# Begginner looking for tips/critique!



## Kaluna (Dec 13, 2012)

I've been sewing for about a year now and I'm about to create my first suit in the coming 4 weeks before Further Confusion. 
I would really love critique on my past work and plan to post progress pics as I work and would love feedback along the way.
I have made several tails, ears, and a pair of hand paws and sock paws already. 
I also recently made my very first head as practice. 
I used glued seams and fun fur, both of which I hate, because I was not happy with the shape of the head and wanted to just go ahead and make something without worrying about it being perfect, mostly to get experience with foam work and making a head pattern out of duct tape and plastic wrap. 
I also recently replaced my fursuits resin cast eyes with toony buckram eyes (which the foamwork was originally intended for but the maker changed her mind). 
I plan on using the same style of eyes on the suit I'm making but I learned a lot in the process, like that I should put together the white eye frame separately and then install it in the head instead of putting it in piece by piece.

I have already planned the entire suit out and gathered all the necessary materials (at least I think).
The character is a fox/raccoon hybrid. I have drawn up her fur pattern in tons of different ways until I settled on something I was happy with. All the drawings are just rough sketches so I wont show them here but I will be making a ref soon, probably after the suit though.
It's going to be a partial, balaclava based head with minimal foam work, sewn seams, and DF fur. I am going to make arm sleeves, held up by elastic bands across the front and back of my chest. The handpaws are done already. The feet will be sockpaws, probably two pairs if I have time, one with silicon pads, one with outdoor pads with I am recycling from my first sockpaws. I made my first pair of sockpaws out of fun fur from joann as a test, the pads were made out of a seat cover for a car that I had found. The pads have lasted 30+ miles of walking on cement as well as hiking and getting wet. The fur and socks are destroyed and I already threw them away but the pads are super strong.

Here's the materials I've got:

plastic male mannequin head 
sweat-wicking balaclava 
4in, 1 in, and 1/2in high quality foam 
black, grey, blue, and white shag fur from fabric.com (same as DF long fur) 
silicon pawpads from phazonalloy 
resin cast claws (may not use, and definitely not on the hands) from phazonalloy 
black and sparkly blue sculpey (probably need clear or white too for teeth) 
blue UV reactive cainine nose and tongue from DVC 
polyfil 
buckram (colored with prisma colors) 
circle stencil tool with tons of sizes 
black felt for around the eyes and lips (maybe foamies or fleece is better?) 
super 77 spray glue to attach the foam to the balaclava/itself and to attach the sewn fur pattern to the head 
black and clear epoxy for attaching teeth and anything else I might need that for 
stiff plastic wire for whiskers (looks great when I poke it into the foam on my suit but idk how to make it stay) 
1in braided elastic 
electric knife 
super sharp trimming shears 
assortment of razors 
basic handsewing supplies (I don't enjoy using machines, handsewing is fun) 
ducttape dummies of my feet 
new tube socks to build paws on 
hot glue gun (will try my best not to use) 
plastic wrap and masking tape or duct tape for pattern making 

I've read tons of tutorials, including nearly every one in the stickies here, and I intend to reference them often in addition to photos of coons and foxes and my own plan
I want the suit to be toony and have a small lightly downward pointing snout, with half moon (unamused) eyes and oval eyebrow dots.
I may upload some of my sketch plans but they're really chaotic and hard to decipher; in some instances they've been drawn over with different colors several times in my attempts to work out the possibilities.

Here's some of the stuff I've made so far, including the black paws with blue pads which are for this suit.
In the case of the practice head, the nose, tongue, teeth, and eyes are just set in place, not glued or anything. I got the jaw to move well and there's hidden vents in the ears, which were two of my goals for the head. I don't intend to finish it, it's just a scraped together practice instrument.
As for the bernese mountain dog suit there's two pics, one of the almost done eyes, and the other of the completed eyes. I used yogurt containers for the white plastic around the edges, and buckram for the eye itself, colored with prisma color markers. I think foamies might be better than the plastic and I definitely need to put the frame together before I put it in the head.

Like I said before, I will be posting progress pics soon as I work on the suit.
Thanks in advance for any critique you guys have for me.


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## Kaluna (Dec 20, 2012)

Here's a tail I made for my friend, as well as the tail for my partial. Both still need belt loops. The foxcoon one has a zipper so I can unstuff it easily and also stash things :3c
Also heres some of my sketchy plans for the suit.
I apologize for the poor picture quality, I'm using my phone.


















Any comments/critiques are welcome.


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## Nordo Huskamute (Dec 20, 2012)

That head you made looks great, Just like a happy dog!  I look forward to the responses to this thread as I am in the same situation, making my first suit.  I have no sewing experience though, however I have got  (hopefully) all the supplies I will need as well as a new sewing machine.  I'll post pics too when I get started.


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## DerpyTurtle (Dec 20, 2012)

I give you props on all the improvements and how much of a change you made from the first head, that puppy ended up really adorable c: You seem to learn quickly and will only keep improving. cx Some people make bad suits and continue making bad suits and have no concept of improving. xD


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## Wa*Ya*Ha (Dec 20, 2012)

the handpaws are CUTE! The red foxtail near the top needs some improving, the seam is rather noticable, but your other tails look fantastic! 

i too am working on my first fursuit head, it's crawling though because i'm such a damn perfectionist. I've sewn costumes before, but i've never done anything like this, so it's throwing me for a loop!


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## Kaluna (Jan 8, 2013)

Note: I did not make that berenese mountain dog suit, I mention that above but people still seem to be confused, I only replaced the eyes.
Now for pics


















































So I haven't had internet, but heres the pics of the finished suit parts, tail, hand and feet paws, and sleeves. The foamwork in its various stages. And then as of last night I finished sewing together the pieces for the face fur, it needs to be shave and glued down of course but I'm getting there. I would really really love critique!!


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