Skeletons

The small size of the puppets means that even with 2 fingers, instead of 3, it is not easy to get a hand inside without making the body look either too fat, or unduly distorted when working the puppet.

This has meant going back to the idea of using an internal skeleton. Here is the first prototype being built.

Stencil and example body

Here's a stencil and an example stitched from denim cut from it.

Note - the template is asymmetric in this case. This needs to be considered when using material that has a different pattern on each side (e.g. a facing side, and backing side).
If you just cut out two pieces, and stitch together this will mean the face is not showing on one side.
To get round this, after drawing out one piece on your cloth, simply turn the stencil over before drawing out the next piece.
This will give two pieces that will sew 2 together with faces out on both sides. In this case the body uses plain cloth, so it doesn't matter!

Glove puppet pattern - the quick and easy way

Drawing round one's hand is a pretty simple way to get a base pattern to make the body parts!

You then cut out the pattern, and use as a stencil.

Basic costume - version one

A first rough sew of a costume body for Mr Plod (or whatever the policeman may end up being called). This will be the basis for a generic cloth body, over which the proper character costumes can be fitted later.


This shows the stick where the finger would normally be. Using thumb and forefinger makes them a bit lopsided. arms are too big at present, but that can be adjusted in version 2...

judy...

getting there. this the last head to get put together. Costumes next then...

mechanisms

I think that my attempts to use rods and hinges to transfer expression from fingertips to puppet-tips may be overkill.
This drawing shows what may be a simpler way - just using 2 fingers instead of 3.
It still does not address the fact that a finger in the puppet's head gives a huge range of expression, but it does mean a simpler more direct connection between fingers and puppet movement than the rods and hinges probably could.

Cleaning up

Judy is out of the mould, and this half is being cleaned up with a riffler.

Judy moulding...

Judy moulding in the palm of my hand. You can see the roughness of a raw untrimmed moulding. A scalpel and some rifflers later and this will be a polished thing...

Papier mache in a mould

This shot shows half of a puppet head that has dried in situ in the mould. Note the border of papier mache overlapping out onto the mould body. This is deliberate, as the overlap gives you something to lever out the moulding once it is dry, without pulling or levering the moulding itself, and acts as a handle.
This means you are less likely to break it or distort it when you pull it out. The picture shows two modelling tools slid under ready to start levering out half of Judy's head.

Papier mache shrinks as it dries, and for this reason you should not pull the moulding out if it is not completely dry. If it is still wet and it dries out of the mould, it will distort.
Just because the overlap is dry, do not assume the whole moulding is. The overlap will almost always dry faster than the rest of the moulding, especially if it is a deep mould, or you have layered many layers in one go.