Recommendations for thread and solid material?

[growly]

Hey gang

Comments

[calicofeathers]

I've mentioned them before, but I've always loved GreatMats' foam 5/8in mats. They've got a ton of colors, the color goes all the way through, and they've been crazy durable from experience. Plus they're cheap. I'm not exactly gentle on my footpaws and in almost three years of pretty rough abuse (I run around outside and on concrete and everything), I've hardly seen any wear on them. My only issue with them is that they're slightly thicker than I'd really like.

[ceshionco]

Can't go wrong with Kevlar!

There are more alternatives to Kevlar on the bottom page and website
I use Gutermann Polyester for my corsets and suits, no popped seam on any of them!
Joann's Gutermann Poly 547yd thread at 5.55 = 0.010 per yd on sale = 0.005 per yd (strength unknown)

This is the strongest you need for a fursuit, a 2100 yd spool for $24 = 0.011 per yd
263yrs spool for $7= 0.027 per yd

[lironess]

I like to get my thread in LA at the garment district...brand new cones for 1.00 and you can get a cone holder for about 6 bucks at any fabric store....NEVER buy a used cone though the thread can be really old...the new ones are obvious they are wrapped and there should be a lot of each color...some of the stores have mostly thread and those may have it even cheaper.

There is a post on here re: actual sole material from a shoe repair supply store. let me know if you can not find it and I will search my gazillion bookmarks...

[growly]

I live in Georgia, so I'm afraid the fashion district is pretty out of the question for me!

[lironess]

Check around there may be more than just the one in LA :)

[beetlecat]

I use Gutermann always. The basic polyester that is a step below upholstery thread so that if a seam has to pop then it just pops evenly and doesn't rip the material

[skyote]

Second this. I've used Gutermann since I learned to sew and have always been happy with it. Easy to find, too.

[killpurakat]

What I tend to do for thread, which is odd I admit, is buy either tons of black, white, and gray thread spools when the sales at JoAnns and Hancocks hit or (more recently) buy the giant thread cone-thingies that are made for sergers. Since a regular sewing machine won't really use those, I've saved a few old plastic spools and I wind the serger thread onto those, then use them in my machine

[zaulankris]

Just adding my two cents about crepe soling--

Be sure you know exactly what you're getting before you buy it. I spent about $40 (after shipping) for a sheet of it and I assumed "crepe soling" meant you could use it for like, you know, soles, but nope! It was just EVA foam, the same as that playmat stuff a lot us already use. I'm sure it was just me goofing up and ordering the wrong kind of crepe but man, the description was misleading enough to fool me and it was the only kind I could find to buy anyway :T

[killpurakat]

That's why I'd suggest getting it directly from a cobbler/shoe repair store if you can, because then you know it's the right stuff. The guy I got mine from had it only in white, black, and assorted browns, and he indicated it didn't come in many other colors, so maybe if the color is special (like blue or red) you'd known it's not correct.

[zaulankris]

Eh, I'm done with that stuff anyway. The lack of colors is a bummer, so I now do the same as Artslave below. Any color you want in any thickness? Yes, please!