Hand Puppets - clowns!


Hand Puppets - clowns!, originally uploaded by soja.

I loved all sorts of puppets when I was younger. Though perhaps not clowns, they were either too sad or too silly. These guys have promised to be behave, however... 

The idea came from an old sewing book - The Collins Complete Book of Needlecraft (reprinted 1981, first ed. 1978). I bought it second-hand years ago and I find it useful to refer to for techniques and ideas. I notice in the older craft books, apart from the explanation of the techniques, which are usually clear and easy to follow, the projects are often more ideas than the step by step instructions that you get now. For example, for the puppets, it tells you you can use different coloured fabrics and make up hats and outfits - basically use your own imagination I suppose!

I remember thinking that the heavier Ikea cotton fabrics would be good for toys and puppets when I first got some, although my machine isn't keen on the black print, it is a little denser than the colourful print. These puppets were made using materials I already had - except the fuzzy pompoms - strangely they turned up in the supermarket and I couldn't resist buying a packet for these.

Anyway, these were fairly easy, I had to redo the necks as I found the gap a little too tight for two fingers, and for some reason my machine's tension went out of whack on every second or third seam. Grrr!

Now I'm thinking of other good pairs to go together. Hmm, doctor and patient, rival pirates, cops and robbers.... I've found at school that two puppets is always better than one - it encourages more language and imagination, it's almost inevitable that the puppets are going to 'talk' to each other..

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