by Tony James » 14 Aug 2014, 09:01
That Judy redress looks delightful. I think I can also see her character as a consequence. Obviously I can't be certain without seeing her in action.
I've always believed that figure dressing should always reflect and establish the character of the figure. Of a basic set Judy, the baby, Joey and the doctor have more scope for individualism. Punch, the policeman and the crocodile are more proscribed.
I particularly like the back detail of Judy. Again, I am a great believer in paying attention to the back of costumes as they provide the audience with additional visual interest provided the figure turns its back to the audience.The turning action itself also adds visual interest.
That's easy for me as I work hands above but maybe less easy if you work hands in front. Whilst I like the apron shoulder straps I am assuming these have been stitched down onto the costume underneath or there is a risk that loose straps will catch on something especially any frame projections such as puppet hooks. The same goes for any trimmings or loose fullness in costumes.
The other practical aspects of any fabric being considered is to be careful of loose weaves which can be very attractive but may result in catching or poor wear quality. The lower half of any costume is always prone to excess wear, rubbing along the inside edge of the playboard.
Any figure using the stick is equally prone to wear in the arm and upper body area where the end of the gripped stick rubs. I find my highest degree of wear is to Punch, followed by Joey and then Judy simply because of the duration they are up. The baby follows next depending on your routine though the baby is easier to redress.
It's also worth cutting a small sample of proposed fabrics and immersing each in individual white cups of water and leaving them overnight. You don't need much water or any resultant colour loss will be diluted and less easy to detect. A white container makes colour bleed easier to see.
Likewise, any shrinkage may be detected so check the sample dimension and measure after it has dried.
Few supplier pre-dressed figures in my experience suit my usage. Not surprising really. It's the difference between an off-the-peg garment compared to a bespoke, tailored to your individual measurements and requirements. Once you've experienced the bespoke you'll understand the difference.
My Punch was very wet and when I packed him I later found his red coat was not colour fast. Whilst in the drop bag he had come into contact with other figures and had transferred patches of pinky-red to their costumes. I tried unsuccessfully to flush out the colour under a running tap without any obvious improvement. So I carefully mixed a small quantity of proprietary Colour Run Remover ensuring it was more dilute than the instructions indicated for general usage. I didn't want to risk damaging the other figures any more than they were already.
I dipped just the affected area of one into the mix and two things resulted. First the transferred colour disappeared almost like the changes in a wine and water trick. Second, the surrounding red stripe in the fabric turned a sort of dirty brownish khaki colour. In a panic I held the costume under a running cold water tap and the result of that was the original red stripe was restored. Don't ask me why or how- that's what happened.
So emboldened I treated the rest with similar results. I think original blue colours went a sort of greenish yellow but flushed back to blue. Anyway it worked and I haven't had to do it again because all my figures have since been redressed - some many times - by my lady who is a theatre costume designer and she tests every fabric for colour fastness and shrinkage. It's a part of her normal job.
If this helps anyone then it has been worthwhile recording it here.
Tony James
Magic With A Punch!