[About the Char]    [Making of/Docu]    [Material/Tips]    [Scribbles]    [PHOTOS - events]
1. Working...
		Foam, fur, hot glue, needles... you won't believe what a chaos that makes!				6 hours working on the suit, 1 hour cleaning up the flat... and that every two days :P
2. The paws
		Some door mat and gymnastic shoes (not such a good idea... I replaced those shoes meanwhile with real good shoes).				Cut the door mat and fix the shoes on them with hot glue. (Unbelievable - you can fix nearly anything with hot glue!)
		Cut the paws out of the foam. Fix them on the shoes and the door mat.				Glue the fur to the paws. I also used Velcro for the legs.
		The paws and feet - the pads are made of black leather, filled with some wool so that they look more realistic. The "hands" are made of two fur pieces, grey upside and white underside, sewed from the inside.				The feet (paws) still without claws. All paws ("hands" and "feet") are seperate, not fixed to the body suit.
3. The body
		The body - sitting. Unfortunately I have no photos of making the body suit. It is made exactly for my body, so I can move quite well in it.				The suit hanging on the coat-hanger. I didn't have a pattern for that suit, just an old carnival costume where I could have a look at.
		Closer view of the suit, from the side front. The paws are not complete yet.				From the back. The tail is fixed to a belt around my hips so that it is really part of my body - a piece of wire in the beginning of the tail (fixed to the belt) stops it hanging down as if dead.
4. The head
		The head wire model. The model was fixed again with hot glue (gun).				The head and the jaw, still seperate parts. Yes, yes, I know the nose has become a little too long for a lion...
		The model from the front. It has really become more stable than I expected.				The jaw attached to the head, with simple screws with nuts. Surely not the purrfect way, but it does work very well ;)
		When the wire model is finished, give the head some "skin" (stramin). Fixed again with hot glue.				And from the bottom. I don't know how many times I burned myself with that stupid hot glue!
		The head fully covered with stramin - opened. To make it more stable I attached some print board from a computer store in the mouth.				And shut again. At least the jaw already works ;) Later I kept it closed with two simple elastic bands on both sides.
		OK... THAT looks scary!!				The electronic inside. There is a ventilator in the nose, blowing the air out of the mouth.
		Now attaching the ears cut out of foam. I tried to use wire first, but the ears are too small for that. Attaching the foam with hot glue works again great.				And of course the cheeks to give it some form. Then cut out pieces of fur and glue them onto the head.
5. Details and finishing the head
		Of course Tani wouldn't be complete without her bangs and earmarks. Meanwhile I also attached the claws on the paws (fixed with foam and hotglue from the inside).				That's what the head looks like without nose, teeth and eyes. Somehow stupid...
		The outsides of the eyes are made of half plastic balls, attached from the inside, so that they really look like eye balls.				And with all details - the final head! Teeth and nose are made of FIMO, the inside of the eyes are again made of Stramin, painted. I gave the eyes some more detail with black and grey felt (lids,...).
		The head from the side (yes, I said I know the nose is a little too long! :P). Not a very good view from on the top side... Under the bangs is some foam to give it the real form.				The teeth (FIMO) and more details like nose and eyes. *g* Useless bonus - the teeth glow in the dark ;) The inside of the mouth is made of dark grey and black felt.
6. The fursuit (finished)
		With closed mouth. The rechargeable battery for the ventilator is located in my neck, at the end of the head under the stripe.				With mouth open and a cheesy smile ;) (this photo has a stupid perspective...)
		On the catwalk. There is a little switch at the side of the head with which I can turn on and off the ventilator.				"Oh oh, you've seen me!"
		"Hi there!"				"Have you seen that thing over there?" I really like how the legs look on this photo, and you see the opened mouth quite good.
		Posing kitty...				"Stop! Step no further!" Or be prepared for a hug?
		Wanna be pounced by the lady with the big nose? *g*				Lying on the floor. It is really good/easy to move in that suit.
		"Who? Me?" *grin*				"Oh God..."
		"Strike! Strike! I finished the suit!" Or am I just playing airguitar??				Tail huggles - Mine mine mine ;)
		Mrewww?				Hmmm... reflecting... Yes, I'm finished.
Char & Design Tani (c) VitaniDaReal (Tani), 1999-2003