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Gantaeno Apr 21, 2007

Hey all! I was just wondering if anyone has an opinion on faux furs, as I just impulse bid on a lot on ebay that I asumed to be mohair, and have now discovered to be synthetic XD  Serves me right for trying to snipe a bargin... it seems like buying REAL fur is cheaper than mohair at the minute! I've read up about backing the fur with muslin to stabilise it... does it have any benefits?!

Also, is there anyway of telling the difference between the two? I bought a stack of 'mohair' a while ago, but I have a few doubts about some of them...

Thanks!

KJ Lyons Apr 21, 2007

Wow,
Can you give any of the details mentioned in the auction? Synthetic fur can be very high quality and cost $100/yd. or more-retail, or as little as $10.00/yd. for carnival quality faux fur. It can also be woven or knit (stretch). You can check my website for how synthetic can be used, I love good quality soft dense synthetic for my cats.
Karen

K Pawz GuestApr 21, 2007

I love synthetics and the character you can get when scissor sculpting is amazing!!! sorry not much help, but I love to cheer on synthetics any chance I get, as long as they are the higher quality, not the carnival stuff as Karen mentioned which is more a headache than anything.

hugs,
Krista

psichick78 Apr 22, 2007

I have just made my 1st creation with faux fur. It was really good quality and I just love it! I'm soo hooked now. It's very soft and very think and like Krista says, it's sculpts beautifully.

Also, sounds like you should report that seller. They can't sell you something that is different than the item description

Jodi Moisan Apr 22, 2007

I also love synthetics, they are wonderful for sculpting, I agree completely with what has been said, when making realistic animals they give you more choices, but for classic teddies you can't beat mohair.  I really love both for different reasons.  Karen what you do with synthetics is magical.

Gantaeno Apr 22, 2007

The lot is here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Black-faux-fur-bi … dZViewItem

I'm only worried because it doesn't SAY anything about the quality, but the person who's selling used it themself, so I hope it can't be too bad... It does say faux (quite obviously XD) but because I'm a twit I put a higher highest bid on it than I would have done, bcause I got it confused with another lot, so really it's my own fault! Hopfull no one else will bid, and I'll at last get it cheap :P

I'm glad synthetics are at least getting some praise! Who knows, maybe it'll be fabulous

Jodi Moisan Apr 22, 2007

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that it's nice and it goes for a low amount. It looks like a curly kind , hard to tell from the picture, maybe that will keep people from bidding, you may get a great deal. I hate when I mess up a bid in the last hours and can't change it.   
Hugs
Jodi

Gantaeno Apr 22, 2007

Thanks, me too I wanted to bid on a piece of black mohair which looks almost crimped, the way the curls fall, but I mixed up XD At least it looks nice anyway...

Little Bear Guy Apr 22, 2007

We love using synthetic, it's the colours and designs that you can get  in them. 

There is a bear on the front page of our website which has this amazing synthetic which was bright yellow with pink, green long wisps running through it.  We bought this in New York city when we did Toy fair in 2006.  We were walking down the the street with our friend Janet Wilson (who had decided to take us out shopping to all her favourite supply stores).  I saw this piece of fabric in the Window and stopped dead in my tracks,  Janet looked and me and said what in the world would you do with that fur.  Well Janet realized what she said and who she said it to and then went on to say  " oh never mind I forgot who I was talking to  ).

I love using them all, if they have a bit of stretch to them then we use iron on interfacing (not to hot of an iron and dont hold it in one place to long as it will damage the synthetic ) but just enough to stick the ling to the backing.

Ellen it's funny that you mention the little dirt devil.  We have a small one called a shark and we just love it, could not do without it.

Don't worry about the synthetic I'm sure it will be usable for a bear or even as an inset tummy or something like that, nothing says you have to make the entire bear out of it.

Big hugs

Shane

Gantaeno Apr 22, 2007

Thanks Shane and Ellen

In the end i won it (surprise surprise) for just over £6, or $12?  I suppose that's not too bad, and I can always use it for practises and so on!  Thanks for all the advice guys I'm going to try to find some of that iron-on stuff, and if not I'll just put up with contorted critters XD I wanted to make a titanic steiff style bear, but obviously without the copyright infringement, so this will be perfect

Thanks again!

Chloe x

Little Bear Guy Apr 22, 2007

Chloe if you can't find any of the iron on interfacing just let me know,  I'd be more than happy to pick some up for you and ship it off.  It's not very expensive here.  What I do is lay the fur out and lay the interfacing on top and and then iron on the entire piece.  But remember to just do it lightly, you may have to go over the piece a few times with the iron to get it to fully stick but it does work and stops any stretching.  Sometimes it will come loose when your working with it but that's ok because when you sew it you are connecting the interfacing anyway.

Let me know if you would like some of the interfacing send me a PM with your mailing address and perhaps I can pick some up today when we are out.  We have to go to the fabric store anyway.

Big hugs

Shane

Gantaeno Apr 22, 2007

Aww, that's very kind of you Shane! There are no sewing shops in my town, but there is a small market stall, so I'll try there first and if not I'll go to the big shopping centre nearby... unless i can't be bothered, in which case I'll definately PM you XD

Thanks again,

Chloe

StarHawk2003 Apr 22, 2007

Regarding the interfacing, If you do happen to use it, Dab the iron on. Don't run the iron over it, It will distort your fabric peices. Just put the iron on it in one place, then lift the iron up and move to your next place. Pretty simple, But a good rule to remember.

Richy~

Gantaeno Apr 22, 2007

Thanks Richy: sounds like a good rule definately!  As I'm at uni and have no ironing board, it's what i usually end up doing anyway

Jodi Moisan Apr 22, 2007

Thats a good price, I am happy for you!
Show us your bear when you are done , I would be excited to see it.
Hugs
Jodi

Gantaeno Apr 22, 2007

Thanks Jodi, I will do! it might be a while though as i have exames... is it ok on these forums to revive old posts?

Gantaeno Apr 25, 2007

Well, it arrived and I have to say, at least there's a lot of it! i doubt it's amazing quality, as it's not really furry, but more like a ratinee fisish? it 's useful as a pattern checker though, and I've been working on a bear from it today it's going to be HUGE in comparison with my usuals.... Should be nice though :P

I'll stick up a piccy when he's done. Thanks for the advice everyone!