NOW TO TALK ABOUT POTENTIAL FABRICS

STRETCH VELOUR is a knitted fabric with a pile. It is made from a cotton and polyester mixture. It has more stretch than velvet. The smoother, shorter pile makes it easier to sew, as the pile doesn't fight and walk. By this I mean two layers being sewn together, face-to-face, generally don't shift on each other.

FAKE FUR is usually knitted from rayon, wool or cotton and is made with a pile and is usually dyed and finished to resemble animal fur. The fabric pile is manufactured in a variety of lengths.

When cutting the fake fur, one does not cut the pile. By sliding the scissors against the backing cloth, only this is cut through. Before sewing, the pile within the seam allowance needs to be trimmed off to reduce the thickness of the seams and to avoid trapping the pile fibres within the seam.

NYLON LYCRA is an elastic, knitted, synthetic fabric, known by various other names such as elastane; spandex. The fabric has the composition of a polyether-polyurea co-polymer. It generally has a two-way stretch. This stretch-ablity is not being utilized in this puppet.

These fabrics have either a nap or a pile and this must be remembered when laying and cutting as the direction of the nap or pile alters the colour.

When using a velvet for a garment, generally the pile is used running from the hem to the neck- to capture the richness of the fabric.

When using velour or fur fabric for an animal, the pile must run from the nose towards the tail.