Life updates and my Experiences with the Burkheart center for Autism within the past two weeks

Well I have obviously been offline and away from here for quite some time But now i am back. Anywho to keep things simple, my first week was a bit rough since I was still getting used to how things work at the burkheart center but I am adjusting. Though with my new living quaters its a work in progress as I am still getting everything placed to my liking. This second week has been alot better as I am currently doing two internships through them,
1) Texas tech Greenhouse or the Greenhouse as they refer to it as being.
2) the Theateare next door to them (though the name I can not seem to remember)

(Just thinking about it at the moment my blogging skills are probably aweful but yet here I am still doing it.)

On a seperate note I have started up another project for myself to work on. though to be specfic its a radio under the branding Stewart Warren.  I am not particualry sure since part of the model info is a bit obscurred. Though my game plan with the unit is to keep the original casing and add two additional speakers to make it a three channel system. Then with the dial that controls the radio station give it a  new backlight and maybe if possible allow it to control what the actual station it is. while in the grand scheme of things use modern audio equiment to operate it. Lastly the old record player removed and the space where it once was converted into storage space for magizines and whatnot. But overall the original asthethic kept as i do like the cracked wood appearence.

Now might be asking how I got it, well then to put it simply it was from buying two excellent condition desks from a family in Lubbock that did not have a need for them anymore. they were asking $30USD for it but they gave it to me for free as a gift along with a collection of awesome games, two of which remain unopened .

The Overall Unit

The control box for the radio

Life and its madness? Fursuit How to

Hey, folks!

Obviously, I have been inactive on the home front of this blog. But anywho life since my last post has been going ok. Making progress on the suit and what not but as of the last couple of days, I have been in the slow process of hand stitching the hand paws for my costume. Though that in itself can be a tedious process when you think about it.

On a separate note, this is from an old G+ post of mine outlining the details to create your own shoe base:

Tools & Materials
1) Electric Knife
2) Glue Gun and Glue sticks (high or low temp will work)
3) A colored sharpie or permanent marker
4) upholstery foam (can be bought at Joann's or a local craft store that carries it as I am using a 1 yard by a 5-inch high block of foam.)
5) A pair of old shoes or you can refer to one of the linked blogger posts for a way to create a shoe frame like I have done.

Method
For realistic feet especially for a US size 14 shoes, you need to measure out on the foam a 3inch distance from the base of the shoe and top of the shoe.
2) Do the same action for the sides (refer to the first below image for a general idea as the measurements are not accurate but close.)
3) Cut out the blocks you have made for the left and right foot along with the the traced sole




All of the project links as of this post:

https://thoughtsofaafricanlion.blogspot.com/2017/01/fursuit-making-guide-series.html

https://thoughtsofaafricanlion.blogspot.com/2017/02/fursuit-making-series-post-2.html

https://thoughtsofaafricanlion.blogspot.com/2017/02/life-updates.html

https://thoughtsofaafricanlion.blogspot.com/2017/02/request-for-help.html

Life updates

This post I'm going to try and keep short and sweet as being more of an in general life update. Overall since my last post life has been ok for the most part as I have been preparing to take my last and final exam for high school level British literature after I ace it then off to the world of normal life after High school. Then with a bit of help from the Burkhart Center off to the grand world of the workplace, hopefully doing something that I can enjoy and fits within my level of skills.
Though lately, I have not worked too much on the fursuit project aka "furst costume I have ever made" but I do have a general idea as to what I am wanting for the end result. Minus the fact that I seriously do not know how to draw or create the required design images but if someone who knows this area of expertise wants to help me out that would be super awesome as we might be able to work out something of an agreement in exchange.

On a separate note getting my annoying Toshiba cavio connect 2 external hard drive working is a lost cause. To the point that I have to more or less take it into a hard drive repair shop just to get my data back. So I am majorly annoyed since I spent an additional $60 just to buy another drive to repair the one that died. Overall I would recommend avoiding Toshiba branded products.

This is the general Idea I am going for, I do not own the image Image credit "The Tigres"

Fursuit making series post 2

I was originally going to do a post on the history of fursuits. But with the lack of data on the subject, that idea can no longer happen. Though if anything from what I have discovered Fursuits were originally used in Europe as part of an acting style called pantomime. Though from the documents that will be linked to this post you can read the story for yourself and devise your own thoughts on the ideas. Fursuit documents I realize this is not the most organized post ever but overall here it is.

Now since the original idea was more or less lacking in Information I have been working on the feet for this little fursuit making project series first. So, our materials list so far is:

Michaels:
4 sheets of plastic canvas $0.69 (Though for my design you will only need about 2 sheets or more depending on your shoe size.)

Sculpey $10 for an 8oz package (I bought two of them for the hand paws claws and the feet paw claws.)

Walmart:

White faux Fur at $11.44 a yard (for the feet and hand paws)

So in total $42.08 spent so far for this project.

Though another item I have yet to buy is upholstery foam for the feet paws.


As for the method, I am using a design created by Adam Riggs, and his method for foam feet in his book: "Critter Costuming: Making Mascots and Fabricating Fursuits." Though from my case I am using a frame then doing the foam on top of it. Then forming and sculpting the foam. But so far this is what I have accomplished.

As you can more or less tell I am not using common methods as being for a first-time suit. I do not want it to be a budget intensive project especially since I have US size 14 shoes. Though if anything the common method would have been to use a pair of old shoes then make the foot paws off of that using foam. But luckily I do have such a pair of shoes, so I will probably do them in that method for the next set of them.   At this point, all the feet need is foam then making the fur pattern and lastly putting it together. After it gets completed I'll move on to the hand paws as I do have a budget friendly idea that might work but I'll need faux leather from hobby lobby. Though if anything we are making progress. Plus I would recommend that when you get frustrated to take breaks every now and then to calm down if you get frustrated.

Fursuit making guide series.

           Now to some this idea may seem to be a bit crazy but I also understand your concerns as well. As of course there is not any secrets to making a fursuit but this is a question that many people who would like to make a costume of this sort would like to know how to do. As with this series hopefully it will answer any questions you might have and make this process a bit easier to understand.
      With that being said I would like to take the opportunity to produce such a product myself. Now in the process I would explain all aspects of the process to provide a through explanation, all the way from making basic hand paws down to the head itself. As i believe with the right amount of research and knowledge anyone could if willing make a good quality product.

Before going any further lets determine our game plan:

1) For the sake of resources we will be making a Albino white Lion partial. which will include one set of hand paws, feet paws, and of course the head.

2) Determining the costs aka the price of materials and tools required for this project.

3) Design, getting measurements, making patterns, and research.

4) Producing the costume itself, if anything and if we are lucky the partial can be made within the time frame of a month but we may never know until we actually do it.

    Through the course of this series the project may take a different direction but do not be alarmed as it is a normal, changes will happen. Plus if anything I would totally recommend to take it slow and steady as this guide is meant to be a very useful help tool, that explains what actually goes into making a fursuit partial, or even a full suit. On the next post I will explain the history of such a costume.
Lastly as a final note I have never made a fursuit before but in the process of this series to those of you read it will be learning process for both of us. But I would recommend that you would at least have some knowledge of sewing and a machine that is able to handle to working with faux furs and a few other materials.