Where in the world is Antron Fleece?

[TheCreatureWork]

Brandi's (from Georgia Stage) reply:


[FONT=Times New Roman,serif][FONT=Calibri,sans-serif]IT’S STILL BEING MANUFACTERED.. BUT IT’S SLOW GO.[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman,serif][FONT=Calibri,sans-serif]I HAVEN’T HAD ANY IN LIKE 5 MONTHS.. [/FONT][/FONT]

 

[D'Snowth]

I'm kind of glad I don't have this problem myself, lol.

I know people here list a lot of cons that come with polar fleece, but I really like it myself, and it certainly gets the job done for me.

My problem is I can't really find what I call "specialty" fabrics: furs and such, whether it's nice shaggy fur for monsters and squirrel tails, or short plushy fur for squirrels; I know people say "Well, go to Jo-Ann's! Jo-Ann's has EVERYTHING!" Well, NO they DON'T. Especially not fur. I can get really great polar fleece, felt, and other simple fabrics like that at Jo-Ann's, but that's just about it; when it comes to something like fur, I've had to make strange purchases to get the right fur and color, ranging from buying shaggy throw decorative pillows, to ordering a yard or two online... and another problem with fur is that half the time, it's sold as a "seasonal item", so my only chances of getting anything right is during the cold winter months.

But, that's off topic, we're talking about antron, and other fleece alternatives. Again, I know people keep looking at the cons, but there are a lot of pros with polar fleece as well: it's available in a rainbow of colors, almost all-year long; it may not be as fuzzy as antron, but it does a decent job at hiding seams as well, especially if you take the time to try your hand at the Henson Stitch. Even darker colors of polyester fleece (like drab grays and such) can get the job done as well.

 

[Puppetainer]

Yeah, I agree with Gordon that it's not a bad idea to start getting comfortable with other fabrics. I also agree D'Snowth that Polar Fleece isn't such a horrible fabric to work with. I do still prefer Antron, but it's limited availability has forced me to try other things.

As for fur...I completely agree that the fabric stores are going to be of very little use. I still haven't really bought any but I've gathered a few links to some online sellers (mostly from our friends here at MCF) that I can share.

http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/catalog_items.aspx?TypID=118
http://www.mendels.com/fur2.shtml

Give them a try! I'm going to be ordering some soon to start my next monster puppets. My first couple came from an old bathrobe. How's that for alternate materials?

 

[spcglider]

Mendels has a pretty darn good selection of furs. My wife found some fur for me to re-build Furry Ackermonster with that's nearly perfect. And he's built from leftover fur from Seasme Street Live... which is all custom stuff.

-G

 

[D'Snowth]

Mendel's is just too pricey for me, especially in shipping from the west coast all the way to the east coast... it all adds up.

 

[Animal31]

Mendel's is just too pricey for me, especially in shipping from the west coast all the way to the east coast... it all adds up.

I just purchased 5 yards from Distinctivefabric, shipping was only $17.00 from CA to MA.........

$20.00 for long fur, plenty of colors to chose, and they have one called "stringy" that I'm going to check out.

 

[D'Snowth]

That still seems a little steep, though.

But I think I'll give a look at their selection anyway to see how they compare.

Incidentally, on the subject of online ordering, I've gotten some great aquamarine fur fabric for Bethany from fabric.com last year at a reasonable price (for the fabric, and the shipping). And they are GENEROUS too! I ordered a yard and a half, but the quantity of the fabric they gave me was almost like I had gotten two full yards, and even after building the puppet, I still have quite a bit of the fabric left over... I would think it should last for about three or four rebuilds/replacements of the same puppet.

 

[spcglider]

Well, D'Snowth,

I guess I can only say that if you want something specific, and nothing else will do, you're going to encounter the need to pony up for whatever it is you're trying to get.

It sucks that faux furs aren't as in-vogue as they used to be and are harder to get at typical fabric stores, but that's the breaks. We're all at the mercy of market forces.

Now, if you're willing to go a little "low rent" to get some pretty cool fake furs (but don't have a specific type or color in mind), there was a run on kooky lounge pillows a while ago and I see them popping up at the local thrift store from time to time. Many of them made of extremely long matted-looking fur. I've seen them in reds and greens most recently.

It all depends on how squeamish you are in re-using "used" materials.

-Gordon

 

[D'Snowth]

You're right Gordon.

I've noticed the throw pillows seem to come and go in fad cycles, though unfortunately, they're not always a nice shaggy fur (though they are sometimes, which is good), as other times, they're more like fine hairy material.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

That still seems a little steep, though.

$17-20 is not steep for quality faux fur, especially the longer hair. I do realize that it's important to work within your budget, but I've had to pay $30, $40 even $80 per yard for good, quality fur.