In this section, I will talk about the cloak, ribcage and arms. It will all be very short.
For the cloak... well, about 18 years ago I got my mother to sew me a death cloak with an open front (like a kimono) out of some cheap black bed sheets. I highly recommend mothers as a resource. If you can't get yours to sew you a cloak, you can always buy one, but you will have to cut the front open. Also, the hood of my cloak is a large triangle of cloth with one point attached at the back of the neck. This makes an awesome draping hood. If you buy a cloak, cut off the hood and sew on a black triangle (anyone can do that). You will see what I am talking about. While I am talking about the cloak, I loved that thing, used it in some way for the past 18 Halloweens and I HATED cutting holes in it for this guy. I hope it can forgive me.
For the ribcage and spinal column (not neck, that is described in a different section) I followed the tutorial in Vile Things. Theirs is about 10 times better than mine, but mine didn't have to be that good because most of it is covered with the cloak. I used coat hangers to make the amature and coat hanger wire instead of cord to support the spine.
Since my fortune teller is sitting in a chair behind a large enclosed table, I did not need to make any hips or legs. I did need to make arms. A simply bought them from the Anatomical Chart Company. Much simpler than making them from scratch.
Since my fortune teller is a puppet, I had to figure out how to move the arms and hands. I came up with a very simple system. I attached the shoulder to the torso with a wire so that it was relatively mobile then strapped a black stick to the forearm. I ran the stick through a hole in the cloak's sleeve and through the back of the chair. I could give pretty good motion even though the hole in the back of the chair was less than 2" in diameter. "Hey!", you might say. "How could you see what you are doing if you are standing behind a solid wall?" Well, invest a few dollars in a 2-way mirror. I got one custom made for me at a local glass house for about $20. That was a big help.
To make the hands move, I used some very small eye bolts from Home Depot and attached fishing line to the wrist. Using more eyebolts as guides, I ran the fishing line up the forearm and to a loop near the end of the stick. If I stuck my finger through the loop, I could raise and lower the wrist with a tug of my index finger.
If you are thinking ahead here, you are thinking "two arms and a head... you need three hands to operate this guy!" Well, ya. Get a friend to help or just make two of your three items move at a time. I'm not Disney, you know.
