# Fursuit Construction Tips?



## Wereling (Nov 23, 2012)

Hey there Furries!
I'm thinking of making a partial black wolf suit with a foam based mask (using Matrices guide) and I have a few questions
1.is regular Jo-Anns fur good?
2.is black a very good color for a fursuit?if not should I use white or grey?
3.what name should I use?I'm thinking of Raven
4.how should I ask my parents is I can make one without it being awkward cause I'm not sure how they would react to "Hey I want to make a giant wolf costume to join the furry fandom" though I'm not for all the things Furries do (the yiffsuits and nasty art) 
5.and what color should I use for a hair style?the same color as the head it different(keep in mind I'most likely buying from Jo-Anns fabric store so there's not much to choose 
from)
6.how much fur should I buy for foot paws,hand paws (with sleeves to above my elbow) and a mask
If it helps I'm 5'10 tall if you can work out how much I might need

CHANGE

I've decided on doing a Siberian Husky cause I was drawing reference stuff and lied how it looked xD an it will be white with grey like most huskies


I'm kinda leaning towards grey with white hair maybe or the other way around.....

Oh yeah and for #5 I'm doing a short hair style with bangs to the side


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## Ozriel (Nov 23, 2012)

You can just use the edit button if you want to add more to your post.

I would stay away from Jo-Ann's. There are better furs out there.
This fur is perfect for realistic wolf fursuits,especially when matched up with the Monterey Mills Fox white found at Mendels.com.

At most,get about 4-5 yards (3-3.5 of the grey and 2-2.5 of the white).


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## Wereling (Nov 23, 2012)

Oh ok thx I'm kinda new to this (I know I joined a while ago but I just recently started actually using it) and I'm leaning towards Jo-Anns because it's cheap and since this is my first suit I don't want to dump a lot of money into this and have it turn out badly (plus I don't have a
Job so this is birthday/Christmas money I'll be using,I'm 14 so it's kinda hard to get a job except for babysitting which I already do) but I'll take a look at that website u posted


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## Ozriel (Nov 23, 2012)

Wereling said:


> Oh ok thx I'm kinda new to this (I know I joined a while ago but I just recently started actually using it) and I'm leaning towards Jo-Anns because it's cheap and since this is my first suit I don't want to dump a lot of money into this and have it turn out badly (plus I don't have a
> Job so this is birthday/Christmas money I'll be using,I'm 14 so it's kinda hard to get a job except for babysitting which I already do) but I'll take a look at that website u posted



They sell a lot of fursuit making items like eyes if you do not feel comfortable making it yourself, or you cannot find resin and such.


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## Wereling (Nov 23, 2012)

I'm thinking of doing follow-me eyes with toilet paper tubesxD I saw it online
And Mendels is kinda out of my budget for my first suit and is another reason why I'm leaning towards store bought fur from Jo Anns cause I know what the fur looks/feels like,ive used it for Halloween costumes before,and it's cheap when on sale which it usually is.(about $10 a yard on sale with about a 60' width and a 1.5' pile)


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## L-A-N-T-A (Nov 23, 2012)

1- I heard Joanns isn't too great, you'd get better quality fur online. Also more options.2- Black can look great, but it's up to you. Many photos I see of mostly/all black suits can be difficult to see especially depending on lighting.
3- Pick you feel fits, maybe even name it after completion.
4- You outright tell them or just say you're interested in the costuming craft.
5- I would just pick a color you'd like. You seem pretty dependant on the forum to make decisions for you. It's artistic freedom here. Do what you like. 
6- Because I don't know from experience (but am aware how many colors I'm working with which is three), I decided on a camel, dark brown, and ivory. So I got one yard of each. I'm also only working on a head and maybe some paws for now so keep that in mind. You can always order more if you fall short anyway.


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## Wereling (Nov 23, 2012)

L-A-N-T-A said:


> 1- I heard Joanns isn't too great, you'd get better quality fur online. Also more options.2- Black can look great, but it's up to you. Many photos I see of mostly/all black suits can be difficult to see especially depending on lighting.
> 3- Pick you feel fits, maybe even name it after completion.
> 4- You outright tell them or just say you're interested in the costuming craft.
> 5- I would just pick a color you'd like. You seem pretty dependant on the forum to make decisions for you. It's artistic  freedom here. Do what you like.
> 6- Because I don't know from experience (but am aware how many colors I'm working with which is three), I decided on a camel, dark brown, and ivory. So I got one yard of each. I'm also only working on a head and maybe some paws for now so keep that in mind. You can always order more if you fall short anyway.


 first I want to say LOOK I FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO QUOTES!!! and second thanks Lanta for the tips,I've seen your thread about your mask and it looks amazing! And third I will probably do this suit with Jo-Anns fur cause of the price and once I get more experience and a job I'll spring for the more expensive if this turns out


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## Ozriel (Nov 23, 2012)

Wereling said:


> first I want to say LOOK I FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO QUOTES!!! and second thanks Lanta for the tips,I've seen your thread about your mask and it looks amazing! And third I will probably do this suit with Jo-Anns fur cause of the price and once I get more experience and a job I'll spring for the more expensive if this turns out



Just be wary of Jo-Anns. It's not the best for fursuits, but it's your suit. Maybe down the road, you can experiment with others if it is in your budget.


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## Wereling (Nov 23, 2012)

Ozriel said:


> Just be wary of Jo-Anns. It's not the best for fursuits, but it's your suit. Maybe down the road, you can experiment with others if it is in your budget.


 alright thanks all you guys!


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## Wereling (Nov 24, 2012)

Also my mom doesn't like me using the sewing machine with thick fabrics (I broke a few needles -blushes-) so I'll be hot gluing it all,any tips on hot gluing fur suits?


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## Ozriel (Nov 24, 2012)

Wereling said:


> Also my mom doesn't like me using the sewing machine with thick fabrics (I broke a few needles -blushes-) so I'll be hot gluing it all,any tips on hot gluing fur suits?



Better to sew by hand than glue.


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## Caedman (Nov 24, 2012)

Fabric.com has a sale on some of their faux fur.  Like $10.49 a yard.  Lasts til the 26th.  Good luck!


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## Wereling (Nov 24, 2012)

Caedman said:


> Fabric.com has a sale on some of their faux fur.  Like $10.49 a yard.  Lasts til the 26th.  Good luck!


Aww man if only I had the money now  I'm still planning everything before I buy so I can figure out how much I will need


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## Wereling (Nov 24, 2012)

Ozriel said:


> Better to sew by hand than glue.



Yeah I'll probably sew parts that need delicate care and glue sparingly or sneak to the sewing machine at night xD and I've made some things with fur (2 tails 2 pairs of gloves and a minifursuit all with Jo-Anns fur and hot glue)and they turned out fairly well for my first things with cheap stuff


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## Ozriel (Nov 24, 2012)

Wereling said:


> Yeah I'll probably sew parts that need delicate care and glue sparingly or sneak to the sewing machine at night xD and I've made some things with fur (2 tails 2 pairs of gloves and a minifursuit all with Jo-Anns fur and hot glue)and they turned out fairly well for my first things with cheap stuff



Better to sew just in case you need to make repairs. Even if it is cheap shit-fur, you'll run the risk of burning and curling the hairs of the fur.


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## Wereling (Nov 24, 2012)

Ozriel said:


> Better to sew just in case you need to make repairs. Even if it is cheap shit-fur, you'll run the risk of burning and curling the hairs of the fur.



Dont worry I made a tail and figured out how to work with hot glue and fur without curling/burning/melting you just use a low temp glue gun  but I will be doing some sewing fir parts that need it or when I run out of glue


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## Wereling (Nov 24, 2012)

http://forums.furaffinity.net/threads/128527-Fursona-names?p=3090146#post3090146
If anyone would like to help with names for this fursona clicky here


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## Teal (Nov 24, 2012)

Wereling said:


> Hey there Furries!
> I'm thinking of making a partial black wolf suit with a foam based mask (using Matrices guide) and I have a few questions
> 1.is regular Jo-Anns fur good?


 No.


> 2.is black a very good color for a fursuit?if not should I use white or grey?


Yes, why wouldn't it be?


> 3.what name should I use?I'm thinking of Raven


 That's something you have to figure out yourself.


> 4.how should I ask my parents is I can make one without it being awkward cause I'm not sure how they would react to "Hey I want to make a giant wolf costume to join the furry fandom" though I'm not for all the things Furries do (the yiffsuits and nasty art)


 Just tell them you want to make a wolf costume.


> 5.and what color should I use for a hair style?the same color as the head it different(keep in mind I'most likely buying from Jo-Anns fabric store so there's not much to choose
> from)


 ?  To make hair you either use long fur for that part or get a wig.


> 6.how much fur should I buy for foot paws,hand paws (with sleeves to above my elbow) and a mask
> If it helps I'm 5'10 tall if you can work out how much I might need


 How tall you are is not a good indicator of how long your arms are. I'm short but have very long arms. -_-  For just the head you usally need at least a yard or two. When I made my partial suit I used about..... 4 1/2 yards.


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## Wereling (Nov 24, 2012)

I was wondering if black was agood color because 
1.I rarely see black suits
2.I think it would get too hot too fast under a layer if black fur
3.dust might show up faster


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## Wereling (Nov 25, 2012)

Alright I think i got every thing I needed so thanks you guys!
Here's what I've decided
2 1/2 yrds grey fur
1 1/2 yrds white fur
And then everything else
(keep in mind it's a partial and I will be stalking the fabric stores in Boise for good fur so I'll be buying locally just in case I need more) if you guys Have any other things for me to do/buy feel free to post


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## HexGoat (Nov 26, 2012)

Just had it pointed out to me that both Ebay and Amazon have some good deals on fur.


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## Wereling (Nov 26, 2012)

UPDATE

I'm making a FURSUIT partial 
Siberian husky
Grey and white 
Kinda DJ-ish with headphones on neck and a necklace with a silver lightning bolt (name reference)
Black 1 in wide leather bands on arms
Name is SilverBolt (I might make an other guy one called ThunderClap)
I was wondering what color eyes I should do
I was thinking maybe ice blue,storm grey or sea green
But then I thought "some siberians have two different colored eyes so maybe do that" but I'm not so sure,any ideas?



HexGoat said:


> Just had it pointed out to me that both Ebay and Amazon have some good deals on fur.


Omg jut found out Jo-Anns doesn't carry what I used so I looked on Amazon and found some fur for $13 a yard!!!AMAZING DEAL!!!


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## Wereling (Nov 26, 2012)

STOP DELETING MY MESSAGES!!! I'm sorry I didn't add two together you could say something cause once I type it out I don't remember what it said
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Sorry you guys I was really pissed yesterday xD just ignore that upper post


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## mirepoix (Nov 26, 2012)




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## Wereling (Nov 27, 2012)

Well everyone the time has come to select one young man and woman-- wait a minute wrong card *throws hunger games quote card* well everyone the time has to for me to select my furs,I've already found the white now I need some grey any ideas?found some MM fix in grey but the pile is only like1.5 ins and I would like a longer one for styling a bit and it's like a whopping $30 a yard which I do not want to pay I'll be ordering after Christmas so post before then please
-------
I have a few questions you guys
1.is fun fur good at all?I found 3 yards of it for $20 but it looks kinda cheaply made and stuff
2.is shag a good fur?is it straight or crumpled looking?is it soft?
The reason why I'm asking is cause I'm doing everything on my iPod screen which I broke so there's no light to see any details xD


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## Ozriel (Nov 27, 2012)

The MM pile's about 2 to 2.3. 

There's always Nftech and their fur isn't cheap.


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## Teal (Nov 27, 2012)

http://www.distinctivefabric.com/category.php?cat=LONGFUR


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## mirepoix (Nov 27, 2012)

I have a buddy that has the MM Grey, and it is lovely.  It IS a little pricey, but completely worth it. The variance in grey shades adds a lot of texture and depth.  This is the stuff that 75% of fursuits use, as it looks pretty alright and comes in a lot of colors.  You can also buy it here (as punky muppet) or here.

When in doubt, order a swatch.  Distinctive Fabrics has a free swatch deal when you sign up, but other places may ask you to shell out a couple bucks for swatches.  Pictures don't help you learn about the fabric nearly as much as a small square that you can touch and play with.

Edit:  Oh crap, some places sell wolf and husky-style furs, i forgot.  Order swatches and see what you like.  Here's one.


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## Wereling (Nov 27, 2012)

TealMoon said:


> http://www.distinctivefabric.com/category.php?cat=LONGFUR


 oh I love that fur and how it looks Ill probably order a swatch of grey and ivory to see if it feels as nice as it looks xD and Ill probably get the other 3 free swatches random stuff xD 





mirepoix said:


> I have a buddy that has the MM Grey, and it is lovely. It IS a little pricey, but completely worth it. The variance in grey shades adds a lot of texture and depth. This is the stuff that 75% of fursuits use, as it looks pretty alright and comes in a lot of colors. You can also buy it here (as punky muppet) or here.
> 
> When in doubt, order a swatch. Distinctive Fabrics has a free swatch deal when you sign up, but other places may ask you to shell out a couple bucks for swatches. Pictures don't help you learn about the fabric nearly as much as a small square that you can touch and play with.
> 
> Edit: Oh crap, some places sell wolf and husky-style furs, i forgot. Order swatches and see what you like. Here's one.



yeah DistinctiveFur has nice furs for even nicer prices xD I'm definitely going here


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