People often wonder how animal fur can be created from fabric. They believe there is no way a flat piece of material with a simple design can transform itself into the soft fluff of a cat’s tail or the thickness of chest hair of a Retriever.
While this month’s blog is by no means a tutorial or the complete A to Z of creating fur, I will show you some first steps through examples within some custom pet portraits and pet memorials I’ve made.
For those of you who are new to this blog, in 2005 I took a class, Abstract Landscapes, at the Vermont Quilt Festival from Karen Eckmeier. Her technique involved cutting strips of fabric and layering them to create a scene. So different from applique or patchwork or paper piecing! The ability to free-cut the pieces and blend them together through layering was so freeing. I adapted her sewing technique and soon was creating animals from reference photos.
Short-haired Fur: Olivia
In examining the above photo of Olivia, it is apparent that the shades of white on her nose are different from those on her cheeks. Neither of these are the same as the white in the shadows under her chin. Also, there are a number of slight differences in the blacks.
On her face (below), I used a black “night sky with stars” for her eyebrows to add a touch of sparkle/undercover fur. If you look at the bridge of her nose, there’s grey there. Sometimes just turning a fabric over uncovers the closest shade of color that I am seeking.
A piece with arching fern leaves gives the illusion of layers and movement over most of her face. The black dotted scraps begin to define the ears.
Since Olivia is a short-haired cat, the pieces for her back were cut in wavy motions using larger strips. The use of patterned strips – leaves, dots, scribbles and a semi-bargello look – add depth to that part of her portrait.
Fluffy Fur – Crosby and Mojo
There are a number of ways I make the fluffs – multi layers of fabric, thread painting, or other fiber, like yarn.
Fabric fur involves cutting out a multitude of fabric and layering it so that the depth of the fur comes through when the material is sewn down. As you can see in the picture below right, there are numerous fluffs of white, cream and tan. I’ve even used light blues or purples to add that illusion of layers.
In case you’re wondering, Crosby’s tongue was one of his “special features” and I was asked to insert it into his mouth.
Mojo is one of the “other fiber” examples. His fluffy chest and neck fur was a puzzle. Do I try cutting up enough thin strips that hang loosely? Should I do a heavy dose of thread painting with variegated threads? Or do I use yarn that has been unwoven to show the volume of his fur?
Below are the fabric and yarn examples.
While the fabric fur captured the looseness of the fur, it also posed a small challenge. In the twisting of the material strands, the underside of the fabric was poking through in some places. Fusing a second piece on the back could have solved that issue yet the strands would have been stiffer.
The yarn fur pieces hung more like Mojo’s fur. However, the first attempt required so many to fill the chest and neck areas that he looked like a pompom that had been slashed in two.
Pulling apart the strands of yarn created a fluffier look. Sewing additional strands as undercoat fur helped also with the fullness. Mixing in the greys and browns brought out his colors well.
There is a bit of thread painting underneath the bottom of the fur. I did not do the whole pillow in thread as the stiffness would not have made for a huggable pillow.
Medium Fur – Gemini and Sophia
Gemini’s fur (above) spoke of arches and movement intermingled with fluff. Fabric with lines, dots, feathers, and ferns can easily create a wavy look. Cutting a piece of batik, following the lines of a pattern can give you a fluffy look (grey above nose).
Brielles’ dog (below) is an excellent example of representing the curve of her ear and the multi-colors of her eye area through fabric choice.
Tips
Let the fabric speak to you.
Look through your stash and pull out anything that corresponds with the fur type/ what you might need for that particular pet.
Forget the names of the fabric colors and look in different bins for what you need.
I have found fur for white dogs in my blue, grey, and purple stashes.
Remember to squint.
Honestly, it helps you see the colors in a different way.
Forget that the design on a fabric is a certain item.
I have made owl feathers from fabric that had designs of loons, mandalas, dahlias, lizards, ferns, and wheat.
Step away from it.
Hang the pinned version on a design wall or pin to cardboard and take a number of steps backwards. Seeing it at a distance helps the colors blend in and/or stick out like a sore thumb. If you’ve worked with a reference photo, pin them close together.
Don’t sew it up right away. Give yourself a day or two for observation and just “sitting with” the piece.
Batiks are your friend.
The amazing part is how many colors and shades batiks pack into themselves. Again, it’s a matter of looking at the patterns and changing colors to see what is there.
The process of creating fur is a forgiving one. Everything can be moved around until it looks just right. Allow yourself the joy of a treasure hunt for fur.
Experiment.
Play.
Create.