd never guess this was your first puppet! It looks great! I did a little digging, and found a picture of my first puppets (from 12 years ago). As you can see, your's is head and shoulders above my first attempts!

http://www.melonpool.com/BLC/originals.jpg

Steve

 

[Snark Blarmsten]

Thanks Steve Actually, those first puppets of yours look pretty good, I think.

 

[ravagefrackle]

seems like you are getting the hang of things good luck

 

[Snark Blarmsten]

Thank you ravage - I got a looong way to go though!

 

[puppetsmith]

Looking good, Snark.

 

[Jinx]

When I sew fur I do it by machine. I brush the fur away from the edge, use LOTS of pins and watch how it feeds through the machine very carefully. After sewing I trim the seam allowance as close to the seam as I can to reduce bulk. Then I use the head of a pin to pick the fur out of the seam, which helps to disguise it.

Instead of Ping-Pong balls cut in half you might consider using "dome eyes". The place I got mine from has gone out of business, but if you do a search here in the forum I'm sure you can find a source. These are great because you only need to punch a small hole for the post to go through. then it locks with a ring from the inside, and they're extremely secure. If you revisit my site and look at Walter there are step-by-step pictures of his construction showing this type of eye.

Your puppet is really looking good! You should feel encouraged!