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Machinima, very cool. I'm looking forward to seeing this.

Ah, that's right you managed to read a copy of that (The Guide to Fraggle Floorwork), didn't you?

I don't think there's a "standard" size, but I've shrunk the scale I work in by anywhere from 25-50% over the past two years for exactly the reasons you mentioned. I sort of stumbled on to the idea when I was building puppets that had to be really small for something in 2004 and I fell in love...

That's great news. I don't know him myself, but I'm somewhat familiar with his work. He's been with Puppet Showplace for years and won a couple UNIMA awards hasn't he? I think the best way to learn puppetry is to work directly with someone who has years of experience if you can. It's a great...

I thought it would be a good idea to start a new thread listing all the different MC members who have puppetry blogs. The number has just exploded in the past year or two and with a lot of new people on the board I thought it would be a good idea for everyone to post a link to theirs along with...

They're also known as snap fasteners. There's a page with more info and a couple diagrams here.

That's what I've always assumed too. If you watch footage of the puppets you'll notice a lot of time when they're arms move they move all the way in one direction and then back without much subtlety which seems to suggest a simple a simple string/fishing line/whatever control rather than...

I would be tempted to carve it. Unless you're really careful with the patterning and gluing there may be a very obvious/visible seam in the foam or it may look a little flat. It can be done of course, but you can get a much smoother by carving the foam. John Kennedy describes a good method for...

This is a really technical issue, but something I've never seen really addressed in a book...I'd love to hear Nigell talk about his use of reverse scan (mirror-image) monitors as opposed to straight scan (flipped image). Nigell is one of the few really, really great puppeteers I've seen who...

That would be my suggestion (using thick wool). If you want to make the dreds thicker pieces can be woven or knitted together.

That's great, really original. I like it a lot. Is it just a ski mask over top of the regular puppet head?

Sorry if my last post sounded harsh, it's just really important to follow safety guidelines and err on the side of more safety, not less. I'm always blown away by the fact that a lot of well-known builders in puppet making videos tell people to use contact cement but don't use proper safety...

Thanx!

Jinx, what model Brother do you have? Someone I know here in Mexico is looking for one and the closest Wal-Mart sells exclusively Brother so it would be good info to have. I don't remember which one I owned several years ago.

The White Rotary (I think) is the one I had. Good machine, but be aware that it's really basic and doesn't even have a back stitch. You have to turn whatever you're sewing around 180 degrees and then continue sewing to prevent unraveling. Also, the leather belt for the treadle can be difficult...

My experience has been best with Singer, Brother or the other well-known brands. If you buy a new one, it's not really worth it in my experience to buy the cheaper ones you see in stories like Wal-Mart as they seem to always have problems within a year or so. I've had better luck with older...

Sorry Jason, but absolutely you're absolutely not OK without a respirator. I agree it's very important to use a well-ventilated area, but even opening up a can of contact cement or applying to foam you're inhaling vapours. I can't stress this enough - you need to be using respirators if you're...

When I've stuffed puppet heads I just make a little pillow in the shape of the head to insert inside. I usually attach it using some loose (but strong) stitches so it can eventually be removed if need be. How much you stuff is really subjective, go with whatever seems to work. I doubt you can...

An alternate design is to have the sleeve (where the puppeteer's arm is inserted in to the "live arm" of the puppet) at the wrist, rather than the elbow. Where it goes really depends on how the puppet will be used and what is more comfortable for the puppeteer.

Do have a Hobby Lobby in your area? I think they have a bunch of locations throughout Missouri and they sell a lot of interesting fake furs in most of their stores.