Puppet hand surgery

Puppet hand surgery
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle

Shoes being lacquered

Shoes being lacquered
Originally uploaded by rosemarybeetle

More cobbling

Some fine footwear for an otherwise austere scientist

trousers

After some efforts in tailoring, trousers are nearly completed

Puppet boots

The beginnings of some rather dandy boots for Mr Punch.

Stages 1 and 2 are modelling the positive core in plasticine, followed by laminating with brown paper and PVA papier mache

Swish shirt

Why, hello. Who's got a dandy new tailored shirt then?

Scientist's lab coat

I am not sure if this is a tiny tad too long, but has the right feel for the character. Stereotypical science geek attire, but with a slightly military/ secret police feel to the collar.

Policeman is nearly complete

'ello, 'ello, 'ello. What's all this then? 'bout bleedin' time I 'ad some clothes, matey...

shoes...

Plasticene and papier mache. I love it!

pink thing is the mould - brown thing, the shoe... policeman's shoes...

Policeman gets clothes

Jumble sale jeans are perfect for making a good navy uniform.
This is not yet fitted with trims or buttons, but starting to show the final look.

Puppet bodies getting better

This shows the Policeman puppet. The head sits freely in a central hole and is held and, in use, is manipulated by the last three fingers of the hand curled round it.
The hands are detached from the body to allow maximum freedom od movement.

The body is connected to the sleeve with a short stitched hinge joint.

Crocodile head

Crocodile with elastic jaw opening. This opposes the cable controlled jaw snap shut.
I wonder if elastic to close jaw would be better. Possibly more relaxing to use in practise, as most of the time not tension would be required in the hand to keep the jaw shut.
hmm...

Mr Punch gets new clothes

My, doesn't he look dashing. I liked the last costume, but this one is more theatrical. The shadows work rather tastily here!

I can't decide if he should have a hat. Does anyone out there reading this have any opinion on if it would improve the look?

Another puppet body pattern

Policeman.

This design is a 2-finger control, with the head on a stick in the remaining curled three fingers. This is better than the fixed head version. It can shake its head in despair etc.!

Hands getting attached

Here is Judy's right hand being glued into place into her arm sleeve.

The hand is modelled and baked Fimo, painted and varnished, with a thin bamboo rod inserted as a mount to keep the arm rigid. This is hot-glued into the fabric arm. The fabric of the arm is reinforced by surrounding with thin plastic from a soft drink bottle to form a rigid, hollow tapering tube which will allow thumb operation.

First body made from latest pattern...

This will most likely be Judy. The body is full of flocked (i.e. quite fluffy) cotton cloth, cut up and stuffed inside. There are a few coins in each foot to give them some swing. Four pence in each to be exact!

Body parts

Two-part body made from templates. Part one is the white body with no arms. Part two is the puppeteer sleeve in black with arms in white attached as sleeves to allow thumb and forefinger through. These are combined to create a puppet operated from behind.

New pattern

A new version of the cutting pattern for the puppet body for 2-fingered operation...

Costume blanks

Costume blanks, and what they look like without heads...

...at last can get back to making

New year, and finally I have finished installing kitchen, despite many set backs, including non-delivery of the units, and two severe weather episodes closing down most things.
Feels like I can get back onto making the little people fresh in the new year/decade. They are all cold and half-made in the shed, poor lambs.

Next task is to start mass producing bodies. Have template, can sew...