# Making my first tails~



## Kaluna (May 5, 2011)

Hi! I've decided to try making some tails and I wanted to see about getting some help with the process. It's way too late for this where I am (like 5am, haven't slept yet) but I just finished attempting my first practice tails. I wanted to make a thread to get advice and post pictures of the progress.
I'm trying to make a deer tail for a friend and I started by making some prototypes with an old bed sheet so I don't waste any fur.
I know the stitching is terrible, I really wasn't trying. But I'd love some tips on easy hand stitching, as I do not have access to a machine (yet).

I used three pieces, the bottom two are the same shape. Colored the top piece brown to give an idea of what it would look like.
Which shape do you think is better? Any advice on how to shape the tail?

The two prototypes side by side:
http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss272/musiczombie-color/deerprototype.png

Thinner one:
http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss272/musiczombie-color/deerA.png

Fluffier one:
http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss272/musiczombie-color/deerB.png

Please try not to focus on the crappiness of the stitching but rather the shape of the pieces I cut.

Oh! And they are both about 5 inches long. Would be attached by two elastic belt loops.


----------



## Furr (May 5, 2011)

Well, you kind of answered your own questions with this on what needs to be fixed.


Spliff Kitten said:


> ...I know the stitching is terrible...
> Please try not to focus on the crappiness of the stitching...


 
The shape isn't that terrible for a first time, just keep in mind that the pile length of the fur you use can make the tail fluffier and you can lose some of the shape when you flip it to the right side. So if you use longer denser fur you're going to want to go for a thinner design, a thin short fur go for a thicker design.

Pretty much your stitching is too wide and is causing the fabric to pull and strain causing that ripple look. All you really need to do is go back and stitch right over the seams again but make sure you keep your stitches close and neat. As for hand sewing techniques pretty much patience, and if you just can't keep your stitches small try marking the seam line every cm and in every cm section just make sure you put around 4 to 6 stitches (depending on what stitch you use). Once you get used to how far apart to make your stitches you probably won't even need to mark the fabric any more.


----------



## Kaluna (May 5, 2011)

Furr said:


> Well, you kind of answered your own questions with this on what needs to be fixed.
> 
> 
> The shape isn't that terrible for a first time, just keep in mind that the pile length of the fur you use can make the tail fluffier and you can lose some of the shape when you flip it to the right side. So if you use longer denser fur you're going to want to go for a thinner design, a thin short fur go for a thicker design.
> ...


Yeah, last night I just was too excited to see how the shape would come out and I was cheating by just bunching up the fabric and pushing the need through to make 4-6 crappy stitches at a time. That's not something I'd ever do on anything I plan to use, and when I make the final pattern I will be very careful when stitching to together so I can fully see the shape. The brown fur is a short-medium pile and the white is pretty long and fluffy. I hadn't thought about how fur would change the pattern so perhaps the thinner one would be better. I think I might need to adjust the shapes a little more though.


----------



## Jesie (May 5, 2011)

Normally when one sews, they sew it inside out/wrong side out. Then when they're finished they flip it.

Besides the point, That looks awful. I'm not even concentrating on the thread, which is atrocious in it's own right. Is it that hard to sew in a straight line? No, instead I'm focusing on the fabric.
What The Fuck is that?
Did you color that with marker or drag it through a pile of shit?

You know brown fabric is not rare, or expensive. Hell with little effort you could just _Dye it_. Don't color shit with marker like it's an after thought. It just looks god awful.



Maybe if you spent lass time smoking weed and actually looking up simple, easy to use tutorials, you can be making something that does not look like my dog ate it and crapped it out.

Really. Burn those things.


----------



## Kaluna (May 5, 2011)

Obviously, dipshit, you didn't read anything I wrote. It's a fucking OLD BEDSHEET. To use for practice. And, yes, like I said before, I colored it with marker to show what it would look like when I make it OUT OF FUR LATER.
The thread doesn't match because why would I waste my brown thread on these crappy practice tails? 

And I did sew it from the inside out and flip it. The tops are just safety pinned shut for now so I could add and remove stuffing easily to get an idea of how much I'll need.

Please read the thread before spouting your shit.





In other news, here is another version, I took more than ten minutes on the stitching this time (unlike the first two. XP) Does this shape look better? It's bigger than the others too.

Top view:
http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss272/musiczombie-color/deertail3.png

Side view:
http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss272/musiczombie-color/deer3sideview.png

I made a mistake on the right side, you can see how it dips in a little bit. But hey, that's why I'm making a bunch of practice tails first, right?









EDIT: I wanted to mention before I get bombarded with it, that I've already read ALL of the sitckies here, and through all of the recent threads. I also have looked up many other tutorials, but I wanted to make my own pattern, which is what I am working on right now.


----------



## Jesie (May 5, 2011)

Aww, he just called me a dipshit.

BEE ARR BEE CRYING IN CORNER FURREVER

Man, I can't wait till Deo gets here. :3c

First off, You wanted to know what others thought about your 'project'. I told you what I thought of it.
Don't post photos of things you want to be critiqued if you're not ready for someone to, oh I don't know, Criticized them?
Secondly, WIP or test projects need to be taken just as seriously as finishing projects. If you half ass the test, we can't expect your finished product to be any good either.
To be honest, bedsheets, fur, layers of shit. Chances are a good number of anything you make will turn out quite bad. What you're trying to do is an artistic skill. In order to draw, you need to be able to draw. In order to make things out of fabric, it's helpful to know how to sew. Something you know very little about and seem to care about learning.

You wanted opinions. Don't pitch a fit when someone gives you one.


----------



## Deo (May 5, 2011)

Why is the tail a triangle? What animal has a perfect Î”  triangle attached to it's ass as a tail?
The tail is merely an post-anal extension of the spine. It should never on any animal be a right triangle.
Deer


----------



## Kaluna (May 5, 2011)

> Aww, he just called me a dipshit.
> 
> BEE ARR BEE CRYING IN CORNER FURREVER
> 
> ...



You told me that you thought my stitching and fabric choice was shitty. Why would I bother finding the right color of fabric for a PRACTICE tail. The whole point it to use SCRAP material. This method was suggested in one of the tutorials in the stickies that you think I'm too high to read. You did not criticize what I came here for help on, which is the SHAPE of the tail.




> Secondly, WIP or test projects need to be taken just as seriously as  finishing projects. If you half ass the test, we can't expect your  finished product to be any good either.
> To be honest, bedsheets, fur, layers of shit. Chances are a good number  of anything you make will turn out quite bad. What you're trying to do  is an artistic skill. In order to draw, you need to be able to draw. In  order to make things out of fabric, it's helpful to know how to sew.  Something you know very little about and seem to care about learning.
> 
> You wanted opinions. Don't pitch a fit when someone gives you one.



No, I don't believe test tails used to get an idea of general shapes to use need to be taken as seriously as a final tail that will use expensive fabric and be worn. They do need to be taken more seriously than the ones I first made at 5 in the morning, though, which is why I made another one today and plan to make several more before moving onto fur.
Again, I'm not looking to make these bedsheet tails look wearable, I'm just at the point of shaping out the tail.
Learn to read the topic and respond in an intelligent way instead of just trying to use every insult and name drop you can to make yourself feel better.





@Deo: I do see what you mean, and I know that deer tails are longer and have a little bend to them. The character this is for has a more toony style though, and I'm trying to work with that. I will try to make it a little longer maybe, but that's more a matter of realism vs. toony. Also, I didn't use any right triangles so I don't know what you're referring to in that regard. What shape would you suggest for the top piece rather than a curved triangle? Maybe a tear drop shape...or a pointed oval?


----------



## Jesie (May 5, 2011)

What me and Deo are both trying to tell you is to stop. Just stop.


----------



## Trpdwarf (May 5, 2011)

First of all I will point out that when you are making tails, sewn by hand is the best thing you can do. So don't hurry in trying to get a sewing machine. For things like tails it's not necessary.

The second thing I will say is few people can really do a good solid critique that will be useful to you so long as you are not doing your initial test work out of a proper material. You should not be using bed-sheets for your test material. You should get crappy faux fur, and use that so you can get a full range and feel for just what it's like to work with faux fur. Learning how to use it is part of the initial start process. Working with bed sheet like material won't get you the kind of starter experience you need.

Most people who seek to attempt to get into making things like tails start out using crap quality cheap faux fur for their experiments. I suggest you do the same.

Now finally your tails are supposed to be what..deer tails? They should not be a perfect triangle. You need to elongate your pattern so that it has a somewhat wide base but tapers out somewhat narrow to a rounded tip. It should be sort of like a tall triangle-ish shape but with a rounded point. Further more you will want to ensure the tail is slightly flat and not plump.

That's my advice for you.


----------



## Kaluna (May 7, 2011)

Trpdwarf said:


> First of all I will point out that when you are making tails, sewn by hand is the best thing you can do. So don't hurry in trying to get a sewing machine. For things like tails it's not necessary.
> 
> The second thing I will say is few people can really do a good solid critique that will be useful to you so long as you are not doing your initial test work out of a proper material. You should not be using bed-sheets for your test material. You should get crappy faux fur, and use that so you can get a full range and feel for just what it's like to work with faux fur. Learning how to use it is part of the initial start process. Working with bed sheet like material won't get you the kind of starter experience you need.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the critique, it looks like you _actually_ put some thought into it. I know there's not much to critique yet but any help with the process is welcome.

It's good to know that handsewing is the right way to go on this because I won't have access to a machine for some time. I do have some rather cheap fur, which I bought to practice on, but even rather cheap fur is still expensive so I wanted to shape out the pieces on something I don't care about first. I'm going to be making a deer tail and a white wolf tail as my first tails. They're for two of my friends, the one who the deer tail is for has a very toony fawn character. I do think for the next attempt, I'll do one more on a bedsheet that tapers more at the end and is a little flatter. I brought Ralph (the deer) over yesterday and he loves the third tail I made, and only wanted a few adjustments to it. He also wants it to attach via some kind of clip like the ones found on walkmen and pokewalkers because he never wears anything but fleece rave pants. XP Once I get the shapes close to what I want them to be, and figure out how I'm gonna attach the clip, then I'll start working with the fur. I'll probably have to make a few more practice ones on fur as well before I make the one that he'll wear. 






> What me and Deo are both trying to tell you is to stop. Just stop.


Hmmmm...is that what Deo was trying to say? It seemed like she was trying to say that the practice tails I made didn't look like real deer tails.

Regardless, why would I stop doing something I like because you and your little pet dog don't like me? Go find someone else to harass so you can feel better about yourself.


----------



## Bir (May 7, 2011)

It's nice to see someone standing up for themselves on this damned warfeild. Do not stop what you like doing just because someone thinks it looks like shit. If you like it, do it. Who gives a crap if you're good at it or not. Besides, you're guaranteed to get better over time. 

For the shape: Definitely take into consideration what Deo was saying. I would like to add something else, however: Just because a character is toony does not mean that you should take into consideration what the real tail looks like. When making something real into something cartoony, things are usually accentuated beyond their imaginable limit, or simplified to give the absolute basic idea across.

When it comes to nature in any form whatsoever, whether it be toony or realistic, there are just absolutely no straight lines. At all. I understand that using fur will be much more forgiving on your project and we won't know just how good it will look when the fur is on. My advice to you is to look at this compilation of pictures I have, and to just think about what you think would look good and go from there.

But before that, also remember that you can use shape of the fabric /*as well as*/ different lengths of fur/trimming the fur to get your idea across. So if you decided to use that shape for a deer tail, you can use any of those suggestions to make it even better. I understand you want us to critique the shape of your practice tails, but shape of the fur and how you put it together will also make a huge difference. If you use long fur without bothering to trim it, it will loose the triangular shape and look like a bunny tail. If you use short fur for the entire thing, then it will look exactly how you shaped it. So consider all of those things, and decide if you will rely on shape, trimming, fur length, or all of the above before you make your cuts.


These deer are cartoony, yes, but you can also see that their tails are much longer and rectangular/ovular than triangular. For the first example you would probably rely completely on the shape of the fabric you cut. The second example shows that you'd need to use shorter fur on the top, and longer on the bottom. 















These are images of real deer tails similar to what Deo showed you, except that these are fake. You can see how shape, trimming, as well as different colors will help you to get your point across, as well as color and in general what you /use/ to make tails. The first made out of gorgeous fur fabric that looks to me as if it may have been dyed, the second was made out of fleece, and the third was made out of yarn. You see, when it comes to a tail (especially a deer tail), they already are so simplistic that any of these tails would work on a cartoony fursuit. When it comes to realism versus cartoony, I generally think of mask differences such as the eyes, nose, and shape of the head. Tails are much simpler, and much easier to get away with. For tails, the difference between cartoony and realistic lies in the color and how you get it across(In my own personal opinion.) Think of a fox tail: A red fox tail that is cartoony would probably just be red with a white tip, right? Well a realistic red fox tail would have all sorts of reds, browns, greys, blacks, creams, etc. mixed throughout. So think about color, as well. 













So you can see how it is hard for us to critique the shape of your tail because it takes a lot more than just shaping the fabric to make something. That triangular pattern could befurred, trimmed, airbrushed, posed if you add wire, and all sorts of things before it even looks like a tail. Perhaps you should ask around to buy some scrap fur from fursuit makers and try your hand at producing a completed, finished one and ask us to critique it again. Add WIP photos so we can see how you cut your fabric shapes and we could incorporate that into our critiques. We just can't give you a complete critique if the project itself isn't complete.

I agree that using simple, easy to get fabric for practice is a great idea. However, now it's time for you to take the next step and plan the end shape that you want. Consider length, color, and everything else I mentioned to determine what shape you'll actually need.

Hope that helps!


----------



## Kaluna (May 8, 2011)

That's a lot of great advice, Bir. Those pictures really show what I was looking for, also Bambi's tail is a great example of what the tail should end up (sorta) like. The fur is already picked out. It's a short pile darkish brown and a long pile white. I am thinking about trimming the fluffy white fur a little bit but I have never done this before and don't really have good scissors for it. I did some more work tonight but I'm having some trouble shaping out the base of the tail, especially because it has to be on a clip base. Ralph only wears pants that don't have belt loops, and he doesn't want to wear a belt so he specifically asked me to get some kind of clip for the tail. He suggested a walkman clip but I think that may be too weak to hold up a tail. What else can be used to attach a tail....what about really strong magnets? That might be uncomfortable though...
Also, attachment via a safety pin is out. It's never nice to sit on a tail with safety pin.....ouch.....


----------



## Bir (May 8, 2011)

Spliff Kitten said:


> That's a lot of great advice, Bir. Those pictures really show what I was looking for, also Bambi's tail is a great example of what the tail should end up (sorta) like. The fur is already picked out. It's a short pile darkish brown and a long pile white. I am thinking about trimming the fluffy white fur a little bit but I have never done this before and don't really have good scissors for it. I did some more work tonight but I'm having some trouble shaping out the base of the tail, especially because it has to be on a clip base. Ralph only wears pants that don't have belt loops, and he doesn't want to wear a belt so he specifically asked me to get some kind of clip for the tail. He suggested a walkman clip but I think that may be too weak to hold up a tail. What else can be used to attach a tail....what about really strong magnets? That might be uncomfortable though...
> Also, attachment via a safety pin is out. It's never nice to sit on a tail with safety pin.....ouch.....



You could use a carabiner and just attach it to the top hem of your pants. That's what I do when I don't have a belt. XD I hate attaching it to my belt loop because then it just goes all over the place and ick.

You could use a button, or even just make a loop or belt or something. My favorite way to attach a tail is by wearing a thin fabric belt.


----------

