Keeping Inspired

Although I wanted this outfit for my doll, I struggled to make it. This is my eleventh outfit for this year. I could use a break. One side of me wants to just sleep all day or be a couch potato. I did but I'm no Sleeping Beauty. At one point, I have to wake up. I figured I can watch the TV and sew at the same time. Nothing good is on anyways. So I created this outfit.

We all have resolutions. Mine is to cut down on buying new dolls, experiment with styling and create more doll clothes. How do keep I myself inspired and motivated?

Nyokitto

The photo of the nyokitto sprouting in front (below) taken from the book Pattern Magic 2 by Tomako Nakamichi is really interesting. It has inspired me to make my own version for dolls. 

I decided to work on a gingham fabric. I thought it would be interesting to see how the lines move on the surface of the nyokitto. I modified the pattern such that there will be no seam on the chest. This is what I came up with.

It doesn't seem to be as interesting as the photo in the book. I thought that I've made a mistake or something. I searched for others' work, for comparison and saw this: https://charlotterowanscott.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/bodice-with-curved-nyokitto/. It seems that the bodice really have a basin for a chest. I studied the photo from the book to find out the difference. A quote from the author gave me a clue. "Drape is a play on light and shadow."

The lighting really made the 1st photo more interesting. The weight of the fabric, allowing light to pass through the nyokitto is what is different. With the light passing through,it's as if the blouse is very light and almost floating.

Whatever the outcome, modeling a misshapen outfit is no challenge for my fashionista queen Kayla.

Slowing Down

It's February and for me, it is a busy month. I see myself cutting down on dress making and maybe blogging, or not. We'll see. Before that happens, lemme talk about my latest project.

When I did the clothes of the Life in the Dream House (LiDH) dolls, I had a plan. Before I made them, I bought the things I needed. I already knew how to style them even before I started cutting the fabric. That's not the case now.

I pick a doll and I create clothes for it from the stuff that I already have. Sometimes I have an idea for a doll but I don't have the right materials. I don't want to have a huge stock of fabric so I'd either edit the idea or scrap it altogether. That's going to take a lot of time.

Even when it's done, sometimes the final fitting on the doll is not as I expected. Like this one, I really wanted to make a simple cropped top and a gingham skirt for this simple doll. The mix of all the simplicity makes it a little boring even for me, especially after doing the LiDH doll clothes. This came out very secretarial. Although, I was really thinking of something she can wear at the office. That was the goal, and I guess it was met but...

It (the one on the left) still is boring to me, not to mention basic and old. So I challenged myself to make it a little bad-ass. The one on the right is what I came up with. I got the idea from the runway shows of popular brands. A lot of the dresses there have a classic timeless silhouettes and they just make it look more interesting by making them wear boots and/or hats. They added pops of color but I personally limited myself to black and white for this project. Maybe on my next projects...

All Together Now

These are my version of Life in the Dream House dolls. Let's have one more look at all of them before I move on to other stuff. Plus, I want a picture where they all seem to get along.

Ryu

I love this doll. Unlike what Ken wore in the previous entry, I can wear Ryu's outfit, that is if it came in human size.

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.

Simple

That's how I like it.

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.

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.

I don't get it

I don't get...

(1) why some local collectors are selling (to local buyers) Rhino, Mysterio and other Marvel Universe action figures with a high mark-up when there are stocks available in the local stores at a lower price.

(2) why these figures are made available just recently in the local toy stores when they have been released last year and the toy line has been discontinued/re-branded.

(3) why a change in name warrants an increase in price without changing the quality, only the packaging,

(4) why the official distributor of the new/re-branded Marvel Universe figures insists on selling them at a high price when other small-time sellers are offering them at a lower price especially those obscure characters like the Death's Head.

I didn't get the Death Head and the Guardians of the Galaxy figures. They will be peg warmers eventually. I'll wait for them to lower their prices. If they run out of stock, it's okay. I don't really want those figures that bad.

I did get for myself the three figures in the above photo. They are cheaper than the re-branded line.  I'm keeping my lust for these toys under control.

One of the seven

Have you caught yourself while you examine publicity photos for the new must-have doll? Your eyes widen with excitement. Your mouth open for more air. The heart races while the fingers help you navigate through the irresistible. You imagine the pleasure that will be. You want it. Bad.

Hold it. Take a selfie. That's lust. And you're consuming porn.

Eventually, you'll give in.

That Day, That Day

It's supposed to be like this and it's all okay, like that song.

Peace Clone

It's like one of those moments you exhale, "Finally!" 

I accidentally came across a clone with a body similar to the Barbie Fashionista earlier this year. What is unique to this clone is its color. It is compatible to Edeline, one of the 12 dancing princesses. Her skin tone is similar to Fan Bingbing's, "Peace" skin tone as Mattel calls it. (I have something to say about the political correctness of the name but then again, Mattel has little concern for correctness compared to profit-making, so why bother?) Below is the comparison photo. 

Since I didn't know that it was a good match when I bought it, I only bought one. (From now on, let's call it the Peace clone.) I decided to buy another when I saw that it works. The second one will be for Fan Bingbing. When I returned to the toy store I got it from, they were sold out!

At the last toy convention, I chance upon a doll that looked like the Peace clone--same packaging, same character, same dress. I decided to buy two, knowing that I might never get the chance to buy again. When I got home, I learned that it was a different doll. It looked like the older Barbie Fashionista. Let's call it clone 2 and a comparison photo is shown below.

I figured that these toy stores could have sourced these clones from another city, the locally famous marketplace of clones, Divisoria. I went there and, as expected, I was able find a clone that looked like the Peace clone (clone 4). I was also able to find another clone (clone 3) that I initially thought to have the same skin tone as Raquelle's. I bought 2 of each since Divisoria is too out of the way to come back for seconds. Unfortunately, the clone 2 was not a match. Fortunately, clone 3 was a good match for other dolls. My customized Lois Lane Barbie got rebodied using clone 3. The other clone 3 body went to Audrey (not in photo). Comparison photos below.

I got 4 dolls (2 each of clones 2 & 4) that are too pale for any doll head I appreciate. I felt that it's a lot of wasted money. I decided to stop hunting for the Peace clone and just appreciate the only one I had.

Yesterday, I was in an obscure section of an old forgotten mall to buy some supplies. I saw two dolls on sale that looked like the Peace clone. I was tempted to buy both but previous experiences made me buy just one. I was glad to find out that it was the Peace clone I was looking for. It is the headless doll on the first photo.

_______________________
Update (2015):

The Peace Clones are no longer available in any store that I know of.

Words To Live By

Hurray For Competition

I finally got myself one of the pioneer members of the Avengers, Ant-man. No thanks to the local distributor of Hasbro. As can be seen in the photos, this was sourced from another country. English is an official language in my country so there is no need to add what seems like Chinese labels on the packaging.

Based on another toy blog, these toys are already out in Singapore. A lot of online sellers have this posted on eBay. What is interesting is the price. Despite additional shipping charges and profit margin for the local reseller, some are being offered at competitive prices compared to those in major toy stores. I got my Ant-man at SRP. Other characters are below SRP while "rarer" characters are being sold at a higher price.

Pricing is so unlike the local distributor and major toy stores. All characters are priced equally, villain or hero, popular or not. Other sellers' prices are based on assumed demand. I'm glad that the demand for this figure is not that high. If the demand was high, the stocks should have run out weeks ago but I was able to buy one.

This figure is from the 3rd wave. There are still a lot of peg warmers from the 1st wave and some from the 2nd wave. I don't know if the major local distributor is still interested in distributing the rest of the series. It is the distributor's fault if they don't sell well. They increased the price just because of the re-branding. It's the same old marvel universe figure. I hope they learn from competition.

I also noticed that collectors of these figures are no longer as active in a local toy forum. A lot has stopped collecting these figures for two main reason--first, the increase in price; second, others decided to focus on the better articulated line, the Marvel Legends. This is good for me (less competition in buying). In case the demand eventually died down, and Hasbro decided to stop this line, I can just buy from those who quit collecting and customize the figures to the characters I want.

Character Considerations

We usually impose a certain character on our doll. Our dolls, our rules. That's easy. Whenever I get a celebrity doll or a doll with a predefined character like those from the Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse line, I usually don't dress them with whatever. I always consider their character.

Midge likes retro fashion. I made a yellow high waist swimsuit with a bandeau top for her. Yellow is a sweet color which also matches her sweet personality. I wanted her to have a wide-brimmed hat but I don't have one. It's a good thing that it wasn't very sunny at the beach.

 

Raquelle stikes me as sassy. I made this one-piece asymmetrical swimsuit with a cut-out on one side for her. I know she likes animal prints so she will enjoy this snakeskin motif. The silver bib necklace and silver shoes adds an exclamation point to Raquelle's fashion statement.

 

 

Sporty girl Summer gets a two piece bikini in fun colors from me. The stripe is also reminiscent of her original dress. The top provides support for her active lifestyle. She gets a visor so she can have fun under the sun and a pair of rubber shoes for running around.

 

 

I made all those swimwear in one weekend. I was really inspired by the characters Mattel have given to these girls. Unfortunately, they now go to storage and I don't know when I will play with them again. Maybe when I have made or bought fitting clothes for them.

To Wait or Not To Wait

If you wait for the items to be discounted at the popular toy stores, you can save a lot, but there is a chance that the stock will run out before they offer a discount. Prices on the secondary market may end up higher than the toy stores'. Smart buyers always have this (and more) to consider when buying something frivolous as a toy. There are no hard and fast rules.

Sometimes, you have clues to help you make a decision. When I saw the Falcon figure, I instantly knew that I have to wait. First, it costs more than the regular Marvel Universe figure. Second, Falcon is not as popular compared to the other Avengers, specially those that have been featured in the movie. Third, there are relatively more units being sold compared to other characters (Black Widow). And lastly, I had the older version which I turned into another character, so I don't want him that bad. I do like the articulation in the new version. I waited and got 50% discount.

It was almost the same case for Whirlwind. The price is higher. Booo! The character is a villain and not a popular one at that, but I do know the character. He seems like a "good" foe for Wasp and I have been wanting to do a fight scene for Wasp. The reason I bought him right away is because I only found one Whirlwind figure in all 8 toy stores I visited. I have been seeing eBay sellers offering him for a lower price but I find the seller(s) too cocky with their fussy requirements.

Although I consider the supply when deciding to buy right away, experience told me that this is not always a reliable guide. Sometimes, they just display a few. Sometimes, there are more shipments later. This was what happened when I bought Wasp. Since she's a female figure, there was a smaller supply. She was even bundled with other figures (which I didn't want) and buying the set was the only way to get her.  Now, there are individual units for Wasp becoming peg warmers. I felt cheated. When I feel cheated, it discourages me to buy in the future.