HELP - Hints and tips for working with fur fabric needed

My 10yr old daughter has landed the part of "Sandy"...Annie's dog and I have
to make her costume.

I've got one I can sort of copy ... my real problem here is I've never
worked with fur fabric before.

Hints and tips will be greatly appreciated. The fabric I have bought has a
1/2" pile.

Ideas on how to make a waggable tail ( is a rotating tail too much to ask
for ) would also be appreciated.

Any URLs for pantomine animal costumes?

Thanks

Karen

I remember a cat costume my mom made me for Halloween way back when, and the
tail was stuffed so tightly that it curled up like a real cat.
Something else I remember seeing on HGTV on Sew Perfect when working with
real or faux fur, was to push the fur to the inside, (which would be the
right side of the fabric) to sew the seam, that way the fur will hide the
seam, and no one would be the wiser on that.

Maine-iac Rose
@---
remove the thorns and add a hyphen between the 2 words to email me.

"Ian" wrote in message
...
My 10yr old daughter has landed the part of "Sandy"...Annie's dog and I
have
to make her costume.

I've got one I can sort of copy ... my real problem here is I've never
worked with fur fabric before.

Hints and tips will be greatly appreciated. The fabric I have bought has a
1/2" pile.

Ideas on how to make a waggable tail ( is a rotating tail too much to ask
for ) would also be appreciated.

Any URLs for pantomine animal costumes?

Thanks

Karen

On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 16:27:07 +0100, Ian wrote:
Hints and tips will be greatly appreciated. The fabric I have bought has a
1/2" pile.

http://sewing.about.com/library/weekly/aa092000a.htm
http://sewing.about.com/library/sewn.../aafab0103.htm

Ideas on how to make a waggable tail ( is a rotating tail too much to ask
for ) would also be appreciated.

http://www.valhallaarms.com/wyvern/dragon/tail.htm

On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 16:27:07 +0100, "Ian"
wrote:



. . . I've never
worked with fur fabric before.

Hints and tips will be greatly appreciated. The fabric I have bought has a
1/2" pile.

I'm working with fake fur for the first time too, and one
thing the pattern didn't mention is "Keep a small vacuum
cleaner to hand at all times while cutting."

And "Be *very* careful never to point the back end toward
your work."

And "Don't let the business end of the vacuum go anywhere
near scraps, small pieces, or tapered tails that you haven't
got a firm grip on."

The plush dents when I roll a cutter over it -- possible,
and easy in that you don't have to cut very deep to separate
the fabric, but not at all pleasant to follow an accurate
line.

The scissors choke about halfway through a cut when I slide
the blade under the fabric. Eventually I hit on slipping
the point under just the backing, pushing it in until it is
stopped by the fur, then snipping. Despite the very short
cuts, this goes quite fast, it's very easy to follow sharp
curves, and it makes a much smaller explosion of fluff than
cutting through the pile does.

Joy Beeson
--
http://home.earthlink.net/~joybeeson/ -- needlework
http://home.earthlink.net/~beeson_n3f/ -- Writers' Exchange
joy beeson at earthlink dot net

joy beeson wrote:


The scissors choke about halfway through a cut when I slide
the blade under the fabric. Eventually I hit on slipping
the point under just the backing, pushing it in until it is
stopped by the fur, then snipping. Despite the very short
cuts, this goes quite fast, it's very easy to follow sharp
curves, and it makes a much smaller explosion of fluff than
cutting through the pile does.

Have you tried cutting it with a scalpel?
--
Kate XXXXXX
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

The plush dents when I roll a cutter over it --

The scissors choke about halfway through a cut when I slide
the blade under the fabric. Eventually I hit on slipping
the point under just the backing, pushing it in until it is
stopped by the fur, then snipping.

Joy, try cutting it from the back, after drawing the cutting lines on. I use
small scissors, like the kind I use to snip thread at the machine, and just
snip, snip through the backing, without cutting all that pile.

If you do this, then vacuum each piece after it's cut, you'll have much less
mess.

I also found that wearing a face mask kept the fur out of my nostrils, which
was decidedly unpleasant!

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

I'm working with fake fur for the first time too, and one thing the pattern
didn't mention is "Keep a small vacuum cleaner to hand at all times while
cutting."

The plush dents when I roll a cutter over it The scissors choke about
halfway through a cut when I slide the blade under the fabric.

Like Karen, I turn the fabric to the wrong side and mark the cutting lines on
the back of the fabric, then I cut just barely through the backing, being
careful not to cut the actual fur. I use either a craft knife such as Exacto,
or a single edge razor blade - depending on how much I have to cut and whether
I can be bothered to find out where DH put the Exacto kit this time - and I
really cannot say it has ever been much of a problem.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

"joy beeson" wrote in message
...
The plush dents when I roll a cutter over it [...]

The scissors choke about halfway through a cut when I slide
the blade under the fabric.

I understand that it's best to cut it from the back using a razor blade.

Sally H

my DH has taken my tools from the house to use outside or in the garage,
(his) and then i get mad that he doesn't return my tools, so i finally got
on his back about leaving my tools for the inside the home, and if you need
it outside or in the garage, then use yours. If you can not remember where
you put your tools, that is not my problem, and now my tools stay inside
where they belong and where i can get to them.

Maine-iac Rose
@---
remove the thorns and add a hyphen between the 2 words to email me.

"Olwynmary" wrote in message
snip
I can be bothered to find out where DH put the Exacto kit this time - and
I
Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

my DH has taken my tools from the house to use outside or in the garage,
(his) and then i get mad that he doesn't return my tools

Ah, but you see, the Exacto kit IS his!!!! I just borrow it on occasion! And
yes, indeed, I create a right royal fuss when he takes my tools and doesn't put
them back. (he is, slowly, improving on that score).

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.