Courageous Tillie and his faithful steed George set off to seek adventure. Who knew what exciting foreign lands and heroic deeds lay before them? They would cross the treacherous River of Eels, slay the terrible monster of Gila, and they would rescue fair Hilda. Songs would be written about them, they would be showered with untold riches, and they would get to have tea with the Queen. All the neighbors would be envious. And as long as they were back by dinner, Tillie’s mom promised they could both have cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles for dessert.

Do you remember being a kid and you just got a brand new set of markers (or colored pencils, or crayons) and you were consumed by a need to use all of them, at once, on one glorious picture?  This happened to me rather frequently.  Just seeing the huge rainbow mega packs in the store would make my eyes glaze over with longing.  This did happen to other children, right?  Well, I never grew out of it.  Every time I go into an art store, the panoply of  color still calls out to me and I am overwhelmed by a irrational need to own all of them, even the colors I don’t really like.  I guess it’s not all that surprising that I ended where I am today.

Anyways, the point of this story is that I got a set of markers for Christmas.  Fancy grown-up artist markers.  I have been lusting after a set of Copic art markers for several years now, but I was too cheap (broke) to ever invest in a set.  At $4-6 bucks a pop, they get expensive very quickly, and I was worried that I might not like them after blowing all that money.  At some point in the past I tried out some Prismacolor markers and it felt like I was coloring with very expensive Sharpies that were half dried up.  Sure, I do have a beloved rainbow set of Sharpies, but I don’t use them for artistic masterpieces.  On the other hand, I have only ever heard good things about Copic markers, and I like the look of artwork produced using them.  I really wanted to give them a try.  I was so excited when I finally got them, that I think I squealed when I opened the package.

Needless to say, I’ve been avidly tooling around with them in my spare time since then.  The illustration above pretty much sums up my childlike glee.  I am extremely pleased with them.  They are everything I wanted them to be.  They are double ended, with a wonderful brush tip on one side.  The color flows smoothly from both ends.  You can layer and blend, and there is no icky smell–the whole experience is very similar to using watercolors.  I’ve been pretending for years that painting with watercolors was an enjoyable, not time intensive, finicky, often frustrating experience.  This is really what I wanted all along.  Double plus bonus, I have also discovered that they work well on fabric which opens up all sorts of new possibilities for my sewing.  I didn’t even consider this use until after I got them.

So if you have ever considered trying out art markers, I would definitely recommend them.  About the only drawbacks in my mind are the expense, and the fact that they bleed through nearly any paper.  The expense is worth it, especially considering that they are refillable, and as long as you remember to put down a blotter sheet, the other part isn’t a problem either.  There are a few different styles available, but I found this to be a pretty helpful breakdown of each:  Copic, Sketch, Ciao, or Wide.  If you are wondering, I have the 36 B set of the Ciaos.

Now that I have this wonderful set, I am struck with a new dilemma–I only have 36 out of the hundreds of colors.  It seems like such a paltry number all of a sudden.  I need all the colors.  It’s like Pokemon, you gotta catch them all.  I suppose if you aren’t into Pokemon or obsessed with art supplies, you don’t understand.  I see you start to back away slowly with a concerned look on your face.  It’s okay, I understand.  It’s not for you.  Just enjoy the pictures and I promise I won’t tell you anything about how awesome my Charizard is.

I have to say it’s pretty satisfying getting something that you designed yourself.  Also, I still have a childlike delight for getting things in the mail.  All in all I am very pleased with this purchase.  I ended up ordering my fishy pattern in three different color themes on quilting weight cotton.  The fabric feels good and the colors turned out perfect (I did make sure to use their recommended color palette).  So far it is working out great for my little koi.  Now I can finally get going on this project!

If you been unable to find that particular pattern you want or fancy yourself a budding textile designer, you might give it a try. For the Photoshop users out there, here is a handy tutorial for making a pattern tile-able.  I’ve also made a little diagram of how a pattern fits together.  I know it’s pretty obvious, but I find it easier if I have a visual reference.  I would also suggest that if you are making a tile-able pattern, start filling in the edges first.  Once all the edges match you can fill in the middle however you want.  And if you just enjoy making patterns, you can make your designs available to the public and you get a small commission for each sale.  Just remember folks:  if you are creating a pattern, respect intellectual property rights!  Don’t “borrow” copyrighted material even if it’s just for you.  There is so much license free material out there, so you have no excuse.

If all that is too scary, you can also browse through the tons of cool designs for sale that other people have contributed.  One of the other things I’ve seen on there that looks really fun is patterns for dolls, plushies, masks, and other goodies printed directly on the fabric.  You purchase the “project” and it’s sort of like getting a kit.  All you have to do is cut it out and sew it together.

Now that I’ve thoroughly geeked out about this, I do have to say it has some drawbacks.  It is a bit on the pricey end.  I spent a while lusting after all the pretties Spoonflower has to offer because I couldn’t quite justify spending that much on a whim.  If I hadn’t had this commission, it probably would have been a lot longer.  I don’t often use the types of fabric they offer.  It’s definitely a useful high-quality product, all the fabrics are organic natural fibers too, but unfortunately at this point in time it’s not something I see myself using very often.  Of course window shopping is free so I will continue to long even if I don’t need any of it.

Long ago when I first became a maker of plushies, all I used was craft felt because it was well suited to the tiny creatures I made.  Also, I was dead broke and that was all I could really afford to work with.  As I got further into the world of plush I dreamed of the days when I would have a vast array of fabric at my disposal.  Having inherited my mother’s weakness for outrageous colors and fabrics, I yearned for all sorts of exotic materials.  In particular I lusted after a stash of wild and colorful faux fur.  I was terribly jealous of my fellow plush makers who used the stuff all the time.  Finally, the day came when I stopped being broke all the time and I made up an excuse to start my own glorious collection.  These days I am finally starting to have a respectable stash.

Recently I have received a few inquiries as to where one starts acquiring said wonderful fur.  I remember being stuck at the beginning too.  Where do you actually buy the stuff?  I was horribly disappointed by the paltry selection I first encountered at my local fabric store.  It usually only comes in black and white and is of a dreadfully cheap quality.  I wanted to find that fantastic stuff I saw other people using.  I turned to the extensive knowledge base of the wonderful Plush Team (of which I am a member)  and I discovered that to get the good stuff, you are probably going to have to do your shopping online.  In the beginning I was very hesitant about buying fabric that I couldn’t touch, but this was soon outweighed by the ease and selection of online shopping.  Since I know how frustrating the hunt for right material can be, I have attempted to put together a small guide of sorts here.  It is based on my own shopping experience so it isn’t terribly extensive, but it should be a good starting point.

Part 1

Where to shop

1. Fabric.com
   This website doesn’t have a wide variety of furs, but the stuff they do have comes in a wide range of colors and is reasonably priced.  I also use the site a lot for ordering other types of fabric.  Shipping is super quick.
2. DistinctiveFabric.com
   This place has a great variety of furs available.  The prices are pretty reasonable.  Shipping is usually pretty quick, but I’ve heard from others that it can be slow sometimes.
3. Mendel’s
   I haven’t actually ordered from this site yet, but it is well recommended.  They have a fantastic selection.  If you can’t find what you need at the first two sites, you can probably find it here.  Unfortunately it is a bit more expensive that the previous two.

A few tips on shopping: Just a warning, nice faux fur, the stuff that is thick and soft, is a bit pricey.  The $20/yard range is pretty standard.  However the fabric is usually 60″ wide so a little goes a long way.  Also, many of the above sites will let you buy in half yard increments.  You can also get a swatch for very cheap (sometimes free) if you want to know what a particular fabric is like.  And if all else fails, the first two websites have very generous return policies.  Personally I haven’t been disappointed yet, so I haven’t had to return anything.

If shopping online really isn’t your thing, try finding an independent fabric store in your area.  The good ones will generally have a better selection than the big chain stores.  I don’t drive so I haven’t gotten around to investigating the ones on my area yet.

Part II

What to buy

For this part I am going to turn things over to an expert in fuzzology.  This is Professor Fuzzwald, a researcher at the Bunny Hopkins Advanced Fuzzics Lab.  He has agreed to talk about some of the properties of faux fur to better inform your shopping decisions.

Good day, makers-in-learning.  Today we are going to talk about properties of materials.  The proper selection of materials is an important part of any project.  For this discussion we are going to be looking at the contents of Jefita’s faux fur stash.  I will be evaluating the various furs based on two main factors, the Softness Scale and the Fuzz Index.  The Softness Scale is a gauge of how pleasant to touch something is, or how coarse the fibers are.  The scale ranges from 1 (scruffy dog) to 10 (chinchilla).  The Fuzz Index is from a combination of fur thickness and fiber length.  It is essentially how dense and furry the material is.  Now let us begin!

First we will cover the cheap stuff.  These samples came from the local Jo-Ann Fabrics.

This one here has a Softness of 3, and a low Fuzz Index.  It is rather long and shaggy, but not very thick.

At first glance this one seems cotton soft and fluffy, but it really only has a Softness of 4 and low Fuzz Index.  It is somewhat stiff and much thinner than it looks.

This sample is a bit surprising.  Despite its origin it has a Softness of 6 and a medium Index.  The fur isn’t all that long, but is decently thick  and pleasantly scruffy looking.

Now we have seen what is at the bottom of the scale, we can move on to the nicer stuff.

Faux Fur Luxury Shag Fabric from Fabric.com

This is a lovely variety of fur and comes in a wide range of colors.  It has a Softness of 9 and a high Fuzz Index.  Fiber length is only about 1-1.5″, but is nice and thick.  Look at that lovely sheen too.  Example use: the Monster Bag

Pay attention to cross section here.  See how thick that is?  That is indicative of a high Fuzz Index and good quality of the material.

Extra Long Hair Fur Fabric from DistinctiveFabric.com

Here we have a much longer fur.  As you can see it has a stringier texture.  Despite this appearance it has a Softness of 7 and a high Fuzz Index. Example use:  another Monster Bag.

3 Tone Fur Fabric from DistinctiveFabric.com

Moving into the more exotic furs, we have this long multi-colored sample.  The base color is rather short so the accent colors seem to “spike” out.  It has a Softness of 8 and an high Fuzz Index.  Example use:  the Kitty Bag.

Sparkle Fur Fabric from DistinctiveFabric.com

This is an interesting mix of properties.  This long glittery fur has a medium high Fuzz Index, but a Softness of only 3 or 4.  Fortunately the Sparkle factor balances out the low Softness.  Example use:  Murf the Monster.

Lastly I would like to cover one more category, the not-quite furs.  These materials wouldn’t really be considered furs, but they have their place in the world of fuzzology.  They don’t have a Fuzz Index but instead just a Softness rating.

Soft Fur Fabric from Fabric.com

This material carries the name “fur” but as you can see is very short and not really furry at all.  However it does have a nice sheen and a Softness of 8.

Minky Solid Fabric available online and locally

While not a fur in any sense of the word, it has a somewhat of a furry appearance.  As the name would suggest it is “minky” soft with a very high softness rating of 10.  Example use:  Zoe the Soft Rocker.

That is all I have to cover today.  Hopefully this lecture has helped enlighten your fabric choices.

Thank you Professor Fuzzwald!

That’s about all I have for this segment of Fuzzology 101.  Sometime in the future I hope to have another session covering the makeup and handling of faux fur.  I’m not an expert on working with faux fur yet, but I’m going to share what knowledge I have.  If any of you have questions about this topic please let me know.  I would also love to hear if you have anything to add!