LiveJournal's Fursuiting For All - http://www.livejournal.com/community/fursuit/

Courtesy of Tashta, site on making various suit parts - http://www.stripedsmiles.com/19CostMakingSt.html

Commercial off-the-rack costumes/fursuits - section 99.1

Those who take commissions - section 99.1.4

Auction sites for new/used fursuits/costumes and parts - section 99.1.5

How to get a head without hunting - Nice site! - http://www.animalhead.com/index.html

Though non-fursuit related, an interesting page on how this guy made some costumes. Some can be applied to suits -
http://www.cockeyed.com/incredible/incredible.html

Veterinary charts, may be good in some cases - http://www.tri-esssciences.com/veteraniancharts.htm

3.1 - Plan your suit
=======================
This is one of the more difficult things to do. How do you want it to look? Do you have a drawing, or a plan on how it will look? Does it show 'you' in the suit giving approximate dimensions, etc?

A site on animal pics for references - http://animalpicturesarchive.com/

SuperJay's site with lots of links to other suiter's sites, great for visual references and other helps - http://superjay.timduru.org/

Animal pictures at Sunet's site - http://ftpsearch.archive.sunet.se:8000/ftpsearch?f5=-&type=Navigate&query=ftp%2esunet%2ese%2fpub%2fpictures%2fanimals
You can go through the entire site. Very interesting place.

Digital Morphology - xrays and pics of animal skeletons - http://www.digimorph.org/

Costume Network - magazine and gallery featuring unique and fantasy costumes - http://costumenetwork.com/

Timduru's page of pics of animals from zoos and related - http://animals.timduru.org

3.2 - Knowing your physical limitations
====================================
Do you have any physical limitations that would prevent you from wearing and performing in the costume effectively? Now is the time to figure out how to effectively get around the problem.

Do you wear glasses? You may want to try modifying the head to allow you to wear them either inside or out, or use contacts.

Do you have a leg/ambulatory/moving problem, requiring the use of a cane, wheelchair, or related to get around? These aids can still be used, though you may want to try using them differently or go with something else. Wheelchair users can easily do as well as those who walk, though they may have to modify the handpaws so they can move the chair around easily or have someone move them around.

You may opt to go for just a partial suit. One wheelchair user didn't even go for a full bodysuit. He just wore short sleeves and shorts, with the fur covering what the sleeves and shorts didn't. He had the arm pieces that went up to his shoulders, leg pieces that went under his shorts, tail that went in his lap, and a regular head.

Do you have missing limbs, like an arm or leg? This may require a little creativity in this area.

Any others not mentioned here?

Here's one example of someone who didn't try to hide their back brace, but made it look like a fashion statement - http://users.netmatters.co.uk/ju90/cylife.htm

3.3 - How much material do I need?
=============================
Assuming the material is of a 60" width on the roll or folded on the bolt (one yard is .9144 metres, one inch is 2.54 centimetres);

Head - Depending on the head size, around 1-2 yards.
Body - Allowing for some trimming to be done, 2-3 yards. Lots of padding, add an extra 1-2 yards.
Tail - Some tails are huge, most are small. Most will require up to one yard. Large oversize skunk tails can use 2 yards.
Forepaws/hands - Up to one yard.
Hindpaws/feet - Up to one yard.
Wings - How big is your wingspan? Are you going to use fur? You may need 2-5 yards of fabric. Think about what other materials you may use.

For shorter widths, you may need more fabric.

How much is that doggie in the window? Seriously, add up all projected costs of doing the costume. If you can't afford to do it right now, then start stockpiling the stuff you need over time, then build. The suit can wait. Your bills and rent can't.

Most people go for around 6-8 yards which is more than enough and allows for extras and suit repairs. Ordering a 15 yard roll of Monterey Mills fur is not uncommon. You can sell off the excess fur or use it for another suit.

From: Damian K
Subject: RE: FL: How much Fur?

I can't say exactly I kind of go by instinct and in head metacalculations but here's the main factors:

Most sellers will only cut as short as a half yard, If your making an all white suit with a six inch black tail you'll still have to take half a yard, keep this in mind.

Whatever your height is plus half a yard to start.

Do you have a pattern, either on paper or a very well thought out mental plan? How you arrange the cuts will affect the efficiency in parts per yard of fabric. No patterns, add another half yard

If you make a test fit out cheap cloth you'll know exactly how much fabric you'll need and forego this guesswork. How experienced are you, depending on your confidence in yourself add between zero to one yards.

If the heads oversized add between 1/2 to 1 yard.

If the body's exeptionally large and overstuffed add 75 to 100% to the last number.

If the cloth's on a 45 inch wide roll add another 75 to 100%.

This is of course assuming you're buying one type/color of fabric.

Round up to the nearest half yard and you should have a bit more than you need. That's okay, you'll eventually wear a spot out or desire an upgrade to some part of your suit and it'll come in handy.

------------ Original Message ------------
From: Tursi
To: Damian K
Subject: FL: How much Fur?

This feels like a silly question, because it's probably as basic as it gets. But I'm ready to move on past my commercial suit and get the custom stuff happening. I've shopped around, I've chosen the colors and lengths I want.... and I'm stuck. :)

How much fur should I get? Accounting for a full body suit with head, and probable errors, what's reasonable? I've only heard 'As much as you can afford'... but depending on how long I'm willing to go hungry, that varies. ;) (Assume one color for the sake of simplicity, I can work out how to divide it, I'm sure, I just need a starting point. :) )

Thanks in advance for any answers :)

3.4 - Modular/Partial costumes
==========================
This is a costume that is in many pieces, rather than one piece. Repair and/or replacement of the pieces is far easier, and it allows you to make improvements to your suit pieces as you go. The nice thing about this particular method is that you can eliminate the bodysuit and just use regular clothes. This is also more cooler as you're only partially suited.

You will have to overlap pieces, so the wearer underneath the costume doesn't show through. You want to make the entire thing look seamless.

Read below section if you do sell it to someone.

3.5 - One-piece suits
========================
This is a costume that is in one piece, everything sewn together, with one entry area, usually in the rear. It's usually harder to take care of. Replacement of pieces usually means removal of the seams holding them on.

In this case, you will have to add on extras if attached feet and paws. Otherwise they will be too short. If you only make it to fit yourself, then consider what happens when you sell it to someone else who is bigger than you. You will have to inform the potential buyers of this.

3.6 - Buying the ready-made full costume
==================================
There are suits out there that have already been made, that you can purchase, without having to bother with someone making it to fit you. But, be prepared to pay a premium, depending on the quality of the suit.

Commercial-made costume sources - See section 99.1.

Fit info, with European sizes - http://www.sewgrand.com/fitinfo.htm

3.7 - Buying second-hand/previously owned
==================================

Auction sites for new/used fursuits/costumes and parts - section 99.1.5

From: Fionacat
Firstly when buying a previously owned fursuit you have to figure out what it was used for which falls into two broad catogeries, public hire or personal use.

Personal use is (really) no different then buying a brand new suit, except it should be cheaper then a brand new suit and may not fit so well.

Public hire means that it's been owned by a costume hire company and that's where problems start to creep in, if the suit has been available for public use it may be damaged, in a poor state of repair and require cleaning. It will however be a mere 10% the price of a fursuit (so rather than $500 it will be a mere $50, seriously.) if this extreme reduction in price is to your liking remeber that you will be buying a "high maintenance" suit, it will require frequent and sometimes costly repairs and there is no guarantee it will come anywhere near fitting.

3.8 - Commissions
==================

Those who take commissions - section 99.1.4

Want a suit that's different from all the rest, made by someone else? Got deep pockets? These suits can be quite expensive at times, due to the work that the commissionees do, and the time they take. It's not unusual to have a suit go from $1,000, all the way to tens of thousands, made by studio people for some television shows.

The commercial-made costumers listing above has those who can also change the way they do their regular line of suits, as in different fur color and airbrushing. Be prepared to pay much more than the going rate for that particular suit. It doesn't hurt to get a quote.

One of the important things to remember when having a commission made, is to decide what you want to use, how it will be done, what it will look like, together with artwork, text descriptions, as well as how much it will be. The *MOST* important is communication, and not to bug the builder too much. Most builders will be more than happy to take in-progress pics if requested.

3.9 - Building on a budget
==================================
Psilan asked on the fursuit list about making a suit for under $100;

> It was mentioned twice on the "convenstions" thread
> about people building Fursuits - from scratch - with a
> $100 spending limit
[...]
> I'm just curious - how? I would think that the
> materials alone should cost more than that.

There were some very good responses, summarized here;
o Garage sales - one respondent found an old but working sewing machine for $5 (see section 7)
o Thrift/resale shops - can have machines, helmets and other accessories
o Party shops are great for various accessories (see section 5)
o fabric store mailing lists and newsletters - will have discount coupons - they will also have a remnants table
o mesh from an upholstery store can net you a lot of foam, even some of the smaller offcuts, great for detailing. Just ask! (see section 8.2, Chythar's post) Will also need a good pair of scissors and contact cement like Weldwood.
o For feet, sometimes slippers can do. Near the end of the year, Walmart and other stores may sell fuzzy paw slippers and maybe shoeslippers.
o Huge plushes from toy stores can be converted into a fursuit with a bit of work.
o If not fur, other materials can be used, like stretch fabrics.
o Go for just a head, paws, feet and tail.
o Plastic mesh and foam, when done right, make a great-looking head.
o Take your time to do it right.

From: Chythar
Bargain hunting and patience are your two biggest allies on making a cheap suit. One of the biggest starting expenses in fursuiting is tools - proper scissors, needles, thread, pins, etc. If you want a sewing machine, you're already far over $100 - I got one of the cheapest I could find for $200. It helps if you already have your own tools and sewing machine, or can borrow them from someone.

On a side note, if you do buy a sewing machine be sure to get one with metal gears. The really cheap ones are made of plastic - just fine for standard fabric, but will eventually strip when sewing fur.

Back to spending limits. One of the best ways to save money on a fursuit is to re-use materials from old fursuit projects - leftover fur, foam, etc. If you can buy remnants (the remaining few yards off a large roll) from a fabric store, they're usually cheaper than the normal price. I've saved $5/yard on one batch of fur, because I hunted through their remnants first. If you're willing to glue pieces of foam together to make a head, rather than buying a block and carving the head out of it, you can save a lot. I bought a bag of foam scraps from a foam store for $8, and I'm still using it several years later.

Remember, there are no rules about making a fursuit. You can use whatever materials you can find, and create it using whatever method you want to use. The important part is that the fursuit looks and works the way you want it to.

From: MarcWolf
Once you have the foam cut to shape etc - you can glue it onto a old pair of jeans, and then use some VERY cheap calico to wrap around the foam etc to make the patterm. Mark with a texta and cut. One you have all the panels worked out and which way the fur will lie (nothing worse than a fur panel that runs the wrong way) you can lay it all out and work out the minimum fur fabric you will need.

Someting else - you can use fabric paints and a very light touch to highlight areas on your costume. Its often the little details that really stand out.

From: FrryFox
Both Frryfox and Windancer were each well under $100 in materials. No comment on the time involved.

In the six years since I first set out to create a fursuit (which would become Frryfox), my skills have improved dramatically. I really wish I could go back and burn all pictures of me at AAC97 because of how bad I Frry looked back then (time crunch didn't get the fur I needed in time..) The seams were terrible and other than the headpiece, it had few redeemable qualities. Back then, fursuits were few and far between, and one that I had seen on the web was Jack Salem (by P Stoeller, which to this day still wows me with how close to R Gibson's drawings it looks). So knowing that I couldn't come close to that quality I just went out and did the best I could. I really knew noone in the fandom and so I felt even if I was ridiculed, it wouldn't haunt me beyond the convention. So I went, and by my accounts it was a terrible disaster, despite the incredible fun I had. I had nothing for the masquerade, I aimlessly walked around (in fursuit) just taking in my first convention and generally looked out of place. But, my worst fears were not realized. I was not ridiculed nor laughed at. I was quite well received and made many new friends.
Moral of the story: Just do it. The quality is irrelevant. The fact that you have the courage to build a suit, and publicly display it says volumes for your character and resolve. And if someone laughs, flip 'em off. If someone brings a coherent issue, listen. Others can see things you cant. Let them explain what they see and ask if they know a way to do it better.

Story time 2: The wipeout.
Having made a name for myself and loosened up considerably in costume, I went ahead and was in a variety show. Think of it as a masquerade, only the point is to entertain not win anything. Anyways, I had some loose ideas and they were incorporated into the show and all seemed good, until it came time to perform. It was a simple thing really, bolt on stage, grab an item from the MC and take it across stage to the sound table. Only on my way back across the stage, I slipped, skidded out of control, leg whipped the stage manager to the ground and rolled under the sound table. First act of the show and I screwed up big time. A wipeout was planned, but later in the show. So I crawled back stage and hung my head in total shame. Total and complete embarrassment. I finished my parts in the show and took the shattered remains of my ego back to the hotel room.

The next day at a panel I was sitting in on , some people made a reference to my screwup. The kicker was, they thought it was planned and wanted to pat me on the back for the effort. I was too busy sulking back stage to realize that I had really got a rousing round of applause and made everyone laugh, not at me, but at the show. What I thought was a total flop, was really a big hit. Something that was later exploited on the Pawpet Show. Moral: Don't be afraid to fail. I have screwed up in grand fashion. More than once. Has it deterred me? Not a chance. I semi-randomly decided to start goaltending ice hockey at age 24, turned out I am one of the better goalies on the area despite have 15 fewer years experience. I could have sucked completely and wasted $2,000 on gear, but I wasn't afraid to try.

Last point, I promise: Build or buy?
I will admit huge bias for the builders. That's not to say I don't absolutely respect those whose performance skills are way above mine or even those who at least enter in masquerades/FVS, but I gotta give the props to those that build their own, even if they don't have skits. When you invest your own time, money, and soul into bringing a lump of stuff to life, that's just cool. Maybe its because I'm an engineer and creating stuff is my passion and career (notice the order), but I still cant explain the odd feeling of looking in the mirror and not seeing your self, but rather your creation, looking back. And if you don't know how to do something, learn how or ask. It took me a good 2 weeks to figure out the damn bobbin thread and the correct needle orientation on my sewing machine. But I figured it out.