I wish I could tell you the name of the fabric I found a couple of
years ago when I was looking for fake ermine. You're right, all the
fake furs are too deep-pile. My fabric guy showed me a creamy-white
brushed fabric that close up was merely napped but from a distance of
3 feet or more could easily pass for ermine. He's a mill-end store
and doesn't segregate fabrics into use categories, and for most
things I buy from him (for theatrical costumes) I only ask for
cleaning instructions, not for name of fabric and not necessarily
even for fiber content; that's why I don't know what it was. At a
place like JoAnn's you might try looking at pajama fabrics and
upscale fleeces. Depends on how close to you the viewers will be.
I had already bought some white fake fur from him the week before,
hoping it would work for ermine, and I did use that on the edges of
the garments I was making (modified houppelandes for "medieval
banquet" king and queen) to get the full fur effect; I used some also
to line the queen's sleeves, but I had to shear it with a razor
because although it was short-pile for fake fur it was still too long
for ermine, and too heavy. I used the brushed fabric to line the
king's sleeves (edged them with sheared fake fur) because the person
playing the king was very heavy himself and got easily overheated.
From a short distance, the "fur" lining his sleeves was at least as
credible as the queen's, and in fact looked more luxurious.
--Ruth Anne Baumgartner
scholar gypsy and amateur costumer
On Feb 5, 2007, at 10:49 AM, Pixel, Goddess and Queen wrote:
Specifically, something that closely resembles ermine. I can find
thicker stuff--if I wanted to line something with mink or fitch I'd
be set--but I haven't been able to find something that is as low
pile as ermine. Everything I've found is too thick and heavy.
Would a white minky fabric be what I'm looking for?
Many thanks,
/Jen
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