Why don't we split a full roll of fleece?

[Jinx]

Another thing to consider regarding pricing.

The higher price does not reflect the cost of cutting the fabric, it reflects the necessity of keeping larger amounts of inventory in stock. If someone buys a lot of product from me, I don't have to count it on my inventory each month, and that saves me money, so I can pass the savings along.

I sell printed media by the yard, and when a customer wants me to print a single 8 foot banner, I still have to buy a 100' roll. This costs me more up-front, and then I have to sit on that investment until someone else decides that they want something printed on the same media. This can take months to deplete the stock, and meanwhile my money is still tied up the the roll.

Really the higher price for lesser quantities make perfect economic sense if you look at it from the suppliers' side.

And even though I have yet to order from gastage, when I'm ready to place my next order I will most definitely be giving Kathy a call!

 

[PaulyPuppets]

Alternative to Antron Fleece

Hi, guys. I was reading all the posts about trying to get Antron Fleece, and I wanted to bring a less expensive, and in my opinion (and I stress, it's just MY opinion), a better source. I simply use polar fleece, which you can buy at JOANN FABRICS for only $4.99 per yard (that's the retail sale price, and it seems to be on sale all the time at JOANN's). I love it because it doesn't shed like the antron fleece. When I used to cut the antron fleece, fiber particles would be all over the place, creating a mess and even getting in our throats as we inhaled (cough!). Terrible for me and my little girl, who both have asthma. Then there was the dye process, which was really time consuming and messy. The retail bought (and if you can find it wholesale, even better) polar fleece already comes in a HUGE assortment of colors. It's stretchable, and depending on which side of the material you use, you can even pick out the fuzz with a needle to hide any seams, just like the Antron Fleece. I've been using polar fleece for about 3 years now, and I sell about 15 puppets a week on eBay. Of all my 600 plus costumers so far, no one has EVER complained about the fleece. Yes, Antron fleece is what The Muppets and most TV puppets are made with, and it also looks great. But again, my suggestion is merely for those of you who want to save some money, but still get a nice fleece alternative. ...Pauly
PS: You can check out my eBay store to see puppets made with this polar fleece I'm talking about. Here's the link> http://stores.ebay.com/PUPPETSNSTUFF-PUPPETS
as well as www.puppetsnstuff.com

 

[PaulyPuppets]

Oops,...goofed on correct name of the fleece.

Hi, again, everyone. I was at JOANN FABRICS today, buying more supplies, and I saw that the correct name of the fleece I spoke about was "Alpine Fleece" and "Anti-Pill Fleece". JOANNS also lists it in ads as "Fleece Solids". I'm not sure where I got the name "Polar Fleece" from. At any rate, best of luck with whatever material you choose to help let loose your puppet creativity. ...Pauly
www.puppetsnstuff.com
http://stores.ebay.com/PUPPETSNSTUFF-PUPPETS

 

[Buck-Beaver]

That's a very good point about "regular" polar fleece. I think a lot of people get hooked on using antron because they hear that it's what the Muppets have used, no seams, etc. but it's not really necessary - especially when you are just getting started. I don't think I ever worked with until four or five years ago when I was doing some stuff for a TV show and the producers insisted that antron be used. It is a great fabric for TV/video work, but otherwise isn't really necessary.

Just a word re: fibres in the air when cutting antron; it's a good idea to wear a simple dust mask or respirator (although a respirator isn't really necessary) when cutting high pile fabrics like antron and fake furs, etc.

 

[Puppetplanet]

It's been a while, but if I'm not mistaken, polar fleece is the fuzzy stuff that looks like a sweatshirt when it's turned inside out. (you know, the soft cuddly side?)

Alpine is the thicker stuff that comes in a wider range of colors. Most people use it to make blankets and other winter itmes. You may also recognize it as the stuff you've seen in printed panels and no sew blankets. I haven't used it for puppets in a long time because I discovered that the Anti-Pill has the better type of pile for hiding seams.

Anti-Pill also comes in a variety of colors, but it can be dyed too. Just keep in mind that it doesn't grab color as well as the antron so it's best to purchase a dye that is actually darker than the color your trying to accomplish.

-Michele

 

[PaulyPuppets]

Fleece and BEAR TOWN

Hey, Buck,
Back in November, I was hired to build over 40 puppets for a children's home video/dvd. ALL the puppets I built were made with the Alpine fleece. On camera, they looked just as high quality as puppets made with Antron. You're right, I think many of us think that Antron fleece is the only way to go. But it really isn't a necessity as the ONLY option.
But what I really wanted to tell you, was how much I enjoyed your work with BEAR TOWN. Up until yesterday, I really didn't know what it was. I downloaded episode one and thought your puppets looked great, and the writing was really funny and clever. Can't wait to meet the Cockroaches.
I encourage everyone to check out the BEAR TOWN episodes.
Keep up the great work.. ...Pauly
www.puppetsnstuff.com
http://stores.ebay.com/PUPPETSNSTUFF-PUPPETS

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Thanks Pauly! Glad you liked what little is up so far.

I really don't think antron changes the quality of the puppets, but it does help to hide the seams. For example, Hank in Bear Town (the dark brown bear) has a snout that was done a few years ago with Alpine fleece. The seams are very noticable (partially because of the way it was sewn). I actually have to recover it in antron so the seam isn't as noticable.

Were the seams of the puppets visible in the video you did? If they aren't I'd be curious to know how they were concealed. The Preacher in the first episode of Bear Town was done with anti-pill fleece but patterned so that the seams are mostly concealed and I make up for the ones that are with careful lighting (I also am working with a screen size of 320 x 240 so it's much more forgiving than full-screen video).

Something I haven't heard discussed much by puppet builders is the effect that the High Definition revolution is going to have on puppet building. More and more stations and facilities are switching to HD and the whole industry (hair, make-up, lighting, etc.)is having to adjust because HD shows everything. In time I think we'll find that a lot of puppets that looked OK on camera before look terrible in HD. So far Antron does seems to hold up - Kermit's Swamp Years was done in HD (I think) and looked pretty good - but I have a feeling we won't be able to get away with regular fleece anymore. Assuming I get to a season two of Bear Town I want to shoot in some kind of HD format so I plan to do some tests with the puppets I've got in the summer or the fall and it will be interesting to see how they turn out.

 

[PaulyPuppets]

Seams in Vid

BUCKY WRITES: Were the seams of the puppets visible in the video you did?

No, for the most part they were completely invisible to the naked eye. However, there were some toy type story book characters in the vid as well, whose seam visibility was perfectly acceptable for the camera. I ALSO shot the entire thing against green screen. What a life saver green screen is.

Keep up the great work, bud. .....Pauly
www.puppetsnstuff.com
http://stores.ebay.com/PUPPETSNSTUFF-PUPPETS