Sewing Yak Hair, Fur and Fleece
Sewing Yak Hair, Fur and Fleece
The prospect of cutting into the yak hair material was very scary. I had asked a friend to help me who is a fashion design major. At first, she agreed but when the time came and she became aware of the cost per square foot (approximately $35 per sq ft not to mention the machine set up fee which is substantial), she decided she didn't want to take any responsibility should it get ruined. After all, neither of us knew just what we were doing. I had no idea how to cut or how much I would need. And after all, it wasn't my money! My friends in LA paid for it.
Lots of people had suggested that I seek professional help. But I already have a shrink, so that wasn't the answer! No; they meant a seamstress or tailor. However, I got very ambitious one day and said, "Fear is the path to the dark side" and put my fears aside and took the plunge. While real Grinches seem perfectly able to cut fabric without a pattern while it's hanging vertically, I didn't think I would be quite that adept! However, I hate using patterns and there was no pattern on earth for this, so I just went on instinct. I carefully cut away and in the end, I ended up with something pretty decent. Below is a picture taken in late summer. I took these to get an idea of where I was at. Because the mask had not been done yet, I painted my face (digitally in Photoshop), just so I could for the first time, get a feeling for how I would look in the whole costume. And doesn't my fur blend well with the grass!
Seeing how high up I was able to make the leggings, I was then able to shorten the Santa suit, which I had originally made longer for fear of not having enough fur for the legs. Luckily, this material stretches so much, I had more fur than I ever needed. Better than a mirror, looking at the pictures gave me a different perpective as if looking at somebody else. I was able to see things I didn't notice in the mirror and make adjustments. It became apparent that the fur was too long in places. I wanted more definition to the legs. However, trimming the fur on myself was difficult and much of it went undone. The legs are adiquate, but still a work in progress (as is the whole costume).
Another consideration was what to do about the butt. The Grinch wasn't very modest, if you will recall. However, the complications of making the leggings plus a butt, as well as the concern that I would be in places where parents might not appreciate a naked Grinch butt live and in person (as opposed to in a cartoon or movie), led me to a wonderful idea! "I know just what to do!", I laughed in my throat and went into my draw where I stashed my fabulous Grinch Joe Boxer boxer shorts! A good friend had suggested that I wear them backwards so that the Grinch's face with the devilish, crooked smile would be on the back. Well, that worked out nicely! It turned out to be a great gag! People thought it very funny when I bent over and when they underwear peeked out accidentally, that was okay, too. They have a great Whovillian pattern on them. In the end, (pardon the pun), I feel I did the right thing. If you notice, even though Jim Carrey's costume was true to form and his butt was covered in green fur, anytime we saw it on camera, it was only for breif glimpses and done very "matter of factly". When the Grinch tells Whoville to "picker-up and kiss it", he is wearing leiderhosen.
One thing I have learned about costuming is that what looks good for the camera doesn't always translate well to real life. Without the benifit of studio lights and cinematographers, or digital enhancement BEFORE you go out in public, costumes should be modified to suit the environment that they will be used in. I once heard that it was the actor William Gillette who was portraying Sherlock Holmes who decided to smoke the famous curled pipe that we've come to associate with Holmes, however, in none of Dr. Watson's stories, does he mention this particular pipe. Apparently, the actor thought that his choice would be better because it was more obvious and bigger for stage.
As for the hands, we still haven't ironed out all the kinks. In the end, we got them partially done and to an acceptable level, but they are also still a work in progress. Amazingly, the hands were the hardest part to find any information on. Nobody seems to know exactly how they were done although we've gotten some intelligent speculations. For my part of the project, it didn't matter much. I knew the people I encountered would be generally accepting so long as they saw long, furry green fingers that matched the rest of my fur.