My first build - kermit

[Muppetlab]

I wanna start by saying hello to everyone. This is my first post after a long time lurking.
My names Chris, 32 from the UK and have been a life long Muppet and JHC fan.

When i was a kid, a friend of mine had what i think was an Applause Kermit puppet. The memories of the thrill of playing with this are even now, still fresh in my mind.

I have always been quite creative and my other half is always telling me im in the wrong job and that i should make more use of my creativity.

Having recently had a few weeks off work due to a minor operation i took the oppourtunity of unleashing this creative side by building my first ever puppet.. And where better to start than my childhood hero - Kermit.

Im using my iphone to post this and havent figured out how to post photos so im gonna rely on someone more knowlegable than me who will hopefully find my Flickr page and post a link

If you do a people search for muppetlab101 you will find my work in progress.. Minus the arms so far, with a few progress photos from the starrt of my build.

Let me know what you guys think..

Like i said, this is my first attempt at a puppet build but i welcome any constructive critisism.

Things im not quite happy with are-

1) the body is to big and not smooth.. I made a foam structure using 5 sides.. Maybe more is needed to round it off.
2) the eyes are to small (30mm polystyrene balls) and they have not taken to being painted very well.. Ping pong balls are on order (38mm)

Anyway.. Let me know what you think and if someone is able to post a link to Flikr then it would be much appreciated

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.

Chris aka muppetlab

 

[Muppetlab]

K not sure if this is gonna work.. This should be a link to My Flickr set..

http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/91956394@N03/8355573679/

 

[Melonpool]

I was pleasantly surprised how well this is turning out for your first puppet! Great job!

 

[Muppetlab]

Thanks Melonpool..
I must admit im pretty chuffed too.. Hand stitching is a pain but the closer to completion i get is giving me lots of motivation to stick it out.. Its actually very addictive!

This forum is like a holy grail for hints and tips so thankyou to those who share your experience

 

[ToodlesTeam]

Goodness! This is your first puppet? That's a snazzy lookin' Kermit you've got coming together there! Excellent job! The points on his collar are looking a little long, but that's the biggest suggestion I've got. Can't wait to see him finished!

 

[Muppetlab]

Cheers Toodles.. Yea i thought the same about the collar. Hes actually now only got 10 points on the collar to rather than 11.. When pinning the fleece to the body with the collar wrapped round the neck it fitted perfectly.. Then when it came to sewing it all together, the circumfrence of the neck lost about an inch so i had to sacrifice a point.. Really annoyed with that haha
On a plus side, the neck width looks pretty good now so kinda glad i lost that inch... Whats one point between friends anyway haha

 

[Muppetlab]

And yea.. First puppet, first time sewing.. Lots of firsts involved here. Learned a lot to

 

[ToodlesTeam]

Yeah, my Kermit puppet had 12 points on his collar before I rebuilt him recently. No one ever notices (or cares)! Whenever I'd be performing Kermit around my family and friends I'd always make jokes that since the real Kermit only had 11 points, my puppet was not actually Kermit the Frog. That way Disney couldn't sue me for creating a frog fraud!

 

[Muppetlab]

Haha like your thinking.. How did you achieve the smoothness of the curves in your kermits body.. Im really struggling.

I used 5 seperate almost pear shaped pieces glued together.. And its really boxy looking (as in flat sides)
Maybe try using one peice?

 

[ToodlesTeam]

Actually, I think my Kermit's body is about the same design as yours, but it's made with only four pieces. Which means it is kind of angular, but once it's covered with arms and legs and such, it's not noticeable. Plus, it rounds out better once I wear the puppet and break it in a bit.