Sewing Doll Sweaters

 I went to a thrift store where they sell clothes by the pound and looked for clothes to cut up and use for doll clothes. I am really excited with what I found there.

I feel like getting the texture right is important in making realistic doll clothes, and using real clothes is one  way to do that!

I used the Liberty Jane T-shirt Variations Pattern.

Here is sweater # 1, modelled by #62, Stella: 

And here is sweater #2, modelled by Tenney.

I am really happy with both sweaters! My wallet would be in much more danger if AG made more realistic everyday clothes like these.

I love pretty dresses, but sometimes a doll just needs to relax and stay warm.

My MCM Dolls 2021

 I don't know what is more fun- the MCM experience or the dolls.

Okay, it's the dolls. The usual MCM sale is usually a hot mess, but we love it anyway.

Here are the dolls that I got at the sale this year.

First, the CYOs. They all have the Jess face mold. I am partial, what can I say?

This is Nadia. She's a Jess mold with medium skin, dark brown eyes and dark brown hair.

She has earrings.

Her box said "eye shadow" on it. Her eyelids are a shade darker than her face, and she dos look like she has eyeshadow on! It's cute. I find it endearing.

Here is a comparison picture of Nadia and Danielle, a CYO I designed myself. I left Danielle's glasses off so you could see her face better.

Danielle has darker skin and hair, as well as freckles. Nadia has looser curls, although they have the same wig in different colors.

Danielle's face seems fuller.

They are very similar, but they do feel like very different dolls.

This is Fern. She lives on a farm and loves animals. Her character is Charlotte's Web inspired, and also a bit of Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird.

Fern has medium skin, freckles, grey eyes and brown hair in a short bob. Fern does not have earrings.

This is Steffi. She's a California girl who is friends with Joss.

Steffi has dark skin, dark brown eyes and dark brown hair. She also has earrings.

When I bought her, I thought from the picture that she had the new eyes and that they were crooked.

I have never been to happy to be wrong. She has great eyes!

Here are Fern and Steffi together.

Here's Jessenia! She's a JLY 85.

And here is the #62 who is going to live with a friend. She has the new eyes, but that's okay because she is going to get eye swapped.

Only one doll out of the group had the new eyes! I was very lucky.

I am very happy with all of the dolls I got!

You can read about my sale experience here.

Moana Disney Bound

 I am really pleased with this Disney bound of Moana!

Like my Disney bounds for Belle and Ariel, this dress is made from Simplicity 8072.

I used a bodice that is patterned in diamonds in coral and yellow.

The top and the skirt of the dress are made from a tan fabric with a very subtle pattern on it.

The bodice has one teal button to stand in for the heart of Te Fiti.

I put sandals on her feet. The color doesn't quit match, but it kind of works.

I now have Disney bounds for two of my favorite princesses! I love Belle and Moana.

My other favorite princess is Merida, but she's going to be hard to make a bound for, I think.

I do know who I want to model a Merida bound in my collection. It's going to be Aurélie, who has red hair and blue eyes.

So far, all of the Disney bounding dresses have been made with fabric that I already had in my house. I am really being creative!  It's so fun!

I think for Merida, I may have to cave and buy fabric. But she's worth it.

In the meantime, I am continuing to make more Disney bounding dresses with fabric I have on hand!

Spring pictures

I got some very cute spring pictures that I am happy to share!

Anne

Tamsin

Stella

Melody

Dressing Up

Amelle and Cedar got all dressed up. Just because.

Aren't they pretty?

Bedtime at Summer Camp

The girls worse themselves out at the beach.

Here are Amelle and Cedar getting ready for bed.

(I was going to put them in two beds, but then I realized that they both fit in Melody's bed and it was too cute.)

Playing with their dolls.

Reading a book.

Sleep at last!

Beth's Summer Camp

Greenchiligirl described my pictures of the new MCM dolls as "Beth's summer camp."

I like it!

So this morning, summer camp went to the beach.

Cedar ans Amelle

 I am still getting used to my fancy camera. It has a setting to use when there is back lighting that really improved my pictures today.

Cedar, Amelle and Stella

Stella and Amelle

Cedar and Amelle

Stella, Cedar and Amelle

Cedar

Amelle

Amelle

Cedar

Amelle

Cedar and Amelle

You guys, I am so glad I bought these My Life As Adirondack chairs. They are awesome.
It makes it so much easier to make an outdoor scene with dolls.
Especially if they don't want to stand up!

Cedar and Amelle

Cedar and Amelle

I think the girls enjoyed their morning at the beach!

Cedar and Amelle

Items bought at MCM are not supposed to be resold and are not eligible for free repairs from the company.

Cedar, Stella and Amelle

Dolls and some other items have an X marked on their bottom to show that they came from MCM.

Most items also have their barcode marked out.

In the doll collecting community, it is considered acceptable to pick up a doll for another collectors as long as you are only reimbursed for the original cost of the doll and shipping, and do not make a profit on it.

There were a lot of requests on American Collectors this year. I was not able to fill most of them.

I planned to buy two dolls and Melody's bed for myself, and I agreed to pick up dolls for three other people instead. Since you have to carry everything you buy out to the car, that was as many as I could handle for sure! 

To be honest, five dolls was probably more than I could handle. I bought two dolls and a bed, and I wore a hole in the bottom of the brand new bag that I was carrying them in.  I am sad about that.

One of the dolls I was looking for was JLY 58. By the time I got there, there was only one 58 left, and she had permapanties, so I did not buy her.

I got a 66 who is named Cedar for greenchiligirl and a 62 who is named Amelle for BeauCouer. I am so glad I was able to bring two dolls home, even if I am not keeping them. I always warn people that I keep the dolls for a couple of days and take pictures  of them. 

I enjoy doing this, and I think it's nice that the dolls get to see a bit more of Wisconsin than just the inside of the warehouse. It's sort of a miniature travelling doll arrangement.

I took pictures of Cedar, Amelle and my #62, Stella together. I think some of these turned out nicely.

Thanks for letting me play with your dolls, guys!

Amelle

Amelle and Stella

Cedar and Amelle

Cedar

Amelle

Cedar

Cedar

Amelle

Cedar

Cedar and Amelle

Amelle

Amelle and Stella

Amelle, Stella and Cedar

Stella

Cedar

Amelle

Cedar

I hope you enjoyed the pictures! 

It's much more fun to go out and take doll pictures than it is to mope around my empty house.

I took pictures of Ruby the first year I went to MCM and JLY 59 the second year.
This is a fun tradition for me.