Okay Billy, that was a very cool video! There are so many different and interesting approaches to making puppets. Love this guy. Seems a bit like a Kiwi version of Jim Henson.

Okay Billy, that was a very cool video! There are so many different and interesting approaches to making puppets. Love this guy. Seems a bit like a Kiwi version of Jim Henson.

If you like that one check out these other ones he created. http://puppetsandstuff.com/community/index.php/topic,5459.msg65636.html#msg65636

Wow. I missed that those were the same guy. Haven't watched those other videos yet but I certainly will.

I love the one where he makes the scroll saw from scraps, I want to live next door to this handy guy. He has a serious CAN DO attitude.

Awesome! Okay - So I got the Foam Book, my sewing machine, and some 1/2 inch polyfoam in the mail today. I'm ready to get down to business  . Hopefully I'll have some pictures later.

The polyfoam seems a little thin. I hope it can hold the shape of the puppet... if not, crap, I ordered the wrong stuff! D:

1/2 inch should be more then enough for a hand puppet.  I think  you'll be ok.

By the way, on the topic of sewing fleece, I've had much better success with "anti-pill" fleece rather than "blizzard" fleece. The "blizzard" fleece is too smooth and doesn't hide the seams as well.

As for hand stitching, I most frequently use a baseball stitch, throwing in a locking stitch as needed, depending on what I'm sewing...

- Sean

I use 1/2" poly foam almost exclusively. Works pretty darn well. It will be plenty sturdy as you shape and glue it.

Sean,

Are you sure it is the baseball stitch that you use and not the ladder stitch?  I've heard folks say they use the baseball stitch before but it is a very visible stitch unlike the ladder stitch.

Yup, I cross under and up through opposite side.


Image from Project Puppet Tutorial Page

My standard stitch spacing is about 1/16", and I don't go in more than 1/16" from the edge (3/64" is typical, depending on the condition of the fleece edge). Again, I typically throw in a lock stitch (loop the thread back through) whenever the fleece is pulling apart, when I'm in a corner, or when I know I'm going to stop for a bit.

I start off with a quick twist knot from the back side of the fabric, and I use only SINGLE threaded stitches on fleece.

Perhaps the ladder stitch works better on "blizzard" fleece? I don't know, I don't use blizzard anymore.

- Sean