If you have not sewn with fabric much it is important to watch the stretch of the fabric, generally you want the most stretch to go around the body, not up and down.  That can effect how you lay your pattern out and cost you a little more fabric sometimes.  I try to place the largest pieces first and then squeeze in the smaller ones. A good pattern will tell you which way to lay the pieces and it is a good idea to follow the layout and  stretch percentages for fabric that they recommend. I like electric knife for foam, but I take it outside, it is messy.

The comment about scissors may make sense if it's referring to cutting fur. In that case you want to use a razor blade to cut the backing so that the fur doesn't come away too much from where you've cut. Hope that makes sense, am writing through a haze of a bad cold...

Update!

It's been a slow process, but I'm getting there. Heres is one of the 5 puppets that I've been making. He is meant to look really skinny and emaciated, as his character is a heroin junkie.

Only his body is skinned so far. The knobbly bits around his chest are meant to be ribs. What do you recon?

I would have the ribs go around his front side a little more. Are you going to dress him?  Those ribs are prominent now but may disappear unless his shirt is skin tight. Dark bags under his eyes would help. Sunken in cheeks maybe shaded dark to appear sunken.  I hear drug addicts wear long sleeves to hide the needle marks.

Yeah I think they would look better coming round the front more, but sadly I can't extend them now without dismantling the whole thing and I've got so much to do before the deadline that I don't think I'll be able to. Still, for my first puppet I think its coming along nicely.

Yeah I think they would look better coming round the front more, but sadly I can't extend them now without dismantling the whole thing and I've got so much to do before the deadline that I don't think I'll be able to. Still, for my first puppet I think its coming along nicely.

Attach strips of foam on top of the existing ribs bringing them around toward the front joining a pretend breastbone. Adding more foam will add dimension when skinning your puppet body. Will it be clothed in tight clothing to expose the ribs?

Attach strips of foam on top of the existing ribs bringing them around toward the front joining a pretend breastbone. Adding more foam will add dimension when skinning your puppet body. Will it be clothed in tight clothing to expose the ribs?

No, it won't be clothed He is going to be naked except for a pair of very loose boxer shorts. Do you think it looks like ribs as is? Or does it definitely need work to be effective? I'd rather not go back to this one now, got so much to get on with before the shoot.

It is left up to you as to the effectiveness of the foam ribs and what type fabric they are covered in............Keep us updated.

Roger that gold leader. Here are two others, half way finished. Still need to figure our hands, attach arms, fleece mouths, attach nose, ears, design eyes, make hair, etc... Yikes!