How the Grinch Stole the Sewing Room

I’m in the middle of a full body Grinch costume. I was a little leery about working with 3″ long faux fur, but find that I like it a lot better than shorter piles, and it sheds less (I think).

To cut fur, the best practice is to cut each piece separately (as opposed to cutting right and left side with the fabric right sides together), with a razor, on the wrong side of the fur. Make sure to cut each piece right side up and up side down. To make this easier, I quickly trace the pattern onto the fur with a permanent marker. (Make sure it doesn’t bleed through to the right side!) Also, when cutting with the razor, just cut deep enough to cut the fur backing and not the fur.

To get it ready to sew, instead of following the pattern directions to clip the fur short in the seam allowances, I combed the fur back from the seam allowances. That produced two benefits, I didn’t have to “pick” the fur along the seam lines to disguise the seams and the fur isn’t shedding inside the costume along the seams. It basically finishes my seams for me because it won’t shed inside, the fur is pulled to the outside.

I have a quick fitting before I insert the zipper and finish the body. I also have to do shoe covers, gloves, collar and hood.

This costume will be one that I offer in my Etsy store in 2014.

Grinch Fur with 3″ pile.

Marking the Pattern

Cutting the Fur

Preparing Edges for Sewing

Body of Grinch Costume