Making Your Own Fursuit, A Virgin's Log

[Aaeden]

Get your mind out of the gutter, folks. I'm looking to make my first fursuit. It's been a long time coming to actually try this, and I'm hoping to get some good stuff up here as far as resources that I'll be trying to use, items that are of a great deal of help to me, and of course, to get comments and considerations from the more experienced costume creators.

For the moment, I'm collecting resources. One of my favorite resources to drool over is Matrices' website (www.matrices.net), where she gives full directions on a lot of the items I'm looking at. Any other ideas?

[Morgan]

Since I'm also sort of in the middle of that, though further along...

1. "Critter Costuming: Making Mascots and Fabricating Fursuits" - http://www.amazon.com/Critter-Costuming-Mascots-Fabricating-Fursuits/dp/0967817072/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210187329&sr=8-1

2. The "Fursuit" LJ group.

3. Get a sewing machine.  Take a basic course.  I hadn't used one in 20 years and the basic intro I took on using the one I bought has been a lifesaver.

Other thoughts -- for the body suit, I used a pattern from "McCall's Costumes #8953" (with suitable custom sizing).  It also has handy ear and tail patterns. 

And, above all, don't be afraid to ask for advice/help!

[Aaeden]

1. Somehow, it surprises me that there's actually a book on this. Definitely looks like it's worth the investment.

2. ALL over that.

3. Yes. That's an absolute must.

4. McCall's Costumes #8953 should be a pattern that every fursuiter is familiar with. The LJ community made that very apparent to me. :3

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll definitely check out that book!

[Lady Serpent]

Well, I'd certainly like to jump all over this thread.  Hopefully get a chance when I get back sometime.

-LS

[Morgan]

Progress continues on my front.  I finally have a wearable full suit, though work still needs to be done.  Wore it for three or four hours on Centre Island on Monday.



Additional Pictures: http://www.transform.to/~mwbard/stuff/fursuitpictures/centreislandmay19-08/

Still need to find a solution for the collar, though I have ideas.  The hooves need to be made stronger (bolt it is).  The legs of the bodysuit need to be narrowed -- much too wide right now.  But, I think I'm on the right track. 

[Snapdragonfly]

That looks brilliant so far!

[happy.knot]

The feet/legs are amazing!

[Aaeden]

Progress continues on my front.  I finally have a wearable full suit, though work still needs to be done.  Wore it for three or four hours on Centre Island on Monday.

What resources did you use, Morgan, or is this mostly self-manufactured?

I think it looks fantastic, regardless. Mostly I'm looking for useful sites and tips for building my own that I can put to good use!

[Morgan]

The head was made by Beetlecat, as were the hands.  The hooves are my Mk 1 ComfyHooves(tm) -- construction details can be found at http://www.transform.to/~mwbard/stuff/comfyhooves/comfyhooves.htm.  The bodysuit was made using the McCalls Pattern I mentioned to you, done in cheapo crap fur and resized and resized and tucked and pinned to get a pattern for the good black fur.  The tail was a bundle of horse tail hair wrapped around a pipe joiner piece and sealed using rubber cement and wrapped cord.  The mount for the tail is an aluminum plate (to prevent the tail weight pulling it down) on a shoulder/waist harness that also holds the legs up.

Note: The entire thing is designed to be used in pieces -- I can wear just the head, the arms/hands, the legs/hooves, the tail, the bodysuit, as individuals or in any combination. 

It's not perfect yet.  I need a better way to hide the neck join.  Just made an elastic hood out of black stretchy material using -- wait for it -- the hood pattern that comes with the McCall's package.  Hopefully that will hide the join between the head and the bodysuit.  The legs are too large in diameter, I need to thin them a bit so that they fit more snuggly against the hooves.  All the various glues for the ComfyHooves(tm) failed miserably, so they have to hve a metal bar going through the shoe soul and the resin hoofshell.  That's in progress as are the Mk2 ComfyHooves (same thing, but done on better shoes rather than el cheapo slippers ).  The bodysuit needs the fur pulled out of the seams still -- doing that slowly in spare time.

Anyway, I didn't post this to brag (okay, a little ) but as encouragement.  It IS my first attempt -- I hadn't used a sewing machine in 20 years until after Christmas on the legs and bodysuit of this.  A good looking fursuit is achievable, even for us newbies!

P.S. A video of the Centre Island silliness the pictures are from is up at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cjwj8MfDAY.  For next year I have found a proper kite: http://www.kitesrus.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=K/PROD/FWSL/54141