There
are three types of padded suits (or Fat suits):
1st Pillow padding.
2nd Batted padding.
3rd Structured foam padding.
Pillow padding:
The easiest to make is pillow suit and is exactly
as it is named, several small oval-ish pillows are
made thin and placed at key points on the body (Belly,
Thighs, Butt, etc.) The pillows are affixed with
thread to a lycra dive suit under-suit, and is separate
from the outer suit (the fur).
This suit is a pillow-padding suit:
Batted padding:
The Batted suit is next, and is made of ½"quilt
batting layered to gain thickness, and spray glued
to a liner. The liner and then is lose lop stitched
on to the inside of the outer suit, or can be covered
and made into a body pillow separate from the outer
suit. This suit has a Batted Suit:
This
suit is separate from the outer suit, Te the bunny
(the example above) is a cross between the batted
suit and the foam-structured suit, and his lining
is fixed permanently to the inside. The front of
the legs are foam, but the hips, and rump are batting:
Structured foam padding:
The last is foam-structured suit, the hardest to
make. This padded suit is made by gluing shaped
strips of ½" to 1" foam side to side. This requires
a bit of math, lots of experimenting, and a dummy
to work off of. Then a little batting helps support
the foam, and all is glued and sewn onto a lining.
With really big anatomy changes like the example
below, I also put removable polyethylene tube hoops
in the lining under the foam around the mid-section.
This keeps the suit extremely lightweight, breathable,
and study. If you are going to make the padding
removable cover the foam in tight thin costumers
nylon, and sew the lining to that. If not just sew
the lining onto the backside of the outer suit.
The latter is much harder to clean, but is less
likely to bunch, or move out of place.
A
work in progress:
All
the suits on this site are custom made patterns
that I make to help them lay and move on the padding
better. Dummies help a great deal in placing of
padding on the suit, and I suggest either making
Duct Tape dummies, or get a mannequin or something.
There are many different ways to do this, and I
have a rule that "Anything Goes", if it gets my
to a satisfactory end. Experiment, Experiment, Experiment,
and if you mess up it can be fixed. Trust me…
I hope this is helpful.
Enjoy