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Elli - yes it makes sense, I was wondering myself how to fix the backbone so the neck will still turn, but I'll think more about that when I get to to that stage :lol:. My Mill Creek pup has got jointed legs, and because of this, he feels far less cuddly that a standard plush dog, which is why I wanted to use wires instead.
SilverClaw - Your chihuahua WIP is amazing! How do you put the fur over it though? My thought was you sew the fur inside out,
then turn the whole thing in on itself so you can't see the stitching, but I wouldn't have thought you would get that chi frame in that way?
I've hit a bit of a stumbling block with the fabric, that 'blush' colour does have a pinkish tinge according to the seller, and I can't find another cream that is long enough and looks right. This is the best I have found:
http://www.mohairbearmakingsupplies.co. … le-limited
I'm unsure if its too white though? This was the other I found:
http://www.fredaldous.co.uk/fur-fabric-long-hair.html
I think I will use that pattern, and adjust it, as you say the legs, tail, nose and ears need to be finer, but the basic shape is not bad. I'll remember to make the legs straight too, thanks for that tip.
I'd love to see pics of your chihuahua pattern in progress, it will give me an idea of what to aim for! 
SilverClaw - thank you for those links, that tutorial to make a pattern is great! I'm not sure what it means about the right angle bit though :/?
I have found this on google:
http://dollmaker.nunodoll.com/dog/kishu.html
Which is a fairly similar shape to a pom, so I thought maybe I could modify it a bit as it needs thinner/finer legs. I had planned on doing each bit individually (legs/head/body), but maybe doing it the way this person has would be better, then perhaps add in the wire afterwards.
I would love to see pics of your in progress chihuahua!
Elli - I will definitely get some of that lockline as it really looks just like a backbone :lol:. Will the head turn just by putting wire in it, or is there some special device used to do that? I've got a Mill Creek Bears collie and the head moves, but it feels 'wobbly', like its been attached separately somehow.
It's not only darker, but feckled at the base. You can see that it has light and dark brown hair tufts (don't know if that's the right word to describe it?). They blend together and make the fur look natural, but if you cut it short you can see the same pattern as on the fabric backing (last picture).
I don't know what kind of color "blush" is, but you could ask the seller if it's really pinkish. Maybe they can even send you a little sample piece?
Your right, it is freckled at the base, thanks for telling me as I never spotted that! I've sent an email to them about the colour of the "blush" one, so I'll see what they come back with. They've also got some nice strong cream thread on there which should match it nicely. Now I just need to decide on a pattern! 
Dangerbears - of course I'll post up pics of puppy provided its not a complete disaster 
Elli - I see what you mean about the first fur, its darker at the base, so it would look like a sheep once clipped up! . The second one you've linked to though, is really nice, actually provided its cream and not pinkish (though that may be my ipad screen), it's probably more like a pom's coat than the other one, which looking at it, would suit something like a golden retriever better.
1/4 is only £12, compared to £35 for a meter, so I'm going to order it so I can see it properly and get started. Now I've thought of doing this, it won't go away and I can't wait to have a go at it!
Just as an aside though, how do you multi quote on here?
If you put a strong armature in it (strong enough to hold any pose) the dog will be of course stiff, so you can't cuddle it like a ragdoll (or a real puppy). But I wrap my armatures in batting and/or thick felt before putting them inside the animals, so you don't feel any hard metal under the fur. Then I stuff just a little fiber fill around the armature, because if you stuff it too hard it's not poseable anymore.
How big should the pom be (heigh at withers)? I've seen very small and rather big ones. :D
Thank you for the advice on the armature 
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A real pom is between 7-11" high at the withers, the UK KC state around 9" as ideal, so that's what size I'm aiming for :).
Dangerbear - thank you for the links . I will send an email about that fur, I hope its not too dark at the base, because I can't find anything any longer in the right colour!
Elli - great, at least I now know that will work! I've had a look for taxidermy glass eyes and your right, they look really different to baby ones :lol:. As I want it to feel realistic, if I put a wire armature in it, will it feel less real? Or would I be best to put the wire deep into the stuffing so you can't actually feel it? I don't want to just stuff it with wadding, I want to weigh the paws, head and body in the way people weigh reborns. That artist's dogs are fantastically real, but sadly out of my price range 
which is why I'm looking to make my own.
Also, seeing as people here will obviously be used to guesstimating how much fabric, can I be cheeky and ask how much do you reckon I'll need? As it goes up a bit the bigger the piece, and I don't really want to pay £35 for a meter if I don't need that much 
.
Thank you for the replies!
Dangerbears - looking at the springtime designs site, the papillon looks the most similar to a Pom, altering the ears and making the face out of the same fluff as the body.
Elli - a lifesize lion?! Wow that is really ambitious! For the eyes/ nose, I'm thinking of those quality glass eyes they put in reborn babies, and a nice/ good looking nose off a teddy bear supply site. This is the fur I have found so far that is closest to the colour and length (everything else is too short for a fluffy Pom coat):
https://www.mohairbearmakingsupplies.co … -60mm-pile
My idea was to make the whole dog out of this, then clip the legs/muzzle/ears shorter, using my grooming clippers, just like I would a real dog, will this actually work though?
SueAnn- that artists site is one I contacted a while back asking if she still made dogs to order, and unfortunately she didn't. I didn't know she had patterns though, and that is the type of look I'm wanting, just cuddly and pose-able instead of stuck in a sitting or lying down position.
If I can't get hold of a sewing machine, is this do-able by hand, or would I really need a machine?
Hello, I'm new, and I'm wondering if any of you could help me with something please. I collect plush dogs of certain breeds, and have long admired the working that goes into them. Now though I'm after a dog breed that I can't really find a realistic plush of, so thought I'd try and make my own:P I want a life-size plush cream pomeranian (a breed I want but can't have), weighted and stuffed to feel as real as possible. I can sew by hand, (might be able to borrow a sewing machine), have already found the 'fur' and know what I want it to look like. I'd also like to put an armature in it so it's pose-able but still cuddly but it's not the be all and end all if I can't. One thing I'm struggling with though is finding or making a pattern of a Pom, and knowing how to attach the head and limbs. I've done some sewing and made alterations to some of the plush dogs I have, but I've not attempted anything like this before (willing to give it a good shot though! :lol:). Is what I want to do possible? Please don't say to make a bear first, I don't want a bear, I want a dog and only a dog. Thank you and sorry for the essay!
