Ok i fixed the paws up and now i think i'm ready for felt but the hide has a greece behind the neck and seems to bubble at the arm pit areas? Do i re-wet the hide or mist it and strech it out and re break the stiffness to make soft and then put the felt on.
Now does the felt have to be sewn on or can i use a hot glue gun.
Thanks for any advice great help. Kim
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Kim, I'm thinking that what you are saying is that this hide has a CREASE behind the head(hope you don't mean GREASE). Sounds like the hide was not streatched or not enough. Before ruging, skins need to be wet down, sweated in a bag in refrigerator over night, streached all over and stapled out on plywood to dry. After several days drying time you can finish the rug. Hot glue works well. Be careful not to get the hot stuff where you don't want it cause it won't come out of felt. If you are doing a double layer be sure that the glue line is under the edge of the skin itself so any bleed-through of the first layer won't show on the show side. Enjoy, Aaron H.
Thanks that is what i meant crease,and for the rug i allready have the head finished?
Is what you will do to get the armpits to lay properly. When stretching ther animal you will have to pinch the front leg pits together you will see that those little bubbles will come out.It will look like a V. Now cut those ,at an angle that extra loose skin and sew careful as to not trap the hair. Sew them and staple them down. Normal to have those pleats on the front. It will also take care of the crease you have in the middle. There are ways to stretch a hide with out those [pleats if you have the experiance) But you would still have to make one cut. Too complicated to explain. Hopefully I didn't confuse you.