Techniques and Tips
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Working With Fur Fabrics
It is very rewarding to create something in fur fabric. It is amazing to watch it take shape and form, and then, somewhere along the way, to see it develop its own personality. There are, however, a few things to know before your first fur project.
Fur Types:
Plush, man made, synthetic or natural fibers, mohair, alpaca; all names that refer to fur fabrics. This guide is not intended as a complete "everything you should know about fur", rather just a few tips before purchasing and working with this wonderful fabric for your first project. "Fur" as intended here refers to man made or natural fibers on a knitted or woven backing, not animal hide.
The denser the fur or pile on the face of the fabric the higher the quality the fabric is. Fur ranges in price from $10.00 to $12.00 a yard to well over $400.00 a yard, depending on the fur fiber type, length and quality. Use the appropriate type of fur for the project and intended end user. You would not make a bear for a child to play with from $200.00 per yard mohair, any more than you would use $12.00 a yard fur to make a collectable bear for a collector.
What to look for when purchasing fabric:
Plush is a man made fiber on a knitted backing. It will give or stretch a little when stuffed. The knitted backing on plush is not always straight on grain, which will allow the bear to twist slightly when stuffed. This can be somewhat compensated for when laying out the pattern, but if the backing is too crooked, it will be difficult to work with. Spend a little more for a better quality fabric. Look for dense fur on the face and a straight backing. Although there are expensive exceptions, plush is generally inexpensive and readily available in most fabric stores.
Mohair is made from the fleece of the Angora goat and therefore a natural fiber. Although some is grown in the United States, it is generally imported. The fur comes in various types from sparse, which makes adorable character bears, to dense used for the more traditional bears, and everything in between. The length of the fur is from very short 3/8" to very long 3"or more. It has a woven backing, which is easier to control when working with the grain. Mohair is expensive and generally purchased in specialty fabric shops or online.
Miniature bears are very small; 1 ½" to 3" is common, but anything under 5" is considered miniature. They are usually sewn by hand out of upholstery fabric. This fabric is very short napped, almost like velvet. The fur is generally man made and the backing is woven.
Finding the nap or pile of the fur:
Inspect the cut edges of the fabric. Compare them to the salvage edges. The edge or the salvage with the most fur hanging over it is the direction in which the fur lays. Confirm this by running your hand over the face of the fur. The smoothest feel to the hand is the direction of the fur. The results of both methods should be the same. The direction of the fur should run or point in the same direction as the hair grows on the animal you are creating.
Layout:
Make enough of each pattern piece so that the whole pattern can be laid out simultaneously. Example: If you need 4 leg patterns, make 4 separate patterns instead of using 1 pattern over and over. Pre fold each pattern piece in half on the arrow line and open it back out. Lay out all of the pieces at once. Place the pattern onto the back of the fabric by refolding the piece in half, laying the fold on the straight of the grain in the correct direction of the fur and opening it out again. Trace or pin the pattern to the fabric. Continue until all pattern pieces are traced or pinned to the fabric back.
Cutting fur fabric:
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER cut thru the nap of a fur fabric, whether it is plush or mohair. If you do, the seams will be bald as there will be no fur to cover them after sewing and they will be glaringly apparent! Instead, use small, pointed, sharp scissors and cut only thru the backing, leaving the fur on the face of the fabric intact. This is easy to do if you slightly lift the fabric an inch or so from the cutting surface, then slide the scissor tip between the backing and fur, and make a short cut. Slide the scissor forward and make another short cut. Continue sliding the scissors forward making short cuts until the entire pattern piece has been cut out.
Sewing:
Accuracy is always your best friend, but it is especially so when making fur animals. Compare the pieces being sewn together with each other to make sure that both pieces are an even match. Trim any excesses away. Always pin the seams before sewing. Although this may seam like wasted time and steps, fur can easily shift and your seams will be inaccurate. As you sew, push the fur to the inside with a long doll needle so less of the fur will be trapped in the seam.
Grooming:
No matter how hard you try, there will always be some fur that is trapped, so make sure you inspect all the seams, either as you go or once the project is completed. This is easier to do after stuffing. Use a doll needle to release the fur. Slip the needle under the fur at the seam line where it is trapped and gently lift it out. This is easier to do after stuffing. Using a small finger brush or a needle, brush back and forth, over all of the seams to blend the fur together and help hide the seams. .
