[YES] Antares Coyote Fullsuit by Pin & Needle Works The item being reviewed is 5 years old and may not reflect the makers current style, or work. Maker Information Pin & Needle Works Year of Project2021 Completion Time (?)None ETA AccuracyNO - MULTIPLE ETAs were passed An ETA is the Estimated Time of Arrival for a project. In other words, an estimated turnaround time. An ETA is not a deadline. Review Date24 January 2022 RelationshipThe maker WAS NOT a friend when the item was purchased, but they ARE a friend nowThis relationship was indicated by the reviewer at the time this review was written. Review InformationReviewerTwitter: StellarAntares Prior ExperienceThis is the first fursuit I've owned, although I've worn a handful of others. Wear Time45+ Hours Informed Maker of IssuesThere have yet to be any issues Antares Fullsuit Positive ProjectThis item was a commission Paid: A Lump Sum of $5000 and over ◼️ Initial Contact: August 2018 Completion/Ship Date: October 2021 Shipping Origin: Local pickup Type: Fullsuit Style: Toony Padding: Digitigrade SpeciesName: Coyote Found in: Canidae(?) Features: None Concept Art Photos of Completed Product Overall Initial ContactI initially contacted Pin & Needle Works through a mutual friend who let me know they were looking for a commissioner to take an open slot. Because of that, I can't speak to how their general commissioning process works. Maker CommunicationTelegram was used as the primary method of communication for all aspects of the commissioning process. Towards the begining of the commissioning process, communication was slow and it was somewhat difficult to reach them at times. However, a substantial portion of this was due to temporary issues and the ongoing pandemic. Since then, they've demonstrated a substantial improvement in communication, and they're very on top of it now. They're very friendly and quick to reply if I have questions about fursuit care. They clearly take pride in their work and like to see the photos taken of their suits. Project Completion TimeI was initially given an estimate of about a year for completion time. The suit ended up taking quite a bit longer than that — being finished a touch over three years after commissioning. There were times I was quite frustrated at the delays, especially since it was somewhat difficult to get an updated estimate at times. There is a queue and it was possible to see my place in it, however it felt as if little progress was being made sometimes. Much like the initial communication issues though, this seems to be largely a problem of the past, with Pin & Needle Works significantly picking up the pace. Did it suck to have to wait so much longer than I expected? Of course it did. Was the wait worth it? 1000% yes. In the end they delivered a perfectly made suit just as cons started picking back up post-COVID, and they are working at a much quicker pace. Overall Project QualityI am without a doubt happy with every aspect of the final product. Pin & Needle Works exceeded my already high expectations for suit quality. This was clearly a fursuit made with an extreme attention to detail and a desire to produce a wearable work of art. The aesthetics match my character perfectly, and the construction quality allows me to have the confidence that that won't change over time. The style is exactly what I expected from Pin & Needle Works. The price paid, while it felt like a lot at the time, is realistically an undercharging for what a suit of this quality is worth — and I think that's reflected in their recent price increase. This is a fursuit I can and will bring with me on all sorts of travel and activities. Components Head Wear SatisfactionThe head is incredibly comfortable to wear. Its entirely foam construction makes it very light (like seriously, it weighs practically nothing), while its snug fit holds it securely on my head. There are no pressure points and I've yet to feel any discomfort even in longer (8+ hr) suiting sessions. It even has cutouts around the ears to prevent any discomfort there. It's lined with lycra so there's no exposed foam or fur. The large eyes yield fantastic ventillation, allowing for a cooling breeze when walking. The velcro adjustable eyelids partially hinder the ventillation, but it is still quite comfortable. The vision is outstanding, with a minimal blind spot (about as wide as my hand with my arm fully outstretched in front of me) and a decent FOV (about 90 degrees). The vision is also quite bright, and I've never had any vision issues in dark environments. Visual SatisfactionI was blown away with the appearance of the head. I had high expectations but they were still exceeded. Everything was clearly done with precision and perfection in mind. There were features I had expected (like the vinyl nose, coyote-like shapes, and matching design colors well with high-quality furs), but there was a lot done that can only be described as "above and beyond". Details like the sewn teeth, the fun star-shaped eye shines, the whiskers, and the placement of extra fluff were particularly noticeable and welcome additions. I'm sure it reads like I'm overhyping this head but I seriously can't think of a single thing I don't like or feel like it lacks. For what I was looking for in a fursuit head — especially in terms of appearance, expression, and quality — it is perfect. One-Piece Body Wear SatisfactionThe body suit is a good combination of tight fit but not movement-restrictive. I can (and have on multiple occassions) run up and down staircases or around con spaces easily. My ability to dance is limited only by my poor dancing skills, and not at all by the bodysuit. I have yet to see a single hole or hear a single seam pop despite my time spent in suit. From the waist up, the suit is unlined. The one exception is that the neck has a soft lining to prevent the plain fur edge from irritating the wearer's neck. From the waist down, the suit has the same lycra lining as the head. This holds the digitigrade padding in place (even after vacuum packing) and makes it quite easy to put on the suit. This lining has easy-to-access zippers to remove the polyfil foam that forms the bodyshape. This makes cleaning an easy process. Re-stuffing after cleaning is a bit time consuming but only because I am new to the suit and knowing how to place foam to form the shapes I like. The attached feetpaws are foam and very comfortable. They are not built on shoes, but my feet are held in place well enough for me to be able to run around no problem. They are also more comfortable than shoe-based footpaws. The airflow is great, allowing me to easily handle long suiting sessions. Visual SatisfactionSince the bodysuit fits tightly, there's no bagginess at all. The digitgrade shapes are fantastic. The suit has a nice combination of shorter-shaved fur around the belly, with longer fur on the chest, shoulders, and back. The sewn-in spots on the shoulders and legs are perfect and blend in with the base fur used there. The fur selection not only matches the character's colors incredibly well, but is also very soft. Nothing is painted, airbrushed, or glued, so it's unlikely the suit will visually change much at all. The indoor footpaws have a nice paw print and came with sandals to allow outdoor usage. Hands Wear SatisfactionThe handpaws are comfortable and fit nicely. They are padded so it can be a bit challenging to do anything that requires dexterity, but they don't restrict movement. (On that note, I can operate a DSLR while wearing the paws so they really aren't too restrictive at all). The paws are unlined, except for a soft fabric right at the cuffs. The paws are fairly long and have good overlap with the bodysuit arms. When I have a handler that can tuck them in they don't come untucked until I intentionally do so. However, the fur on the arms of the bodysuit extends past the backing, and is able to conceal the seam between the paws and the body fairly well even if I don't tuck the paws in. The padding in the paws is removable for ease of washing. Visual SatisfactionThe paws blend in very well with the bodysuit. When they're tucked in and brushed, finding the seam is nearly impossible in photos. The shaving length matches that of the bodysuit fur that it lines up with, so there's no noticeable change. Like everything else on the bodysuit, nothing is painted or glued, and the same good furs were used. Tail Wear SatisfactionThe tail is not attached, but is worn with a belt through the bodysuit. That gap is concealed well as long as I adequately tighten the belt that holds it in place. Washing the tail is easy. The foam can't be removed but it doesn't need to be and it dries out just fine. Visual SatisfactionThe tail blends in nicely with the bodysuit, and has exactly the shape I was hoping for. It uses the same furs and construction as the rest of the body. RatingFursuitReview rates by asking the question: Would you recommend this maker? YES This review has been marked with a positive rating. This means the reviewer would recommend Pin & Needle Works. Final CommentsI would absolutely recommend Pin & Needle Works to any friends looking to get a fursuit. The attention to details and perfectionism applied to their suits is unparalleled. They're an incredibly talented artist whose years of experience with fursuit making result in an outstanding end product. I can't think of anything critical to say about the fit, aesthetics, and durability of the fursuit. And it seems like the timeline and communication issues I experienced towards the beginning of my commissioning experience are things of the past. All in all, if you commission Pin & Needle Works, you'll end up quite happy with the result. Are you the maker of this item? Would you like to leave an official response? Click here. In case the button above doesn't work, you can click here to launch the maker response form.
