faux fur

Do you have scraps of faux fur leftover from other projects? Or maybe you have other fur items you’d like to repurpose into something else? Try making just 2 pompoms, and you may become “pompom crazy!” A major symptom: embellishing everything in sight with puffy little faux fur pompoms.

At a glance, tracing circles on fur scraps may appear to be a child’s craft…and it very well could be. On the other hand, high-fashion furriers use pompoms as zipper pulls, whimsical embellishments, to finish the ends of a scarf, and so much more.

Let’s get started!

Trace the pattern on the fur backing, or simply trace a 4″ round lid, cup, etc. on to the back of the fur piece (Figure 1).

PomPom pattern — Figure 1 (click for pdf pattern)

With a snipping motion—and cutting through the backing only—cut out the circle.
Set your machine stitch for a long, wide zigzag stitch (4W,4L).
You’ll need 13 inches of strong cord such as twine, yarn, or a double strand of ordinary sewing thread.

Because fur is so forgiving, thread color matching is unnecessary so use whatever color of thread is currently in your machine.

Using the zig-zag setting, stitch close to the edge with the backing side up and the cord, twine or doubled sewing thread centered under the zigzag stitching (Figure 2).

Sew completely around the circle, back-tacking at start and finish.
Grasp cord ends and pull up gathers (Figure 3).

As if by magic, a puffy ball forms. Tie off the cord, leaving ends long enough for securing the pompom to whatever you embellish.

If your pom-pom needs some pouf, stuff lightly with cotton balls.

For a Zipper Pull

Tie a pompom to a zipper pull. just as furriers do on S5.000 jacket.

For a Hair Tie

Secure a pompom to an elastic hair band for a pony tail with panache.

For a Velvet/Fur Tie

A length of black velvet cord and two pom-poms. one black. one white, equals a hair tie with star quality.

For a Neck Accessory

For a fabulous holiday look, wear the above velvet! fur tie at the neck of a silk shirt.

For Everything

Add fur pompom to everything: a knit cap, scarf ends, shoe tops, draw cord ends, shoe ties, or slippers.
Sprinkle a faux fur jacket or wearer with fur pompoms.
Use as buttons.
To change the size of the pompom, just change the size of the circle.

~Based on an article by Donna Salyers, Fabulous Furs

Whether you’re making stuffed toys, a funky Halloween costume, a plush wrap for holiday gatherings, a warm coat for the winter, or the most fabulous Cosplay costume ever, faux fur is a wonderful fabric of choice. It’s warm and cozy, comes in a variety of colors and textures, and doesn’t harm animals. But, how do you sew on it? There are some tricks to make the process easier.

Choose a pattern with simple lines—complex fitting and too many details make sewing these plush fabrics a bit more difficult. Cut-on sleeves are ideal, as opposed to set-in sleeves. Loose-fitting is better than trying to stitch fitting darts in furry fabric. If your pattern was designed for fur, chances are good that the designer planned for simple lines.

Cutting

Use the “with nap” cutting layout so that the tops of all the pattern pieces go in the same direction, with the pile surface going down for a smooth appearance. Think what it feels like to pet an animal from head to tail vs. the opposite direction. Mark the nap direction on the fur backing to ensure all the pieces face the same direction.

When using thick furs, choose a lighter weight fabric for details like facings, undercollars, etc. to reduce bulk.

When you cut fur, avoid cutting the right side hairs. Draw the pattern shapes (remember, both a right and left half) on the backing and cut the pieces single layer. Use the tip of some sharp scissors or a sharp craft knife to cut only the backing and not the long hairs of the right side. Transfer any markings to the wrong side after cutting.

Sewing

If you’re sewing conventional seams, use at least a ½” seam allowances, as anything narrower makes the seam line hard to control. Finger-press the seam allowances open, and to reduce bulk, trim the pile within the seam allowances.

Sewing seams in fur can be tricky as the layers tend to shift. To avoid this, use a walking foot or dual-feed to help. Hold the seam allowances together with spring clips to keep them in place while sewing, or hand-baste. Keep the layers taut while sewing to prevent puckering, but don’t stretch them, and use a slightly longer than normal stitch length.

If your machine has adjustable pressure, decrease the presser foot pressure to help with the layers shifting.

Create plush toys with Luxe Cuddle from Shannon Fabrics

Almost all furs have a knit backing, so choose a sewing machine needle size consistent with the fabric weight, with either a universal or ball point to avoid damaging the fabric. Regular sewing thread works fine for fur.

As you sew, push the pile toward the project and away from the actual seamline. Stop every few inches to ready the area ahead of your needle and presser foot. The more pile you can keep out of the actual seam, the easier the finishing will be.

Seaming Option

If you think conventional seams might be too bulky in your project, think about trimming off the seam allowances entirely, and using a wide, open zigzag to sew over the adjacent fabric edges. Because of the pile, the seams will be hidden once opened.

Faux fur can also be sewn with a serger, with the stitches going over the cut edge in the same manner as a zigzag.

Finishing

Do not press most fur fabrics—finger-press only. Steam and heat can permanently damage fur pile.

Once you’ve stitched seams, take a long pin or needle and “comb” the pile out of the seam that got caught during stitching. Doing this will give you an almost invisible seam line buried in the pile.

Furs generally are not suitable for topstitching, buttonholes and other finishing details common to other fabrics. Choose alternative fasteners where needed, like hook-and-loop tape, snaps, hooks, etc. Avoid zippers on long-pile furs, as the hairs get caught in the zipper mechanism.

Cleaning

Sewing faux fur makes a mess—no doubt about it! So, clean your machine frequently and clean your sewing area when the project is done, or the cut fur pile will haunt you forever. Use a strip of packing tape or an adhesive lint remover to pick up loose pile. This works on seams as well where you’ve trimmed the hairs to reduce bulk.

~Linda Griepentrog is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and three dogs, Yohnuh, Abby, and Lizzie. Contact her at .

Faux Fur PomPoms