Almost

One sewing frustration I have is making a good enough (not necessarily a perfect) blazer. Constructing the collar is always a challenge for me. Finally, I have succeeded but I have to alter the pattern because it is a little short.

And yeah, I'm into pastel these days.

Hippity

Hurray! I'm still motivated to sew doll dresses. Experimenting with new patterns is a box of chocolates. This one turned out not the way I intended it. Just because a fabric flows in human size, it doesn't mean it will in Barbie size.

Is it just me?

Or the Mutya Barbie really looks like a Bratz doll? Not that there is anything wrong about looking like a Bratz doll. I don't think it was intended, though.

Simple

That's how I like it.

Beware: The Thrift Store Doll

Thrift stores offer some of the most interesting doll finds. I never thought it would be as interesting as this.

I came home from the province and saw that the few dolls I had on display have fallen down, except for one. It was probably due to the earthquake that hit Metro Manila early this year while I was away (10Jan2015). I just fixed the dolls on their stands and went on with my life.

I go to the province almost every weekend and last weekend was the same. I came back and saw that the dolls have fallen again, except for one. There was no earthquake that time. It was like those times when we can't explain what happened and then we have those cliche feelings we get from ghost stories. Goosebumps.

Although the Philippines is known to be a Catholic country, majority of Filipinos still have pagan beliefs, like me. I have a friend whom we believe to have a sixth sense.  I asked her to meet me in a mall last night. I brought her the doll that remained standing so she could check it.

She asked me if I knew the former owner. I told my friend that I got the doll early this year from an online seller who bought it from a thrift store. The online seller said she needed to raise funds because of some misfortune. I didn't bother knowing exactly what.

It was haunted. According to a friend, the original owner of the doll had a violent death. She was in her doll room when she died. And she loved all her dolls so much. She advised me to get rid of it. I immediately looked for a trash bin in the mall. I pity the person who will find that doll and decide to keep it.

This experience have made me think twice before buying from the thrift stores. Tonight, I'm going to the province one again. I would really freak out if when I come back and see all the dolls I have on display fall once again and the haunted doll back at the shelf.

Awesome Overlap

I have observed the return of the overlap skirts. Overlap skirts are easy to make and with a new twist, the old overlap is awesome.

This year, I heard that the trend is for longer (below the knee) skirts. I like it. It makes the doll look less immature, less slutty definitely.

On a Roll

This is the third outfit I have created for this year and it's just January! Sometimes I'm just inspired to make doll clothes. My dolls inspire me. Do your dolls inspire you?

I's not perfect. There should be a cowl neck but it's difficult to drape fabrics at this size. I like it, anyways.

Hasbro price increase

Hasbro toys specifically the 4-inch action figure line recently increased their prices by at least 30% in the US. Locally, the price increased by 50% long before the manufacturer increased the price.

Collectors resisted buying locally. A lot imported the Marvel Universe figures. It cost less to import than to buy locally. The result: there are a lot of peg warmers in local toy stores.

If we consumers collectively disagree with the price scheme, we can collectively boycott their products. (The reduced articulation is also another reason to boycott the new Marvel Universe Infinite Series line.)

This, I think is what happened locally. The local distributor had no choice but to revert their prices. That is why I got me these new figures last night. The Wasp figure (my 2nd) will be used for a custom.



I keep telling everybody that we consumers pay the employees of the toy manufacturers. We are their bosses. If we don't like their work, why should we pay them?

Safe Sucks

I see Summer as one of the most adventurous friends of Barbie. I really don't want to make her wear something "safe".

This Summer doll has been repainted to have smaller eyes. Her lashes has been trimmed short and her head shrunken, of course.

New Nikki

Most Fashionista Nikki/Artsy dolls I've bought ended up as body donors with their heads used for experiments and eventually disposed. This one experiment ended up nicely so I decided to keep her.

Her mocking smile is gone. The eyes were repainted to be smaller. Her head was shrunken, of course. She actually inspired me to start sewing doll clothes again! That's how much I like her.

I was told that she's a fashion blogger so I styled her to look like one. I hope I did not commit any fashion crime.

Wonderful

I got surprised by...

1. The appearance of another wave of Marvel Infinite Series (formerly called Marvel Universe) action figures in a major toy store. I've only seen them in secondary shops last year and they're usually loose or not in original packaging. I skipped buying the Wonder Man figure since it wasn't a priority figure for me. I expected it to be less popular like the 1st version so it will be a peg warmer as well. I wanted to buy it later but when I was ready, it was no longer available. I'm glad to get another chance.

2. The price of the figure is 33% off. But then again, it was the regular price for early last year. At least, it was being offered for a price I'm willing to pay. It is also the same price in secondary markets so I guess they're just being competitive with the pricing.

3. The price was further reduced by 20% when the cashier scanned the item. It could be a glitch in their system or the tag price is wrong. Either way, it's good for me.



When I was younger, I saw an art work depicting Wonder Man. I instantly had a crush on the fictional character. I also liked that the character is not flat. He has sided from good to evil and back to good again. Kinda reminds me of myself today, turning good or evil, depending on the situation.