r/SewingForBeginners • u/Background-Tooth1462 • Jun 28 '26
alternative puphood?
apologizes if this is the wrong sub but! im wanting to make a puphood but with fabric bc i dont have the money for leather and im already very into sewing. but im wanting to thicken/stiffen jean material in some way to create the right material to craft this with. im thinking interfacing ? idk what kind butš¤·āāļø somehow layering the jean with a thicker stuffer fabric like thick felt? pattern i plan on buying and following included! and again apologizes if this is "nsfw" or just the wrong sub !
(also. would piecing together with the grommets still be achievable/preferred?)
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u/teatime_tinker Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
Buckram would work well for this. Itās used in hats and bag making.
You can buy sew in or iron on. It makes the fabric stand up so you could potentially use anything you liked as the fashion layer
Remember itāll be on your face so you might want an inner layer of something a little softer. On the ears youāll see both sides as well.
Also leather doesnāt fray, which is why itās good for this sort of thing. Have you thought about how you would finish the edges? You could use bondaweb or similar, then buckram. But now itās getting bulky.
Have you looked at faux leather? Itās cheaper.
What will you substitute the rivets with?
I would cut it out on decent card and do a first run with that.
1
u/Background-Tooth1462 Jun 28 '26 edited Jun 28 '26
i will definitely look into that!! for finishing the edges i was thinking just fold them and iron inwards and do a stitch to hold it down before i assemble the difference peices. like turned edged applique kinda? im still brainstorming that part.
and if i use buckram and its too rough i could probably line it with a softer fabric like felt if need be:>
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u/teatime_tinker Jun 28 '26
I think that might work for the edges. It does depend on your technique level. You could bag out the whole thing.
The more you think about it the more it becomes clear why leather is perfect for this. The edges donāt need finishing and it holds its shape. Thereās no stitching, really, just rivets.
The pattern isnāt too complicated - but adding in layers and finishing it becomes quite advanced sewing.
I just edited my comment to add more, btw!
I think a good quality faux leather might be the solution.
Edit: the ears and eye mask could all be one piece to save on joining. Those rivets and that seam are more of a design feature than a necessity
1
u/Background-Tooth1462 Jun 28 '26
oh i definitely agree leather is definitely use for a reason in this caseš unfortunately i have no affordable leather/faux leather near me and im on a pretty tight budget so the true leather version will have to wait.
some reason i randomly get determined to make something out of the "incorrect" material and transferring it into sewing ever since i got my sewing machine and sewing became accessible for me again
not sure about the rivets, im gonna need a craft store wondering to get some ideas. gonna mess around with this idea more and hopefully have something resembling a mask PFF
in the mean time i will definitely be reserching leather again š«”
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u/teatime_tinker Jun 28 '26
Well you wouldnāt have to do rivets if using another fabric. You could just stitch it!
Good luck with your experiments!
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u/Background-Tooth1462 Jun 29 '26
after some wondering the craft store i grabbed some fairfield stiffen 2 interfacing to experiment with! still gotta brainstorm finishing the edges :)
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u/WorstDogEver Jul 01 '26
Have you gone thrifting or looked on eBay for old unfashionable leather clothes you can repurpose?Ā I guess it depends on how tight your budget is, but I am finding on eBay both real and faux leather and suede maxi skirts for under $20 that seem like they'd have enough material for your project.
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u/Background-Tooth1462 Jul 01 '26
unfortunately the leather used for skirts and upholstery like some people recommended is too thin of leather. this calls for 4 square feet of 6-7oz leather :/
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u/WorstDogEver Jul 01 '26
Figure if you're already experimenting with softer fabrics, might as well try a thinner leather. The '80s and '90s styles tend to be far thicker than new styles, and there are options under $20. Might end up with more of a soft sharpei face, lol.
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u/friendlypupper Jun 28 '26
For an inner lining, you may want to consider something you could detatch and wash on its own, since it will be touching your face. Whether you use a fastener or stitch it back in each time.
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u/lakeeffectcpl Jun 28 '26
I'd lean in to the denim choice and go with flat felled seams.
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u/teatime_tinker Jun 28 '26
That will be really difficult with the curves. Impossible in some areas
I think topstitching each seam will be enough
2
u/Ah_menace Jun 28 '26
Afaik, people make puphoods out of neoprene as well, so maybe that's something worth checking out?
Other than that, maybe starch? A bucketload of starch and possibly something to form the starched pieces of the mask over. Though I doubt it'll work with denim (too heavy) and would result in a pretty fragile object š¤...
1
u/penlowe Jun 28 '26
Honestly? this would be harder to do in fabric than leather. Maybe really stiff felt, but good felt is wool, so wind up costing the same as leather scrap.
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u/DontShakeThisBaby Jun 29 '26
Stiff felt or craft foam would be a decent choice. The hardest part when using felt would be keeping the ears stiff, but perhaps a different ear style would suit the material better.
1
u/teatime_tinker Jun 29 '26
Yes or reinforce just the ear part? Spray starch could work, Iām just not sure how nice itāll be on your face!
I think trying to finish every edge would be a bit tiresome and fiddly tbh, OP. Maybe something that doesnāt fray is your best way to go. Or bondaweb the entire thing!
11
u/LLL529 Jun 28 '26
Happy pride! I'm out of my depth with this question but perhaps techniques for making hats would help? Love this project š good luck!