Now I'm looking forward to cutting another round of dress patterns out this week & doing some more sewing for the girls next weekend.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
new pullrings for Char-Char!
I got a package from a sundries sale on BK last night when I got home from work - a new set of pull rings for Charlotte and a pair of white socks for each of the girls. The pull rings are a fantastic milky translucent green with matching string. Charlotte seems to like them!
Now I'm looking forward to cutting another round of dress patterns out this week & doing some more sewing for the girls next weekend.
Now I'm looking forward to cutting another round of dress patterns out this week & doing some more sewing for the girls next weekend.
Monday, January 30, 2012
mourning a grail girl gone by...
I'm a little sad today, in the world of dolly-related things.
As I was researching Blythe dolls to make my first purchase, I discovered Gentle River. Many so-called "grail girls" don't really do it for me... Kenners are so expensive that they are not on my radar at all, unless I were so lucky as to discover one in a thrift store. Hollywood is cool, but I'm sort of "meh" for blondes in general. Kozy Kape is okay, but there are so many other girls I'd rather have for just one of her. Bloomy Bloomsbury is adorable, but it's mostly her stock that makes me like her, not so much the doll itself that I covet... but Gentle River makes my heart skip a beat. I love her stock too, but I wouldn't need the stock to be thrilled to have her, nor would her stock w/o her make me that happy.
I just love her look, regardless of what she's wearing. I love her face-up & her hair cut and style... she's so bright and vivid - I can imagine her in all kinds of outfits from that sort of eastern European woodland style of her stock, to rock-a-billy, to 1940's glam to super-cutesy... she would be really fun to sew clothes for and take pictures of... I like all her stock eye chip colors... if I could have one grail-girl wish, I would love to adopt a Gentle River - but she's usually so expensive that I just liked to daydream about her and I never really entertained the idea of adding GR to my dolly family.
That was until this weekend when I saw a GR w/o stock up for adoption for $300 on BK. I could actually have bought her... it would have been a really, really bad move financially... but I could have done it. For a couple days, I kept looking at her. I kept thinking of what it would be like to get her. I felt a little giddy and naughty every time I thought about how I could actually get my hands on a GR! But I just couldn't justify it; even at my most wildly irresponsible, it clearly would have been a terrible idea to buy her.
Still I liked to see her available... daydreaming that if I got a sudden windfall of money, she'd be there. And today she sold. She isn't there any more... there's a thread on BK about Blythe regrets and I wondered when I first saw her go on hold, if I will look back and always regret that I didn't throw caution to the wind and spend money that should have gone towards bills and ordering save-the-date cards for my wedding on a dolly.
But after I checked back later and saw she'd gone from hold to sold, I was suddenly strangely at peace with the whole thing. The more I think about it like a grown-up, the more I know I won't regret it in the future. Even if I never get a Gentle River or never even see one at that price again, in all my days... I won't regret passing this one by. If it's right, I know she'll find me. This one sort of gave me hope - I know it could happen... just like the amazing story (with pictures) on BK of a member finding a Kenner for $2.00 at a thrift store totally makes me smile because I know it's a real thing that could happen. (Not that I am holding out on it actually happening to me, but I know it could!)
I don't want to be so obsessed with dolls that I am not responsible. I want to pay my bills on time and, even as fun as dollies are, getting married is far more important and exciting to me - so the choice between GR or holding off on ordering save-the-date cards and having $300 less saved toward my honeymoon was a no-brainer! It's all about having one's priorities in order.
Also, I still feel like I am getting to know and bond with Wondie and she and Charlotte are just becoming buddies. I want to take the time to get to know them and give them the attention they deserve & savor the process. What I like about dollies isn't just shopping for them. This is a good reminder of what's important. So, I'm not going to have any regrets... but I am still just a little wistful that a beautiful Gentle River has passed me by today.
As I was researching Blythe dolls to make my first purchase, I discovered Gentle River. Many so-called "grail girls" don't really do it for me... Kenners are so expensive that they are not on my radar at all, unless I were so lucky as to discover one in a thrift store. Hollywood is cool, but I'm sort of "meh" for blondes in general. Kozy Kape is okay, but there are so many other girls I'd rather have for just one of her. Bloomy Bloomsbury is adorable, but it's mostly her stock that makes me like her, not so much the doll itself that I covet... but Gentle River makes my heart skip a beat. I love her stock too, but I wouldn't need the stock to be thrilled to have her, nor would her stock w/o her make me that happy.
I just love her look, regardless of what she's wearing. I love her face-up & her hair cut and style... she's so bright and vivid - I can imagine her in all kinds of outfits from that sort of eastern European woodland style of her stock, to rock-a-billy, to 1940's glam to super-cutesy... she would be really fun to sew clothes for and take pictures of... I like all her stock eye chip colors... if I could have one grail-girl wish, I would love to adopt a Gentle River - but she's usually so expensive that I just liked to daydream about her and I never really entertained the idea of adding GR to my dolly family.
That was until this weekend when I saw a GR w/o stock up for adoption for $300 on BK. I could actually have bought her... it would have been a really, really bad move financially... but I could have done it. For a couple days, I kept looking at her. I kept thinking of what it would be like to get her. I felt a little giddy and naughty every time I thought about how I could actually get my hands on a GR! But I just couldn't justify it; even at my most wildly irresponsible, it clearly would have been a terrible idea to buy her.
Still I liked to see her available... daydreaming that if I got a sudden windfall of money, she'd be there. And today she sold. She isn't there any more... there's a thread on BK about Blythe regrets and I wondered when I first saw her go on hold, if I will look back and always regret that I didn't throw caution to the wind and spend money that should have gone towards bills and ordering save-the-date cards for my wedding on a dolly.
But after I checked back later and saw she'd gone from hold to sold, I was suddenly strangely at peace with the whole thing. The more I think about it like a grown-up, the more I know I won't regret it in the future. Even if I never get a Gentle River or never even see one at that price again, in all my days... I won't regret passing this one by. If it's right, I know she'll find me. This one sort of gave me hope - I know it could happen... just like the amazing story (with pictures) on BK of a member finding a Kenner for $2.00 at a thrift store totally makes me smile because I know it's a real thing that could happen. (Not that I am holding out on it actually happening to me, but I know it could!)
I don't want to be so obsessed with dolls that I am not responsible. I want to pay my bills on time and, even as fun as dollies are, getting married is far more important and exciting to me - so the choice between GR or holding off on ordering save-the-date cards and having $300 less saved toward my honeymoon was a no-brainer! It's all about having one's priorities in order.
Also, I still feel like I am getting to know and bond with Wondie and she and Charlotte are just becoming buddies. I want to take the time to get to know them and give them the attention they deserve & savor the process. What I like about dollies isn't just shopping for them. This is a good reminder of what's important. So, I'm not going to have any regrets... but I am still just a little wistful that a beautiful Gentle River has passed me by today.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
style breakthrough!
So I've been bonding with Charlotte's sense of style for a while now, but haven't quite perfected my understanding of Wondie's style... so far, I've found she feels happiest in vintage doll clothes, handknit sweaters, and those big stompy silver boots. I haven't gotten a good sense of the type of dress she likes and what suits her... until Friday night - I had a style breakthrough with this awesome pattern I bought from Crafty Line Blog.
It's just perfect on her - it suits her well, fits like a dream & it was both fun and challenging to make. I will enjoy making this style again and also to collecting more patterns from this site. They are complex and unique... great fun to make and perfect for playing dress-up.
I have to make Charlotte a matching dress with the same Bambi print in a black colorway & black/white polka dot trim. Won't they be adorable together?!
I made Charlotte a dress on Friday night too... of my own pattern creation, modified from a vintage Skipper pattern. I was pretty pleased with this pattern before, since I cut more shaping into the arm and created a more fitted, structured look than the original pattern. Yet, the new pattern I bought is worlds' better. The main difference on Wondie's dress is the bust darts... that little bit of extra shaping makes the whole dress look more polished. I really like the look of it and I am excited to experiment with more shaped and fitted dresses.
It's just perfect on her - it suits her well, fits like a dream & it was both fun and challenging to make. I will enjoy making this style again and also to collecting more patterns from this site. They are complex and unique... great fun to make and perfect for playing dress-up.
I have to make Charlotte a matching dress with the same Bambi print in a black colorway & black/white polka dot trim. Won't they be adorable together?!
I made Charlotte a dress on Friday night too... of my own pattern creation, modified from a vintage Skipper pattern. I was pretty pleased with this pattern before, since I cut more shaping into the arm and created a more fitted, structured look than the original pattern. Yet, the new pattern I bought is worlds' better. The main difference on Wondie's dress is the bust darts... that little bit of extra shaping makes the whole dress look more polished. I really like the look of it and I am excited to experiment with more shaped and fitted dresses.
Friday, January 27, 2012
behind the times...
So the dreamt-of sewing weekend with my dear one turned out to be a busy yoga & family obligations weekend instead. No little dresses were constructed. *le sigh*
Last night, though... I got to make two of the four dresses I had cut out. I am excited to get them finished because I got all the fun fabrics & trims in the mail that I had ordered and I'm dying to experiment with them too.
Last night was vintage night. First Charlotte got the xoxoBlythe version of All Spruced Up.
It's a fun pattern, but I still want to experiment with the collar. Since it is unlined, it doesn't finish as neatly as sandwiching a collar between the front and the lining. I was a little unhappy with the finishing of the neck between the two pieces of the collar in the front. I tacked it down by hand & and sewed a pretty red vintage button over the top so I do like the look of it now. The faux patchwork vintage fabric was fin to work with and I have a ton, so I imagine that we'll see more experiments out of it!
And then Wondie had to get a new dress too, so everything would be fair! She has a vintage print, I call: "entomologie". I made it an empire & cut the skirt a bit longer to include both the lady bug and the spider in the front... I don't like the long dresses as much as somewhere between knee & calf... but it was a good learning experience and I think the right shoes and accessories would spruce it up a bit more. We have to order Wondie some of those classic chunky plastic Mary Janes... I tried these pink ballet shoes that came with Charlotte... OK but not perfect... still I think this dress would look cute for an outdoor shoot... one of these days in the Spring when it's dry and light after work... the girls are looking forward to getting outside for an adventure!
I can imagine she'd be cute with some stompy shoes (though the silver boots weren't quite right), sunglasses, a straw hat, and a butterfly net or magnifying glass... but right now, I think Wondie looks a little pouty because she wants new shoes and a cuter dress.
Last night, though... I got to make two of the four dresses I had cut out. I am excited to get them finished because I got all the fun fabrics & trims in the mail that I had ordered and I'm dying to experiment with them too.
Last night was vintage night. First Charlotte got the xoxoBlythe version of All Spruced Up.
It's a fun pattern, but I still want to experiment with the collar. Since it is unlined, it doesn't finish as neatly as sandwiching a collar between the front and the lining. I was a little unhappy with the finishing of the neck between the two pieces of the collar in the front. I tacked it down by hand & and sewed a pretty red vintage button over the top so I do like the look of it now. The faux patchwork vintage fabric was fin to work with and I have a ton, so I imagine that we'll see more experiments out of it!
And then Wondie had to get a new dress too, so everything would be fair! She has a vintage print, I call: "entomologie". I made it an empire & cut the skirt a bit longer to include both the lady bug and the spider in the front... I don't like the long dresses as much as somewhere between knee & calf... but it was a good learning experience and I think the right shoes and accessories would spruce it up a bit more. We have to order Wondie some of those classic chunky plastic Mary Janes... I tried these pink ballet shoes that came with Charlotte... OK but not perfect... still I think this dress would look cute for an outdoor shoot... one of these days in the Spring when it's dry and light after work... the girls are looking forward to getting outside for an adventure!
I can imagine she'd be cute with some stompy shoes (though the silver boots weren't quite right), sunglasses, a straw hat, and a butterfly net or magnifying glass... but right now, I think Wondie looks a little pouty because she wants new shoes and a cuter dress.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
yearning to create...
This busy week, leading up to events over the weekend, has left me with little time to get creative. In concert with the inspiring arrival of Wondie, I think the lack of time has my creative mind working overtime with great ideas. I suppose it's creative tension... but I've been jotting things down as they come to me & ordering lots of fabric on etsy in the moments I do have. Next weekend, I plan to stay in the whole weekend just sewing and relaxing with my dear one. This weekend will be chaos - so I'm setting my sights ahead on relaxing next weekend already.
Unfortunately, I don't have a sewing room or a permanent sewing table set up. I usually bring my folding sewing table and ironing board into the living room & set up by the TV... watching (well, actually more like listening to with the occasional glance up) whole multiple episodes of artsy/fashion-related reality TV back-to-back. My favorites are the fashion and art shows: Project Runway, Project Catwalk, Project Runway Canada, Fashion Show, and Work of Art. I also have tons of Top Model from around the world that I watch between my favorite shows to savor the more creative ones. It's a favorite guilty pleasure to sew or knit that way.
Since the sewing table is kind of disruptive to the state of the living room, I tend to like to get all my cutting done ahead of time and then set up my machine only for times when I have a good long block of time to get absorbed in my projects and unwind. I've been cutting out a few things this week, getting ready for a big sewing session, as soon as possible.
I also need to go to the regular local fabric store and pick up some more simple fabrics to combine with the fun ones. I had a thing for polka dots for a while.. and then I got this yellow on yellow stripe that I've fallen in love with for a trim.
I've made two dresses for Charlotte with it & another for Pandora from BK, plus I have one last one for Wondie cut out... but then I seriously need to take a break from trimming everything with yellow stripes!
Here are some of the sewing things I've purchased on etsy lately... I love to day dream of what all the different scraps of fabric & notions will become.
I have a total thing for sailor stuff that I'm working to impart on Charlotte and Wondie too. Naturally, this vintage ribbon caught my eye right away & I had to have it. I think it will look really nice for both my girls. In the same order, I also got this cotton eyelet lace. It was described as blue, yet it looks mint green... then again, it also looks like a yellowy artificial light, so I don't know if they will match; but I think there is potential for these two to look good together.
I also bought some bits of lace to incorporate into dolly skirts. I really want to do some solid black dresses with white trim - sort of pilgrim meets Wednesday Adams meets French maid meets Goth Lolita...
Plus some colored lace... because color is fun too! My favorite crazy use of color is GirlishBlythe on etsy.
GirlishBlythe uses color in such a fun and creative way - bold, cheerful, exciting. Also inspired by the stock of Milk & Honey Middie & Gentle River... this sort of Russian Doll look & colorway. I want to play more with that in the future.
I got some Russian stacking doll kawaii print scraps...
And I bought a big scrap pack that contained some fabrics I've been admiring in larger yardages... as well as some random stuff that could come in handy or prove inspiring later on. Here are the pics from the big pack. The blue roses with owls & the B/W hippos are my favorites!
Unfortunately, I don't have a sewing room or a permanent sewing table set up. I usually bring my folding sewing table and ironing board into the living room & set up by the TV... watching (well, actually more like listening to with the occasional glance up) whole multiple episodes of artsy/fashion-related reality TV back-to-back. My favorites are the fashion and art shows: Project Runway, Project Catwalk, Project Runway Canada, Fashion Show, and Work of Art. I also have tons of Top Model from around the world that I watch between my favorite shows to savor the more creative ones. It's a favorite guilty pleasure to sew or knit that way.
Since the sewing table is kind of disruptive to the state of the living room, I tend to like to get all my cutting done ahead of time and then set up my machine only for times when I have a good long block of time to get absorbed in my projects and unwind. I've been cutting out a few things this week, getting ready for a big sewing session, as soon as possible.
I also need to go to the regular local fabric store and pick up some more simple fabrics to combine with the fun ones. I had a thing for polka dots for a while.. and then I got this yellow on yellow stripe that I've fallen in love with for a trim.
I've made two dresses for Charlotte with it & another for Pandora from BK, plus I have one last one for Wondie cut out... but then I seriously need to take a break from trimming everything with yellow stripes!
Here are some of the sewing things I've purchased on etsy lately... I love to day dream of what all the different scraps of fabric & notions will become.
I also bought some bits of lace to incorporate into dolly skirts. I really want to do some solid black dresses with white trim - sort of pilgrim meets Wednesday Adams meets French maid meets Goth Lolita...
Plus some colored lace... because color is fun too! My favorite crazy use of color is GirlishBlythe on etsy.
GirlishBlythe uses color in such a fun and creative way - bold, cheerful, exciting. Also inspired by the stock of Milk & Honey Middie & Gentle River... this sort of Russian Doll look & colorway. I want to play more with that in the future.
I got some Russian stacking doll kawaii print scraps...
And I bought a big scrap pack that contained some fabrics I've been admiring in larger yardages... as well as some random stuff that could come in handy or prove inspiring later on. Here are the pics from the big pack. The blue roses with owls & the B/W hippos are my favorites!
I have my eye on lots of other scrap packs and prints that I would love to make things out of... but I held back. I can only make so much at once & I derive such pleasure from the hunt as well, that it's better to stretch it out. If I spend $5-10 here and there on etsy, I have a continual stream of little presents arriving & more than enough projects to stay busy with... If I went crazy and bought fabric for the whole rest of the year in one fell swoop, (which one could easily do, there are so many great kawaii fabrics!) I'd be depriving myself of the joy of continual small-scale shopping & wouldn't leave room for new inspiration to strike.
Now all I need is time, which is coming next week. Yay!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Wonder Mynte is here!
Here she is! My sweet new girl - my first Blythe! She is a Simply Peppermint stock girl who came NRFB. I ordered her on ebay from the seller "rareak" based in Hong Kong. I *highly* recommend this seller! He had great communication at every step of the process and she arrived 13 days earlier than the earliest estimated shipping arrival. She was in perfect condition. She likes the pastel Lolita set I made!
{Side note: I started to get nervous about ordering my dolly because I have heard some nightmares about dolls not arriving as described or being fakes. The seller with the best deal for Simply Peppermint when I was looking showed up on Bad Dolly Deals (thank goodness I checked!) & I also am in the middle of a bad experience with a sundries sale with another Hong Kong seller "kingkong_1117". The shoes I ordered from this seller took ages to arrive & when the package arrived, I discovered the seller sent something totally different, not even doll-related - they've been so difficult to communicate with that I had to file a case on them, much to my chagrin.}
So back to the good stuff! She's awesome and she's having lots of fun getting to know Charlotte too. Here's Charlotte dressing up as part of the Mynte family thanks to the wig cap from Pandora on BK, while Wondie is sporting the vintage Penny Brite dress I just got in the mail.
Charlotte's not the only one who can dress up like one of the family... here's Wondie, dressing up like part of the Velvet family.
And finally, this is from last week when my camera died mid-click... Bathing beauty Charlotte, modelling her vintage Skipper swimsuit. I have a matching one for Wondie, as well... but the girls didn't feel like wiggling into swimsuits at last night's photoshoot.
Monday, January 9, 2012
far away, so close.
I had a big surprise last Friday evening when I got home from work. I was expecting a few sundries that I'd bought on ebay and BK, but there was a big box behind my door that could only be one thing... my Simply Peppermint!
She wasn't supposed to arrive until the 19th, at the earliest... or even as late as the 30th. But she came on the 6th. Wow! I was totally unprepared. I left my camera battery charger at my studio and didn't have it that weekend & my camera had run out of batteries the night before when I was playing with trying to take some pictures of Charlotte's new vintage Skipper swimsuit. (Then I stopped by the studio on Sunday, but I forgot to grab it! Yikes!)
Plus, I had planned to make some more clothes for Wonder before she arrived, but since she was early, I didn't get that done. She doesn't have much of anything to wear that matches her coloring and belongs just to her.
I was worried that Charlotte might not want to share her clothes and shoes that she has gotten used to, but she seems less worried about it than I am - the girls were kind of shy at first... but they seem to be getting on well. They really look cute sitting together, watching me while I sew. I think Charlotte likes having a friend to hang out with besides me.
This weekend, I had to make a dress for a trade on BK, so instead of getting her own clothes, Wonder (who seems to be preferring the nickname of Wondie, incidentally) was my model & that meant getting to wear this super-cozy vintage Skipper robe that I just got as a dressing gown between try-ons.
She wasn't supposed to arrive until the 19th, at the earliest... or even as late as the 30th. But she came on the 6th. Wow! I was totally unprepared. I left my camera battery charger at my studio and didn't have it that weekend & my camera had run out of batteries the night before when I was playing with trying to take some pictures of Charlotte's new vintage Skipper swimsuit. (Then I stopped by the studio on Sunday, but I forgot to grab it! Yikes!)
Plus, I had planned to make some more clothes for Wonder before she arrived, but since she was early, I didn't get that done. She doesn't have much of anything to wear that matches her coloring and belongs just to her.
I was worried that Charlotte might not want to share her clothes and shoes that she has gotten used to, but she seems less worried about it than I am - the girls were kind of shy at first... but they seem to be getting on well. They really look cute sitting together, watching me while I sew. I think Charlotte likes having a friend to hang out with besides me.
This weekend, I had to make a dress for a trade on BK, so instead of getting her own clothes, Wonder (who seems to be preferring the nickname of Wondie, incidentally) was my model & that meant getting to wear this super-cozy vintage Skipper robe that I just got as a dressing gown between try-ons.
Here's the little etsy picture of said robe, since my camera is out of commission. I've got a ton of catching up to do because lots of vintage clothes arrived on the same day as Wondie. A set of vintage Barbie & Skipper underthings, including some black tap pants, a Skipper Underpretties slip with the bottom layer of lace cut off, and 4 pairs of hand-made under things for a fashion doll. On Blythe shaped bodies, they are adorable bloomers under Lolita style dresses or good for summer pajama bottoms. They need to be taken in a little at the waist to be perfect, but they're really cute even as they are. Once again, here's the etsy pic:
I also got a red and white Penny Brite dress that is popular with a lot of Blythe folks. Mab Graves has a super-adorable picture of one on her etsy shop page. I love her stuff so much. I have one of her hair bows. It was the first thing I bought for Charlotte when I knew she was on her way. The packaging that it came in and all the extra little treasures were amazing! I highly recommend ordering from her - you will not be disappointed! I want to order some more bows from her & maybe even a dolly necklace one of these days. But in the meantime, I managed to find an auction for the same style dress on ebay that didn't arrive in nearly such exquisite packaging, but was a steal price-wise.
One more thing - ever since I blogged about Charlotte's hair, I've been thinking that her hair actually looks pretty good after all! I think I'd like to try to wash it one of these days and do something for Wondie because her hair is super static since I unpacked her... but it's so funny that I made peace with Charlotte's hair and then it started to look prettier to me!
Friday, January 6, 2012
wigging out.
So I mentioned that I had ordered a couple of coolcat wigs with bangs for Miss Charlotte, since she has that high forehead thing going on with her natural hair. One is long brown waves and the other a sleek lilac bob (With the lilac, I sort of thought she'd have fun coordinating with our Simply Peppermint sister, who is on the way from Hong Kong).
The wigs arrived on Wednesday & they aren't exactly what I imagined. Don't get me wrong, the wigs themselves are great - very well-made & exactly as they looked in the photos... but Charlotte was not very happy to have wigs on at all. Part of it was my fault. I thought that the wigs came with caps, but they actually came with nets to protect the wigs when they are not in use... so I was trying to make due without - that made it hard to keep her regular hair from poking out here and there and it was sort of traumatic trying to fit them on.
But also, one is just not her style at all. The brown one is very long and I feel like poor Char-Char just gets lost amidst all this hair. I've gotten to know her a bit since I got her & I just feel like the super-long hair is not her thing. The fantasy color cream/lilac bob is much better, but still hard without a wig cap. I can tell Charlotte feels like she's dressing up for fun in the lilac one & it looks especially adorable with her glasses - kind of a Velma-style efffect.
Fortunately, I arranged an awesome trade with Pandora on BK, so I get to make her a kawaii dress this weekend in trade for a wig cap... so it will be easier for Charlotte to wear the lilac bob when she's feeling frivolous. I'm so excited about the trade! BK is such a sweet forum, and amazing resource, and the people are great... it will be really fun to make a dress for another Blyther and her girls & I'm really glad I won't have to wait another month for international shipping to get a cap that will make the wig easier.
I think we will keep the lilac one and see if we can find the brown one a new home through BK. Some girls look adorable with luxurious locks falling all around, but Charlotte is more of a bobbed or shoulder-length kinda girl & she doesn't really like bangs... even if they hide her forehead.
The more time I spend with her and play with her, the more I feel like Charlotte has a strong personality that just naturally comes through. Her quirks and imperfections are part of who she is, just as much as her strengths. Trying to change or fix her too dramatically or too quickly to make her into something she's not just doesn't work.
It's kind of a cool lesson about life too - finding the lovable qualities about a dolly as she is are and also helping the dolly gradually become more beautiful and individual... it's like practice for doing the same for people.
I recently read a story on Dollybird blog about the restoration of an sweet girl named Poe, who had been through a lot of haircuts, until she was very sad & was on the verge of becoming spare parts. Dollybird rescued her and made her beautiful again. I loved seeing how she thought of different colors & styles of hair and finally helped Poe shine.
It takes time, experimentation, and sometimes making mistakes to see the best in everyone, dolly or human. Charlotte's so patient with me as I figure it out with her... she's teaching me how to be a little more patient with myself and others too.
This weekend, if it doesn't rain, we're hoping to get outside and do a little adventure photoshoot in natural light. Till then, here's a picture of her latest outfit - a vintage Skipper dress & coat. It even came with a little Skipper-sized hat that we pinned on her like a fascinator head piece. These are tried on fresh out of the packing... they were well-loved and played with back in the day, so they need some TLC around the seams and linings... nothing I can't do, though! There was also a second identical red velvet and white satin party dress and two matching red and white swimsuits, so she and Miss Minty Wonder Mynte can dress up in matching outfits!
Happy Friday!
The wigs arrived on Wednesday & they aren't exactly what I imagined. Don't get me wrong, the wigs themselves are great - very well-made & exactly as they looked in the photos... but Charlotte was not very happy to have wigs on at all. Part of it was my fault. I thought that the wigs came with caps, but they actually came with nets to protect the wigs when they are not in use... so I was trying to make due without - that made it hard to keep her regular hair from poking out here and there and it was sort of traumatic trying to fit them on.
But also, one is just not her style at all. The brown one is very long and I feel like poor Char-Char just gets lost amidst all this hair. I've gotten to know her a bit since I got her & I just feel like the super-long hair is not her thing. The fantasy color cream/lilac bob is much better, but still hard without a wig cap. I can tell Charlotte feels like she's dressing up for fun in the lilac one & it looks especially adorable with her glasses - kind of a Velma-style efffect.
Fortunately, I arranged an awesome trade with Pandora on BK, so I get to make her a kawaii dress this weekend in trade for a wig cap... so it will be easier for Charlotte to wear the lilac bob when she's feeling frivolous. I'm so excited about the trade! BK is such a sweet forum, and amazing resource, and the people are great... it will be really fun to make a dress for another Blyther and her girls & I'm really glad I won't have to wait another month for international shipping to get a cap that will make the wig easier.
I think we will keep the lilac one and see if we can find the brown one a new home through BK. Some girls look adorable with luxurious locks falling all around, but Charlotte is more of a bobbed or shoulder-length kinda girl & she doesn't really like bangs... even if they hide her forehead.
The more time I spend with her and play with her, the more I feel like Charlotte has a strong personality that just naturally comes through. Her quirks and imperfections are part of who she is, just as much as her strengths. Trying to change or fix her too dramatically or too quickly to make her into something she's not just doesn't work.
It's kind of a cool lesson about life too - finding the lovable qualities about a dolly as she is are and also helping the dolly gradually become more beautiful and individual... it's like practice for doing the same for people.
I recently read a story on Dollybird blog about the restoration of an sweet girl named Poe, who had been through a lot of haircuts, until she was very sad & was on the verge of becoming spare parts. Dollybird rescued her and made her beautiful again. I loved seeing how she thought of different colors & styles of hair and finally helped Poe shine.
It takes time, experimentation, and sometimes making mistakes to see the best in everyone, dolly or human. Charlotte's so patient with me as I figure it out with her... she's teaching me how to be a little more patient with myself and others too.
This weekend, if it doesn't rain, we're hoping to get outside and do a little adventure photoshoot in natural light. Till then, here's a picture of her latest outfit - a vintage Skipper dress & coat. It even came with a little Skipper-sized hat that we pinned on her like a fascinator head piece. These are tried on fresh out of the packing... they were well-loved and played with back in the day, so they need some TLC around the seams and linings... nothing I can't do, though! There was also a second identical red velvet and white satin party dress and two matching red and white swimsuits, so she and Miss Minty Wonder Mynte can dress up in matching outfits!
Happy Friday!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Meet the girls...
So before I get much further along with a dolly blog, it's only proper to introduce the cast of characters.
My very first girl is a Basaak clone named Miss Charlotte Velvet, also sometimes affectionately known as Char-Char or Lotte. My other girl who arrived shortly after Miss Charlotte is Minnie Mynte, a Petite Blythe "Feline Fancy". Here they are just relaxing and hanging out with me while I sew. (Charlotte is wearing the first dress I ever made for her. It's her lounge-around dress.)
As my first girl, Miss Charlotte will always have a special place in my heart! She's been a great sport as I explore some very basic customizing. I sanded her face with a Norton sanding pad to create a matte finish, but I left her makeup alone. I'm not quite ready for a new faceup... but I am working up my courage for some chalk pastel experimentation one of these days.
Since her scalp comes off so easily, (sometimes it comes off even when I'm just getting her dressed, which is definitely a boon and a pain with the Basaak clone girls) it was also super-easy to give her sleep eyes. I am still waiting on nice pull rings for both strings - right now she is a little miss-matched, but it's in the works, just waiting on the mail!
While her scalp comes off with almost too much ease, I've hear that Blybe/Basaak eye chips do not come out very well at all. I was sad to learn that after I ordered her because I wanted to practice that on her and I wasn't too thrilled with the colors of her forward-looking eye chips. I don't want to attack her with a Dremel tool or risk breaking her... so I've decided to make due and do what I can with the eyes she has... more on that later!
Miss Charlotte's hair isn't the thickest and she also has a very high forhead (so the hair on her scalp starts about 1/4" higher than the edge of the scalp so you can see an extra line on her forehead where they join.) Although I've seen photos of other dolls who have the same line and their parents don't seem phased by it, both Charlotte and I like her look better when we disguise the line by pulling a strand of hair across it and clipping it on the opposite side. We picked out a couple coolcat wigs that are also on their way to further disguise this. One is her "natural" curly brown, but with bangs & the other is for fun - a creme & lilac straight bob, also with bangs.
I wanted to get a Basaak doll with no bangs because I thought when I ordered her that I would like to get some wigs for her, knowing the clone hair wasn't the greatest. I thought it would be easier to hide her origianl hair if she didn't have bangs. If I had it to do over, I might actually order a clone with bangs, if I wanted to keep her regular hair, because the bangs cover up that line more naturally.
I am glad I didn't get a CCE clone, although I've heard their eyechips come out even easier than Blythe. I read that the quality of their hair is terrible (so bad that whatever chemical is on the hair when they arrive actually causes some people's nail polish to come off!) Also I read in a lot of ebay descriptions that their joints are very loose and wobbly.
I love sewing for Charlotte. That's the main reason I couldn't be patient for a brand-name Blythe... I was just dying to get a girl to try clothes on. Charlotte is my sewing buddy and she is a very patient model. Here are a few of the favorite dresses I made and knitting I've done for her too.
Before she arrived, I was practicing sewing and I made a bunch of clothes without know her sense of style. Some she likes:
And others she actually really doesn't like, although they fit fine and are well-made. They just aren't her style!
We're going to give this set to her Simply Peppermint sister when she arrives from Hong Kong in a couple weeks.
We think it will look nice with the Simply Peppermint pastel green hair... and Charlotte can wear this outfit to coordinate, though she's ditching the rose clip next time.
Charlotte is a cool girl... very Oregon pioneer spirit. Feminine & bookish, but strong and practical too. She loves vintage, deep colors, and the darker goth side of Lolita clothing.
I'm getting the vibe from my Peppermint girl (who I want to name Wonder Mynte, unless she presents a different name for herself when she arrives!) that she's more into the pastel & white side of the Lolita look, as well as a sort of Retro/Rockabilly casual look.
I've set aside a few things for her that I think she will like, but other than that, I'm waiting till she arrives to get her true personality and make sure I'm channeling that when I design clothes for her. It's so fun to get to know these girls!
My very first girl is a Basaak clone named Miss Charlotte Velvet, also sometimes affectionately known as Char-Char or Lotte. My other girl who arrived shortly after Miss Charlotte is Minnie Mynte, a Petite Blythe "Feline Fancy". Here they are just relaxing and hanging out with me while I sew. (Charlotte is wearing the first dress I ever made for her. It's her lounge-around dress.)
As my first girl, Miss Charlotte will always have a special place in my heart! She's been a great sport as I explore some very basic customizing. I sanded her face with a Norton sanding pad to create a matte finish, but I left her makeup alone. I'm not quite ready for a new faceup... but I am working up my courage for some chalk pastel experimentation one of these days.
Since her scalp comes off so easily, (sometimes it comes off even when I'm just getting her dressed, which is definitely a boon and a pain with the Basaak clone girls) it was also super-easy to give her sleep eyes. I am still waiting on nice pull rings for both strings - right now she is a little miss-matched, but it's in the works, just waiting on the mail!
While her scalp comes off with almost too much ease, I've hear that Blybe/Basaak eye chips do not come out very well at all. I was sad to learn that after I ordered her because I wanted to practice that on her and I wasn't too thrilled with the colors of her forward-looking eye chips. I don't want to attack her with a Dremel tool or risk breaking her... so I've decided to make due and do what I can with the eyes she has... more on that later!
Miss Charlotte's hair isn't the thickest and she also has a very high forhead (so the hair on her scalp starts about 1/4" higher than the edge of the scalp so you can see an extra line on her forehead where they join.) Although I've seen photos of other dolls who have the same line and their parents don't seem phased by it, both Charlotte and I like her look better when we disguise the line by pulling a strand of hair across it and clipping it on the opposite side. We picked out a couple coolcat wigs that are also on their way to further disguise this. One is her "natural" curly brown, but with bangs & the other is for fun - a creme & lilac straight bob, also with bangs.
I wanted to get a Basaak doll with no bangs because I thought when I ordered her that I would like to get some wigs for her, knowing the clone hair wasn't the greatest. I thought it would be easier to hide her origianl hair if she didn't have bangs. If I had it to do over, I might actually order a clone with bangs, if I wanted to keep her regular hair, because the bangs cover up that line more naturally.
I am glad I didn't get a CCE clone, although I've heard their eyechips come out even easier than Blythe. I read that the quality of their hair is terrible (so bad that whatever chemical is on the hair when they arrive actually causes some people's nail polish to come off!) Also I read in a lot of ebay descriptions that their joints are very loose and wobbly.
I love sewing for Charlotte. That's the main reason I couldn't be patient for a brand-name Blythe... I was just dying to get a girl to try clothes on. Charlotte is my sewing buddy and she is a very patient model. Here are a few of the favorite dresses I made and knitting I've done for her too.
Before she arrived, I was practicing sewing and I made a bunch of clothes without know her sense of style. Some she likes:
And others she actually really doesn't like, although they fit fine and are well-made. They just aren't her style!
We're going to give this set to her Simply Peppermint sister when she arrives from Hong Kong in a couple weeks.
I'm getting the vibe from my Peppermint girl (who I want to name Wonder Mynte, unless she presents a different name for herself when she arrives!) that she's more into the pastel & white side of the Lolita look, as well as a sort of Retro/Rockabilly casual look.
I've set aside a few things for her that I think she will like, but other than that, I'm waiting till she arrives to get her true personality and make sure I'm channeling that when I design clothes for her. It's so fun to get to know these girls!
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