This step is pretty simple. I like to cut out my mouth plate from fleece, although many people prefer using felt. This whole step is done with the fabrics inside out. After pinning the fleece to the fur- I sew it together (once again!) with the whip stitch. Then, I turn it right side out, just to see how cool it looks- and if I need to fix anything. :) Tomorrow, I will be working on the rest of the mouthplate parts.

(Technical note- Been having a bit of trouble with the blog stats and comments today, so if you sent something don't worry- I'm sure it will be on tomorrow when weebly works the bugs out. Another option is to send me a note on my Joy Filled Puppets page on face book.)

I did a lot more pinning and sewing today. Whip stitch is the boss- works best for me for speed and durability. As you can see in the picture of the inside-out fabric, I pin all the pieces to each other before sewing. I like to do it that way so I don't have to stop to pin every couple of minutes. I've used a brown colored thread so you can see where the stitches go. This Projectpuppet.com pattern has the three body parts- head, neck and torso. It goes together really smoothly. I just love this fur- so glad I will have quite a bit more leftover to play with for other puppets and parts. So fun! Tomorrow, I will be working on the mouth plate.

Tonight, I sewed up the head pieces. Beginning with the darts on each head piece individually I pin the dart sides together.  I use a whip stitch to sew them up on the backing side. Then I pin the two halves together (fur side in) and whip stich all the way up from the neck hole to the mouth opening. I then sew up the pieces that will become the chin. Now, I get to turn it right side out to see how it looks! Yay! At this point I also like to "test out" the foam inside the head to see how everything fits so far. It looks great, so tomorrow I will turn it inside out again and continue with the body panels.

Before I get into sewing fur- I'd like to show you a little bit about different types of materials that can be used for hair. This furry monster that I am working on will even have a "poof" of hair above his eyes. This picture shows some materials I have used to make hair. (L to R) Yarn, faux fur, marabou fur, doll hair. I've also cut fleece into strips, used wigs, and artificial cob webs. Your imagination is pretty much your limit! A fun thing I love to do is go to the thrift store, and sometimes the shopping mall and hit the clearance sales with puppets in mind (especially good after Halloween!). You'll be surprised what deals and inspiration you will find.
Tomorrow, we'll talk noses!!

After the character sketch has been approved, it's time to choose the proper fabric. In the case of this monstery hand puppet, the furrier the better. After going to a few of my favorite online* fabric stores, I narrow it down to a couple different long pile furs.
Although the top choice is a nice long pile purple fur, I like the bottom fur better for it's wild "hairy" texture.

(*If you live in a large city- head to the fabric district! I am in the middle of Nowheresville, an hour from anywhere of significance.)