Count Von Count replica

[Derek Thompson]

Okay the verdict is in. I sewed up the head yesterday and the polar fleece I found is really good but the Antron is sitting there calling to me. The Henson/ Ladder stitch worked really well and I am glad I did this test skin. I was actually able to brush out the seems to a near invisible state....But..... I really want to have this look as bang on as possible and I have a nice big piece of Muppet fleece so I laid out my patterns to check my fabric size and cut out a piece of Antron for Dying. It is done! It has been decided. Besides, its only his head and hands that you see in the skin so it might as well be the best I can do. I think i was just daunted by the dying process. Rit has formulas for practically every color and I have multiple swatches to test on. Ah, chemistry. Also the three fingered hand pattern I came up with is workable. Now that I am in the middle of the build It is fun to steal a moment here and a moment there. chip away slowly at each little task. It is good for mental health. Pics to follow.

 

[ashkent]

He's looking great so far.

I think when i made him i used the rotundo (rotunda??) head - i have the template on card so forget the name - for the head and just took the mouth further back into the head to allow it to open wider.

I used Rit dye for the Antron and it worked great. It was actually a piece I dyed while making Floyd Pepper, as it was the same purple just dyed for a little longer to make it darker.

And as for the seams, I found the Count one of the easier ones to hide them, as most of the head seam is hidden by his nose, hair and to some degree his eyebrows.

 

[Derek Thompson]

Thank you Ashkent. I think part of the reasons I picked him was because I could do the Antron and most of the seams would be covered anyway. Takes a bit of the pressure off. Not like the seam down the center of Kermit's face. Better get that one right. I am using Rit dye. Pink with a bit of purple in it to make a lavender color. Don't worry I will do a few swatch tests first to check the final dry color. I want to get the color just right. This is my first time working with the Antron and I got to say it feels amazing. it's thick but Light and stretchy but opaque....Not to mention it takes dye well. I am glad I was able to find some. I just used the skull I had from my Elmo and with some reworking it seams pretty dead on. I am working on a commission piece at the moment so I had to put him aside the last couple evenings and its killing me. I really want to dye the fabric but I also don't want to rush it. This is a lot of fun. I am hoping to have him done for Halloween so he can hand out Candy to the Kids. Thank you again for your feedback. More to come soon.

 

[Bear Man]

Any update on your Count? He's looking awesome so far...

 

[Derek Thompson]

Hey everyone. Just wanted to let you know that I have all but finished my Count Replica. I love him and I have a ton of pics coming your way. It has been incredibly busy as of late working up to the deadline of Halloween. I will post all the progress as it went so you can see the journey. I love him. Are there things I want to fix? absolutely! Did i learn a lot? absolutely. Am I sick of doing the Henson stitch?.......almost. It works very well and I know it cold now after doing his whole head and hands with this stitch but i feel like I earned my puppet building stripes by hand dying the fabric and hand stitching it. I still am tuning up the feel of the body and the fit of his tux. Something that has not really been talked about is the alterations needed to have a walk around puppet verses a puppet that you perform over your head. I opted to put a hole in his back so i could have my hand about head height and have his body hang naturally as I walked around with him. He is still equipped to work over head. I just now have both options. Anyway I didn't want you all to think i had fallen off the face of the earth. Looking forward to your comments and looking forward to the next build. Gonzo?......Maybe?

 

[HunterPeeples]

Where are the pictures?

 

[Derek Thompson]

They are coming, I swear. I work as a Story Artist for Disney and the way they work now is "Here is your script. Now do it" Which is amazing. It is so creatively rewarding. No complaints there but doing the entire episode is a lot of work and all consuming so the fact that I finished the puppet is definitely a feat of will and love. The fact that at 2 in the morning I remembered to take pictures as I went is a miracle. I promise I am excited to share the journey with you all. Maybe tonight I can up load some of them. Stay tuned true believers.

 

[HunterPeeples]

Thank you!