Sorry but I have to say it... I agree that Antron is nice but it is not necessary. Just because your shirt is not made of fine silk or linen are you going to not wear it?   Quite frankly unless you are going to be doing TV or Film work I am not sure I would use it.

And I'll join in too. I've worked with both Antron and non-Antron fleece. Antron IS very nice to work with. It allows you to dye it to whatever color you need and it is great to work with in general. That being said, store bought fleece varieties work VERY WELL for puppet making. You can wander through my gallery and see what you think. Only one of the puppets I have in there was made with Antron and I don't think it made it a better puppet. As Shawn said, unless you're doing work that's going to require some camera close-ups regular fleece is just fine.

No, there is no way I am making puppets that are intended to use professionally so I'll heed you advise and stick with standardised fleece. Just goes to show you shouldn't believe everything you read - and to be honest, Antron is mentioned in almost every article/pattern I've read. I'd like to give it a go one day but will try the others for now. Thanks for saving me some cash.

Puppetainer... just checked your gallery. Wow! I particularly love the pirate. Awesome character!

No, there is no way I am making puppets that are intended to use professionally so I'll heed you advise and stick with standardised fleece. Just goes to show you shouldn't believe everything you read - and to be honest, Antron is mentioned in almost every article/pattern I've read. I'd like to give it a go one day but will try the others for now. Thanks for saving me some cash.

Antron is mentioned for two reasons: most people are writing towards those who want to make puppets as well as the professionals (or are professional puppet makers); and it was used by Jim Henson,  therefore it's a MUST for any puppeteer. Sadly very few people look at this viewpoint sceptically. That is, not that other puppeteers encourage this viewpoint or that it's wrong overall, but that the general public don't seem to get much past the "this is the way Jim Henson did it, so that's the way I must do it" idea and miss out on a lot of experimentation in the process.

Everyone will tell you here: puppetry is very nuanced and you can do anything the way you want it.

Ill put my ten pence worth in too!!
Antron fleece is awesome, but not a necessity for making beautiful puppets, infact sometimes it simply complicates things.
there are literally thousands of us using 'normal' fabric to create puppets that travel the world and are used lovingly and adores by children and adults alike, i have seen puppets and been completely jealous and envious because it looks amazing, but isn't made out of any fancy fleeces or fabrics, takeour friend norman Schneider for example, you will see so many amazing puppets, but barely any antron fleece, if he can do what he does with the mediums he uses, then that is hope for the rest of us!!!
the puppet i have as my profile picture is made of simple fleece, fur and polyfoam, not antron, reticulated foam or any fancy fabric, just stuff you can buy at any fabric warehouse and hobby shop, do you think he is any good?? if so, then hopefully you will see that nice puppet don't need to be complicated by purchasing expensive things, and i completely agree with our lovely Na, alot of people miss out on stumbling across new ways of doing things and creating innovative puppets with amazing looks, simply because they are 'hooked up' on doing it the way others have done it, or using only what Jim henson used, etc...

Instead, lets come up with new ways to do things and new fabrics to use, then pass on these ideas to each other and keep the creative juices flowing!!

Puppetainer... just checked your gallery. Wow! I particularly love the pirate. Awesome character!

Thanks! Yeah, I kind of like him too. I originally intended to put him up for sale, but my wife and I liked him too much. That's why he was the puppet I chose to have made a part of my logo.

Thanks for your responses Na and Jeezbo. I absolutely understand and would like to think I've proven my resourcefulness already in terms of my first puppet. I made him without a pattern or any experience so yes, he's comprised of bits of everything and I imagine not created in the manner other puppets are. My next puppet will also be made with fur and like the last one, made using the free foam off cuts I was given by the foam warehouse here. I suppose I would like to use Antron one day so I can make my own judgement but I certainly think no less of any of the puppets I have seen on this site, nor across the internet. In terms of your question Jeezbo, I think the puppet in your profile picture is fabulous! I'm off to check out your gallery now.

Thanks again

Lizzie

Thank you, and i absolutely love the puppet in your picture, he is brilliant!! just a side note tho, Antron is pretty awseome, so although we have all been saying that its not nessasary, it is pretty cool stuff, it looks great, covers seems really well and gives an overall professional look, its just so expensive and can be hard to get a hold of!! do you have a gallery yet?? id love to see some more creations of yours.

Thanks for your responses Na and Jeezbo. I absolutely understand and would like to think I've proven my resourcefulness already in terms of my first puppet. I made him without a pattern or any experience so yes, he's comprised of bits of everything and I imagine not created in the manner other puppets are.

For someone who doesn't know what they're doing, you certainly did an awesome job. The puppet looks like any product made by a professional. PS. Is that Spotlight fur? If so, you must have spent an awful lot on it, it looks like one of their high-end furs.