Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 13:39:42 -0400
Subject: Re: PUPT: Covering Foam Puppets


  While the exact approach will certainly vary with the design of the
puppet.  If you are doing a muppet-looking type puppet, here is an approach
I learned from Verna Finnley...

  Generally, the nose is a separate piece which is attached later.  But,
with a stretchy cloth, start laying the fabric at the front center of the
face.  Use contact cement and dab it very, very lightly over the foam as you
are working.  The fabric gets stretched over the face, and towards the back
of the head.  It may be possible to avoid visible seams entirely, but if
not, try to make the extra fabric form darts where there are natural lines
in the face. Darts that occur under the hair can just be glued down.
  The all indentation in the face will need special attention. Put a little
more glue than the rest of the face (but be certain it is not so much that
it soaks through the fabric).  You can add some temporary straight pins to
help the fabric stay down while the glue dries further, but it is also
important to avoid stretching the fabric so much that it pulls the fabric up
in the indentation.  For the eye sockets, it is possible that the eyes will
help hold the fabric down.
  After the top of the head is covered, cut the folded darts off in any
visible areas, and hand sew the seam using a ladder stitch.  The lower jaw
is done as a separate piece. The nose is attached using the same ladder
stitch as was used on the seams.
  To minimize the visiblity of the seams, use a needle and pick at the nap
of the fabric.  This is why the fleese is so good, it had a heavy nap that
will easily cover the seams.

  Depending on how sculpted the face is, you might be able to get away
without doing all the hand sewing.  Sometimes you can take the foam pattern
and just use that as the cloth pattern (or make minor modifications to it).
Generally, you don't add a seam allowance so that the fabric will be
stretched over the foam when it is sewn.

Joe Dunfee  joe-AT-dunfee.com
Strasburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.



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