Faux Fur Tip

Bunny fur hat from BabyDerby on Etsy.com

Muff from BabyDerby on Etsy.com

Feathers and Fur.  I've been working with both a lot lately!  One of my favorite hats to make for little girls in the winter is this bunny fur hat with pom pom ties.





While I was making a faux fur hat recently, I thought about you and that you might like this idea. It works so well for me when working with fur.  There are a lot of tips online about tearing fur and sewing fur but I've not seen this tip.

Fuzzy edges on cut fur

If you read about working with fur, you will be told to tear, not cut.  However, not all pattern shapes can be torn.  If you are making a stuffed animal or clothing item, you'll have curves on your pattern.  No matter how careful you are, there will be loose pieces of fur flying when you are done cutting.  

Use wet fingers to corral loose fur

Use my water tip to corral those fly-aways (see previous post for that tip!)  After you pull the loose fur off  and before you start to sew, find some lining, muslin, interfacing or other non-stretch fabric.


Lay each cut piece of fur on that fabric, wrong sides together, and cut a  piece of fabric slightly larger than the cut fur piece. 

sew fur to lining or fabric wrong sides together close to edge

Now sew each fabric piece to the matching fur, wrong sides together, 1/8 - 1/4" from the edge.  This will keep the fur from moving or shedding and keep the fur backing from stretching while you work with it.  

edges will be easier to work with

Trim the excess fabric from the fur pattern piece.  The pattern pieces will now fit together much better and be easier to pin and sew.


 For hats and other clothing items you can then just serge the seams or sew and zig-zag the edges for a finished look.  For animals or clothing items, you've added stability and made them easier to stuff.


 I wish you fun and success on  your next faux fur project!