uppet muppet puppet
Jul. 31st, 2013 12:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kittytoesSometimes I think my life is disproportionately made up of silly pursuits.
And then I realize that that is my life stuff.
And it's ok.
The boys and I made puppets. They have been loving The Muppet Show lately and Toby designed a Muppet Whatnot for his birthday and is excited to get it. (Gideon made one for his.) I wanted us to work on a summer project together that would be fun and productive, so we did a little bit of research and decided to try making our own puppets. Generally the thing that makes Muppets look so Muppety is the foam they are carved from which is then covered with fleece or fur or whatever. I didn't want to bother with carving, so I assumed we'd make simple soft, flat-ish puppets. I let the boys draw their characters and we brainstormed ways to make them in 3 dimensions. Gideon wanted to make Pickles, a cyclops he draws on everything. Toby wanted to make an orange guy with blue eyes named Jack Jr. (I have to find those drawings!) Gideon has taken a softies class, so he had a bit of understanding about patterning, so we worked out simple 2 piece body patterns for each, plus arms. (Well, Toby wanted his head to be flat, so he had a third piece at the top of his cylinder shape.) We used fleece for the bodies and machine sewed them, Gideon did his own. We made the mouth parts out of cardboard, and sort of just guessed and fitted the shapes then covered them with felt and glued them in. Once they were made and I realized how big they were gonna be and how much stuffing they needed, I made linings for both of them which I attached to the inside of the mouth pieces, so we could really fill them out with poly fill. We made eyes out of styrofoam and felt pieces, and I made the horns for Pickles (my machine was being a butt sewing the stretchy fabric) and we glued the lining to the outside fleece and they're done. I forgot to sew in a pocket to the arms so we can add rods, so we we have to figure that out next, probably just a small loop of elastic on each wrist? We have to get wooden dowel for rods.
I told the boys they have to put together an act for Toby's party, so I promised to turn the kitchen window into a stage for them. (We have an inside window between rooms. Is there a word for that? It used to be the front of the house before it had a kitchen.)
The whole project took about a week and Gideon definitely participated a lot more, but I didn't expect Toby to do any sewing. He just had opinions. They are hilarious playing with them. I definitely think I could pitch this as a class if I get back to teaching. Or I could just open a puppet shop. :P
And then I realize that that is my life stuff.
And it's ok.
The boys and I made puppets. They have been loving The Muppet Show lately and Toby designed a Muppet Whatnot for his birthday and is excited to get it. (Gideon made one for his.) I wanted us to work on a summer project together that would be fun and productive, so we did a little bit of research and decided to try making our own puppets. Generally the thing that makes Muppets look so Muppety is the foam they are carved from which is then covered with fleece or fur or whatever. I didn't want to bother with carving, so I assumed we'd make simple soft, flat-ish puppets. I let the boys draw their characters and we brainstormed ways to make them in 3 dimensions. Gideon wanted to make Pickles, a cyclops he draws on everything. Toby wanted to make an orange guy with blue eyes named Jack Jr. (I have to find those drawings!) Gideon has taken a softies class, so he had a bit of understanding about patterning, so we worked out simple 2 piece body patterns for each, plus arms. (Well, Toby wanted his head to be flat, so he had a third piece at the top of his cylinder shape.) We used fleece for the bodies and machine sewed them, Gideon did his own. We made the mouth parts out of cardboard, and sort of just guessed and fitted the shapes then covered them with felt and glued them in. Once they were made and I realized how big they were gonna be and how much stuffing they needed, I made linings for both of them which I attached to the inside of the mouth pieces, so we could really fill them out with poly fill. We made eyes out of styrofoam and felt pieces, and I made the horns for Pickles (my machine was being a butt sewing the stretchy fabric) and we glued the lining to the outside fleece and they're done. I forgot to sew in a pocket to the arms so we can add rods, so we we have to figure that out next, probably just a small loop of elastic on each wrist? We have to get wooden dowel for rods.
I told the boys they have to put together an act for Toby's party, so I promised to turn the kitchen window into a stage for them. (We have an inside window between rooms. Is there a word for that? It used to be the front of the house before it had a kitchen.)
The whole project took about a week and Gideon definitely participated a lot more, but I didn't expect Toby to do any sewing. He just had opinions. They are hilarious playing with them. I definitely think I could pitch this as a class if I get back to teaching. Or I could just open a puppet shop. :P
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no subject
Date: 2013-07-31 04:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-07-31 05:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-07-31 06:42 pm (UTC)Yes. You are. All of you. And your Muppets :D :D :D
Seriously, I want to go back in time and grow up in YOUR house!!!! <3
(Seriously, WOW, utterly professional-looking, and utterly amazing!)
<3!
no subject
Date: 2013-07-31 06:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-07-31 07:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-07-31 07:41 pm (UTC)You.
Open a puppet shop. Yes.
I am amazed by and delighted with and tickled by and in awe of this project.
no subject
Date: 2013-07-31 08:45 pm (UTC)Really great ^-^
no subject
Date: 2013-08-01 12:20 am (UTC)