Puppet Hands

 While still waiting for warmer temperatures to finish gluing the head coverings in place, I turn to the assembly of the puppet's hands. I've been using the same pattern that I created 40 years ago and which I have used for pretty much every type of puppet;  hand puppet,  rod puppet and  marionette ever since that time. I always think that I will start with something new and different, but this single pattern in varying sizes has always given me the best results. It it ain't broke, don't fix it!
[ Why only 3 fingers you ask? This started with the early Disney animators and MICKEY MOUSE. Three fingers are much easier to animate than four and actually convey better hand gestures than a more human looking hand. This filtered down to us puppeteers in the 1970's and some of us adopted the style and kept on using it.]

Here is the pattern scaled out 1 square = 1/4 inch, making the large hand pattern about  4" X 5 1/2". This is a good scale for puppets 18" to 24" tall. By reducing the pattern slightly to about 3" X 4 1/2", it can be used for smaller puppets 18" and under.

As you can see in the photo above I have transferred the patterns to heavy card stock and I have then strung together with a piece of cord. This makes tracing the patterns onto the felt much easier and has the added benefit of allowing the whole set of patterns to be hung up on a hook above my work table so they are never lost or out of reach when needed ( nothing worse than having to search for that perfect pattern just when you are ready to get down to work!).

Anyway, to start I fold a piece of wool felt in the appropriate character's skin color in half, just larger than the hand pattern, and trace the outline using an ordinary No. 2 lead pencil. Pin this to hold the halves  together and take to your sewing machine. Using a medium stitch ( 10 - 12 stitches per inch ) sew directly atop the pencil outline leaving the bottom of the wrist open.

Next post we will move on to step 2 of the process: Making the wire inner hand.