Christmas at Our House

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break ~ whether you celebrate or not, whether it’s holy or just a holiday, I hope there was lots of love and laughter.

We rose early as Coco was keen to unwrap the presents "Santa" had left for him under the tree.

 



Christmas day was HOT in Melbourne and I didn't go outside until about 3 pm. Then there was a quick about turn to go back into our cool air-conditioned home . . . 38c was simply too hot for me to stay outside..

However, it was stress free, calm and quite with lots of food of course! Consuming prawns, crab, ham and various other delectables with four different salads, followed by mince pies and fruit cake, exploding is inevitable!! How on earth is one supposed to fit in Maggie Beer's duck and orange pate, bagelettes, nuts and other nibbles during the afternoon, when we have eaten so much for lunch? Let alone continue in the evening, eating steak, ginger and lime chicken and sausages cooked on the BBQ, followed by my daughter's four berry pavlova for dinner!

Needless to say we all gave it our best shot, but hubby and I will be eating leftovers at least until the new year rolls on in. :)

Here's some dolly pics to tide you over . . . my little Dasha . . . all the clothes came with her except for the cardigan in the last shot, which I made. I shall do a review of the Paola Reina dolls later, when I'm back in the groove.

This has been a good year full of dolly fun and friendship . . . thank you to all my readers and blogging buddies.

That's all from me in Melbourne Australia . . . I'll be back in 2017!

Joy to You All!

Well this post has been a long time coming, I have been so busy with Christmas shopping and other dolly delights I have sadly been neglecting my blog and friends, but not to worry I have pics to show you and news to share. :)

Feeling lazy and not at all like sewing, I came across Carol Pringle's lovely clothes on Flickr and placed an order for 4 outfits to be made to fit some of my smaller dolls.

I came across these little gals on the internet recently, which hubby was kind enough to buy for me for Christmas. They will come dressed in these clothes, but will probably fit into those above. :).

Fortunately for me both dolls (Dasha and Nora) were available locally and are on their way to me as I write. I'm not sure whether they will stay as they are, or have a re-paint, eye and hair change. This will depend entirely on my reaction when I hold them in my hot little hands. :)

The measurements, as you can see below, are a perfect size for me and have a body size very close to my Dollmore Narsha Zihu, which means they will be able to share some clothes.

 

Paola Reina Dolls are an exquisite range of dolls individually hand made in Alicante, Spain from high-quality vinyl (polyvinyl chloride) without ethers or phthalates and meeting all European quality and safety regulations.

• They have a soft vanilla scent.
• The eyes are made of hard plastic including life-like eye lashes (eyes do not close).
• The low flammable nylon hair comes from German and Italy and is styled by hand.
• The hair is also securely sewn in and not glued.
• Facial features are hand painted (eyebrows, lips, cheeks, freckles).
• Articulating arms, head, and legs so doll can be placed in both standing and sitting positions.
• Clothes are made with quality fabrics designed by the Paola Reina team.
• Suitable for age 3+. (I'm in that bracket somewhere.)

Well that's about all my immediate news, and just in case I get caught up again ~

Hugs to you all! I'll be back after Christmas to share my presents. :)

Fabric Addiction

Sorry I haven't been posting much of late, I have been really busy shopping!

Hope you are all having a great week, will be back soon with some new things to show you. :)

Hugs to you all!

Tiny Accessories

Hubby and I went to our favourite shopping center yesterday and of course I dropped into Toys'R'Us and found the tiny Sylvanian Families sets on special. This one has lots of stuff, all of which is the perfect size for my Real Pukis.

Of course Misty has already claimed all the girly stuff ~ princess crown, headbands, bags, basket and jewellery, but not before Pocket found the red specs and bowtie!

He couldn't even wait to get dressed before trying them on. :)

Pre-Treating Fabrics & Clothes

Do you ever worry about getting stains on your dolls from the clothes they wear? Here's a tip that may help you.

When sewing for my dolls, I like to pre-wash cotton fabrics to remove any sizing (starch), and colours such as red, black and denim, are also treated to help their colour fastness. Then they are rinsed, air dryed indoors (stops the sun bleaching them) and pressed, prior to laying the patterns and cutting the garments out.



When purchasing garments, I find it's a good idea to check with suppliers to see if the garments purchased are colour fast. If new doll clothes were not pre-treated or should the supplier not know, I soak them in a tub/sink with a mixture of enough cold water to cover the garments, a 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 1/2 cup of salt for at least an hour. I DO NOT mix colours, and always do a seperate load for red and another for black or denim. Then I simply follow the steps above . . . rinse, dry, press.

Kelsi and Kenyon

My newest arrivals and last for the year. Fairyland Pukifees, Rin and Tiki arrived yesterday and have already settled into the Elvin Forest. I am sewing fur clothes suitable for a sheep and a wolf, but as I haven't a pattern I am winging it a bit and just hoping they turn out as envisaged in my mind. :)

I love Kenyon's pretty blue eyes, but Kelsi's were a very dark brown they almost look black, so I changed them.

My Early Christmas Box Opening

My Christmas present arrived yesterday from Camelia Dynasty and I was very surprised by the lovely presentation box it came in.

Inside the box everything was securely and neatly packed.

The free gift was the unicorn horn, which I was very pleased with as I had ordered spare mane and tail inserts to make a fantasy set with either mohair or alpaca.

The blushing was okay, but not fantastic, if I was to purchase another, I would do my own blushing. The other slightly negative thing was the stringing, it was really loose, but that's an easy fix. The horse blanket is very well made and I liked that you could select your colours . . . I chose the navy with white trim, but there were several to choose from.

Overall I am happy with Sage who has been renamed Snowdrift and now with the horn, I have two animals in one. The lovely white horse for my human dolls AND a fantasy unicorn for my Elvin folk! That is, I will have, as soon as I do the mane and tail . . . I'm off to Etsy now to find the right colours. :)

Photoshoot: Halloween

Firstly,  I'd like to thank everyone who left messages with good wishes, it really meant a great deal to me. I am slowly getting back to normal and will get round to reading all your blogs over the next few days. In the meantime, here's a photoshoot that I took before my sabbatical.

Nanette: What was that?

Mossy: Only me, I didn't mean to startle you.

Nanette: Where did you come from?

Mossy: Come closer and I'll tell you.

Nanette: Oooh you kissed me, now that wasn't fair!

Mossy: Happy Halloween!

So Sorry

I shan't be posting or making any comments on your blogs for a little while.

I've been feeling a bit washed out lately.

Won't bore you with the details, as I'm sure you have your own problems, but I shall just be taking some time out from blogging until I feel up to being social again.

Hugs,

X

Did You Know?

According to Wikapedia ~

"A ball-jointed doll is any doll that is articulated with ball and socket joints. In contemporary usage when referring to modern dolls, and particularly when using the acronyms BJD or ABJD, it usually refers to modern Asian ball-jointed dolls. These are cast in polyurethane synthetic resin, a hard, dense plastic, and the parts strung together with a thick elastic. They are predominantly produced in Japan, South Korea and China. The BJD style has been described as both realistic and influenced by anime. They commonly range in size from about 60 centimetres (24 in) for the larger dolls, 40 cm (15.5 in) for the mini dolls, and all the way down to 10 cm (4 in) or so for the tiniest of the tiny BJDs. BJDs are primarily intended for adult collectors and customizers. They are made to be easy to customize, by painting, changing the eyes and wig, and so forth.

The modern BJD market began with Volks line of Super Dollfie in 1999. Super Dollfie and Dollfie are registered trademarks but are sometimes erroneously used as generic blanket terms to refer to all Asian BJDs regardless of manufacturer."

To celebrate 17 years of the modern BJD, I thought it would be fun to do a "meme" of sorts and make a magazine cover using PhotoShop Pro X7. Seeing that October is when many of us celebrate Halloween, I have also incorporated that theme. If you would like to have a little fun this month, I would love to see you all join in and do one of your own.

1. You need to think of a name for your magazine.
2. Choose a theme (it can be Halloween or something completely different).
3. Take an appropriate photo using your own BJD's.
4. Use your own editing programme (let us know which one you used).
5. Most of all . . . have fun!

Oh Those PukiFees!

Wouldn't you know it, Fairyland have done it to me again! And . . . well you all know my weakness for PukiFees . . . this time I have bought them both!

Photos courtesy of Fairyland

Tika is a little wolf, who I have ordered in tan resin and Rin is a little sheep, who I have ordered in white resin. I shall be getting their wolf and lamb parts as well as having their default face ups, but not the clothes. I think I shall keep their names as they are, as I quite like them.

I plan on making some furry suits with the appropriate tails. :) They will make cute little spirit animals to add to my Elvin Forest, don't you think?

Introducing Ivy

My Dollmore Narsha Zihu arrived this morning and I am so thrilled with her and Dollmore's service. She was very securely wrapped and packed, better than any other doll I have received. I also received some lovely gifts which I wasn't expecting.

She came with eyes, a silicone cap, a wig, bloomers and dress. I purchased the wig, shoes & socks she is wearing from Dollmore, as well as a set of pretty blue eyes which I will change over later on today. I think the eyes she is wearing now are far too dark.

Ivy will become sister to Holly (IH KID Paige) when she arrives, and a character in my story "The House on Vine Street".

So You Want To Sew Dolls Clothes?

Many people are a little bit daunted when it comes to sewing garments for dolls, especially tiny ones. However, this is something I have always loved to do since I first learnt to sew.

Over the years I have picked up a few tips which have helped me make clothes more easily than when I first began. They have also helped to make my garments look more professional when they are finished, so from time to time I will share a few of those tips on my blog.

There are four MUST HAVES if you are going to sew dolls clothes ~

1. A straight stitch plate for your sewing machine. This helps provide a more stable base and enables you to sew fine fabrics without the feed dogs eating your fabric.

My plate has two separate holes, but some brands have three, some only have one hole in the centre. (I also use a walking foot, when sewing slippery fabrics together, this helps stop the fabrics sliding and which is normally for quilting.)

Plates cost around $20-$30, and these can be purchased online.

2. A Sewline Air Erasable Fabric Pen. These are a terrific addition to your sewing box and worth every cent! One word of warning though, you must erase the marks with water BEFORE you iron, otherwise you will heat set them.

Click here for further information.

Quick Tip: Cut your fabric after you have sewn it to avoid any frustrating tiny seam allowances. Using my pen, I trace my bodice pattern directly onto the reverse side of my fabric. Then I just cut out a square of fabric around the bodice and sew along my tracing lines.

3. A tiny iron. A full size iron is way too large and awkward for pressing tiny pieces and the tiny iron is wonderful. The Clover Mini Iron 2, boasts new temperature controls and a redesigned handle. The new slide-switch settings are convenient and easier to work with, while the safety shield will help protect your fingers from burns by preventing the fingers from touching the shaft.

Clover's RRP is a bit expensive, but most haberdashery/quilting and sewing machine stores sell them a little bit cheaper.

Quick Tip: Ironing each piece as you go (after sewing and turning) gives a much nicer finish to your garment.

4. A pair of haemostats/forceps. These make turning garments right side out much simpler to do. I use either a straight or a curved pair depending on what I am turning. They are both 125cm long.

Haemostats are usually around $12 a pair and are available at hobby shops and  online.

Quick Tip: When it comes to really tiny dolls like PukiFees and other dolls of a similar size, I tend to hand sew more often than I use a sewing machine. Especially for the fiddly bits like inserting sleeves.

I hope this post helps make sewing clothes for your own little dolls less daunting and I shall look forward to reading your comments and seeing your pretty garments on your blogs. :)

Morning Stroll

Finished renovating another little pram today. The lining, hood, mattress and pillow are all made from Silk Shantung. The cane bassinette has been trimmed with lace and gimp and features a coordinating flower each side.

I asked Gaea to take Mossy for a walk in the pram to test it out, and Biscotti decided to join them as they wandered down Oak Tree Lane.

I have put it on Etsy for US$39 plus postage.

More detailed photos on my Flickr.

Little Kawaii Brooches

Today I made some My Little Pony brooches and listed them in my Etsy store.

I also made some little bows that have glittery stars inside the resin. They are US$5 plus postage. Either design can also be made as a hairclip, so if you would like one (or two) please use the contact form in the right hand column.

I wasn't going to list anything more on Etsy, because of all the changes they keep making, but it appears I can still list stuff without committing myself to a US$15 a month charge . . . well, at least for the present anyway, so I relented. :)

Halloween Outfit

Halloween is not far away, so I designed something special a little while ago, for Nanette (Minifee Celine)  to wear.

I am pretty pleased with the finished outfit and think it will be perfect for her to wear to the Halloween Party.

What do you think, is it ghoulish enough?


Fairyland's Fantasy

Sometimes I wonder if someone at Fairyland lives in a world of their own. After first looking at their News and finding there was another RealPuki Sira face plate being released as a PukiFee Event FP, I was over the moon and really looking forward to the Halloween Event.

However, when it came time to order and actually seeing the PukiFee Event FP. . . BLAH!! It was not a Sira after all, it looked just like any other PukiFee, I was so disappointed. So much in fact, it took the edge right off the excitement I was feeling about finally being able to finish my third fairy Linaria (Li for short). I have had her body sitting here for months, along with her beautiful wings, pretty shoes with diamante trim and floral circlet to adorn her hair.

Photo courtesy of Fairyland

Still, I have managed to console myself with a purchase of a RealPuki Papilio in tan resin. I chose to order the basic version with the addition of the winking plate and face ups done on both. This brought my balance to $300, so I qualified for the free FP, but I very much doubt if I will do anything with it.

Photo courtesy of Fairyland

I have something special in mind for this little guy when he arrives, and he will featured in a new story I am writing. Not with other RealPukis this time, but with my Narsha Zihu and Iplehouse's KID Paige (which hubby will be purchasing for me shortly).