Felt?

[Touchskies]

What about felt instead of Antron fleece?

http://ny-image0.etsy.com//il_fullxfull.107320928.jpg

 

[dwmckim]

Why not indeed? Many early Muppets were made with felt (before Jim probably heard the term Antron fleece)

 

[D'Snowth]

Even most fabric stores I go to don't have THAT many colors to choose from, lol.

If you can't get antron fleece, then yes, felt does work pretty good, though I would recommend trying blizzard fleece - it's not antron, but it's relatively fuzzy as well, and hides seams very well; I've managed to use some for a new puppet of mine, and it works wonders.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

If nothing else is available, then go for felt. If you have other material options: Don't use felt!

The polar fleece options are in several colors, and there are some that are non-pilling which keeps you from having that rubbed, used-up fleece look. I've used it (and still do) on puppets and they look fine.

I've also used different other materials, but they have no stretch or give any flexibility so be careful with that.

The problem I have with felt is it gets dirty quicker/easier, pills up, and when it stretches any it stays stretched.

 

[Super Scooter]

I use felt for mouths, some noses (such as anthropomorphic animals [which is redundant]), inside ears on said anthrophomorphically redundant critters, eyelids, and bags under eyes. I don't personally like using it for the actual body or head. I don't like the way the seams look. I also don't like the way the seams look with polar fleece, but I think it's better than felt (feels better to work with it, too).

 

[Touchskies]

Actually you are right...
now, I've found this fabric, in Italy, called "lana cotta", it's not felt, Its a kind of totally genuine wool fabric very similar in the aspect to Antron fleece, but more matte (less shiny, I mean) and it also is elastic enough. the only problem is it's cost, but it's cheaper then buy antron fleece in U.S.A. from Italy for me.

I'll try this "LANA COTTA" fabric...

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I was just thinking, aren't the non-pilling polar fleece materials what are being used on the Whatnot Muppets purchased from FAO Schwartz?

I hope your wool material works out. Let us know!

 

[spcglider]

Felt has been used for many many many years in Europe to make doll heads and such. Many of the Steiff toys are made very nicely of felt... but it's not the same type of felt that you can buy at most fabric stores. Usually its wool felt... real wool. From a sheep. The stuff we can buy in America at the fabric store is typically all acrylic fiber and doesn't perform the same way.

When the Muppets were investigating ways of constructing puppets, they looked at all kinds of industries all over the world... and liberally borrowed techniques from many. I heard in a Jane Henson interview once that the now-famous "Muppet stitch" was actually appropriated from a doll maker in Europe. (At least that's what I recall from the interview... please feel free to correct me if I'm in error).

-Gordon

 

[D'Snowth]

I'm not sure exactly, I remember from the Muppets on Puppets special when Jim and Don Sahlin were demonstrating in an abbridged version of how they build their puppets, Don mentioned he called their sewing technique the "Henson Stitch" because "Jim invented it"... of course, that doesn't mean that he couldn't have been inspired by someone else's work; as you've mentioned Gordon, your puppetry is mostly inspired by the works of others, and I agree, my work tends to be a little bit of Muppets, and a little bit of Krofft mixed up with my own flavor.

 

[Conor IX]

Felt rips so easily!