Looking Good!

Thanks, Billy!  This being my first marioniette, I really started this project pretty blindly.  I've just learned as I've gone along.  That said, I now have a marionette that is over 3 feet tall!  What the heck!  This thing is huge!  And...my mini-schnauzer is terrified of it

Really nice work Kyle. Did you do the embroidery or find a piece of embroidered fabric for the insert and front overlay?

Looks like you found some fabrics with a really nice hand to them. By that I mean that they flow nicely and are not stiff.  I always think that is the biggest challenge. Since there is not the resistance on a marionette like on a "real" person the fabric really needs to be able to give easily and not bind up the movement. Silks are great but expensive and hard to find in variety.

Again great job!

Thanks, Shawn!  The embroidery is just an overlay.  As for the the rest of the fabric, I just got lucky.  I happened to have a good bit of the lavendar raw silk laying around from another project and it's perfect for this.  I have a light blue laying around too, so my next character will probably be dressed in baby blue silk...hmmm....

Hey there, everyone!  Long time, no post!  It's been a busy, well...year and a half, and my puppet progress was put on hold due to a lot of shows I was designing.  I recently took "Marie" out of storage and decided I had come too far to give up on her.  I had a few days off and decided to play a little more.  I think the results are pretty good, considering this was my first attempt at puppet-making.  I've certainly learned a lot!  Most, a lot about what NOT to do the next time  She ended up big...like really big, at around three and a half feet without strings.  She's a little heavy too.  All that foam and fabric starts to add up.  I wouldn't wish her on any puppeteer.  I think she's found her place, hanging in a corner of my studio.  If anything, she's a good conversation starter.  As for functionality, that's a little iffy too.  She totally works, but her movements aren't that fluid.  I'll add that to the list of things I would do differently the next time around.  

Am I totally done with her?  Nah, I don't think so.  I'm going to come up with some sort of cuffs or jewelry to hide the ugly joints at her wrists.  Her hands are a little sketchy too.  I think some more rings, etc., might help cover up the ugliness.  She might get a few more rhinestones too, just for kicks.  I also need to even out the hem line of her dress, but that's pretty simple.  I'll post more pictures when I do those additions.  It might be another couple of years  Let's hope not!

Here she is!  (She might look a little more like Dolly Levi than Marie Antoinette )

She looks awesome! Love her costume. Is it handmade?

Thanks, Na!  Yep, I made it all by hand.  Not only was she my first marionette, but also my first sewing project.  I'm not gonna lie...there's a  good amount of glue in there too.

That's ***ing amazing for a first-time puppet AND sewing project. Glue or not, it's gorgeous!

I'm forever amazed at the work people do on their 'first'. Truly talented people

Very nicely done Kyle! She looks great!

Thank you so much, Shawn! And Na, you just put the biggest smile on my face!