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The fur all cut and ready to go for the head of the furry monster puppet!
The fur just arrived yesterday, so I'm off and cutting. But first- I got the best tip right here on the blog from Amy Sue and I just have to pass it on! She mentioned cutting patterns out of plastic to make them last. So awesome! I picked up some placemats at the dollar store, traced my patterns on them, and cut them out. So easy, and so amazing. Thanks, Amy Sue!

A couple tips on cutting out fur-
1. Make sure the nap is all going the right direction when you put the pattern down. (The fur will look terrible if it is sewn together in different directions!)
2. When you are cutting, only cut the bottom fabric that the fur is attached to. This is done easily using small snips.
3. Always remember to flip the pattern over to cut "the other side of the head" instead of creating 2 left sides or right sides. I know it sounds simple and silly, but I've done it. :)
I usually get all of my fur cut out before I start any sewing, so I'll wait and get started on the sewing tomorrow.


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Plastic place mats- super cheap investment in the life of your patterns.
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I usually trace my patterns onto the fabric with a marker. If it is a light fabric, I will use a chalk or something that disappears easily.
 
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Now it's time to collect up my plethora of pattern pieces! For the monstery purple puppet, I will be using the "Mostro" pattern that I bought from projectpuppet.com . (I highly recommend their patterns- they are very complete and easy to follow!) I previously used this pattern on Brrrnadette, my teenage Yeti puppet,  so it's already been cut. When I do cut out the patterns, I have found it is really helpful to use spray adhesive to mount them to a heavy cardboard. They last quite awhile longer that way, and have some weight for holding down the fur, foam or fabric that I am tracing them onto. Looks like I've got all my pieces- tomorrow we'll be cutting out the foam!