Makers notes - Puppet Body

I have chosen to make Monsieur Labillardière from a vintage mangle cloth bought at the Cloth Shop in Portobello Road, London. Mangle cloths are long, narrow strips of linen used to squeeze the excess moisture and to iron items in a mangle machine. The cloth helped to ensure that small items did not get tangled in the rollers. Mangle cloths are made of pure linen as it can withstand high temperatures. They have a red stripe down each side. 

The reason that I have chosen to use linen mangle cloth for the body of M. Labillardière is that it has a dense weave, a pleasing natural tone and is beautiful to sew. 

His hair is stitched with twisted silk thread from Nancy Ballesteros. The joints are made of wooden beads bought at Something Special haberdashery shop, Mumbai. 

M. Labillardière is filled with cotton padding and is weighted in his feet and nether regions. 

An old hand mangle

Antique Mangle Cloth

Silk Floss