Of Bjd Fashion: Doll Clothes from Amazon?

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Psst! Don't tell Hikaru. I ordered some bjd clothes, and not in her size.

It all started when I was thinking of getting some shoes for Mirai, the Smart Doll. The official Smart Doll brand shoes are quite expensive, plus they are out of stock of the styles I liked, so that was out. And I could have ordered some from Alice's Collections, again. But, I wanted to think outside the box a little.

So I went with Amazon. Okay, it's more like thinking inside the box.

Now big disclaimer:
Do not buy ball jointed dolls from Amazon. Clothes and accessories are one thing, but dolls, no!
They are going to be recasts (aka fake, fake illegal knock offs/total scam/sad face). The exception is blind box bjds, but that's another story.

Here's a good list of places to buy dolls instead.

Anyway, the box arrived soon after ordering, but I couldn't open it until late at night after I got back from work. So it wasn't so certain other dolls (like Hikaru) wouldn't see it and get upset that I didn't order anything for them, oh definitely not.

I ended up getting a set of clothes instead of just a pair of shoes. The price was about $42 for a complete outfit with shoes and accessories. Awkwardly, the listing for this set disappeared soon after I ordered it, but here's a similar one. 

All the pieces are wrapped in plastic, as expected, they look good so far.

The shoes are white high heeled boots with a decorative buckle. They lace up and have zippers on the back. The pleather is really, really soft. I am a little worried that the softness will make them more prone to scratching and damage. 

The buckle is sewn on nicely, but doesn't really do anything. It's just for show.

The purse is really cute and the chain strap is nice.

It does open with a magnetic clasp.

I love the pink coat. It is so cute and soft, and the matching hat is adorable.

The downside is that the buttons are just for show, there isn't anything to close the coat.

Plus, the buttons are glued on instead of sewn. The set was cheap for a reason.

The sewing is really good though. I still want to add to it, maybe making a cute broach for it or something?

Packed with the coat is this white dress. It has a mock turtle neck and a cute skirt ruffle. The shape of the turtle neck is a little odd, but I still think the dress it cute.

I am loving the ruffle. It peeks out from under the coat for a very sweet look.

The dress closes in back with velcro. It is sewn very securely.

And now the wig. It came wrapped in a net. I found the grey color interesting.

The quality of the wig isn't that great honestly, but I basically think of it as a free bonus for the set. Something fun to play with a little.

It is super long, but it did shed a lot after I unwrapped it. It is also very thin. I think it would have been better if they made it half as long and used the extra length to make the wig thicker, but that's just me.

The whole outfit looks great on Mirai. The fit is a bit baggy, especially around her waist, but that's largely due to her unique measurements. The shoes fit nicely and that was the most important thing.

I was really surprised how cute the wig looks when worn despite the lowish quality, and not just on Mirai. It actually inspired me to get another doll to wear it.

That's right. I bought another 1/3 scale doll just so I could have a grey haired friend for Mirai. And you will meet her really soon.

Look forward to it!

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Of Bjd Fashion: Mini Witch Hat Tutorial

This post may contain affiliate links, please see our disclosures page for more info, thanks!

In a previous post (see Of Bjd Fashion: The Fall Fashion Show), I did say I would make a tutorial for the witch hat I made for Hikaru for Halloween this year. Well, it's a few days later then I intended, but it's finally ready. Just don't tell Hikaru it was up so late. 

Mini Witch Hat For Dolls Tutorial

Materials needed:

• Fabric Scraps
• Ribbon
• Tulle Scraps (optional)
• Scissors
• Glue gun
• Need and thread
• Jewelry wire
• Your doll

You will need to use the wire and ribbon to make a plain headband for your doll. Here's my doll headband video tutorial. If you already have a headband handy, then continue on.

Cut your fabric into a circle. It should be about twice the size of your hat brim, whatever size you want it to be. Don't worry if your edge is a little jagged or off.

With your needle and thread, proceed to sew and gather the edge of the fabric into the center to form a rosette (aka a fabric yoyo). Here's a good video tutorial for fabric yoyos if you need a little more help.

Now cut another circle about the same size. This will be the top of the hat.

Fold the circle in half. Add some glue to keep it folded.

Fold the side of the half circle down as pictured.

Fold the other side over the part you just folded, then glue in place to form a triangle.

Open up the bottom for a nice cone shape, and it's ready to attach to the brim.

Glue the cone to the center of the rosette, and now you have your basic mini hat.

To decorate, I wrapped a strip of tulle around the brim, twisting it as I glued it down.

Then I glued on a piece of thin ribbon.

You can add other embellishments too like flowers and bows.

After decorating, just glue the hat to your headband. It helps to try it on your doll before gluing to get it at just the right angle.

And now you have a cute little witch hat for your doll to wear for next Halloween (or whenever you feel like it).


Give it a try:

• 16 Gauge Dead Soft Wire by Bead Landing™
  
• Mini High Temperature Glue Gun by Ashland®
  
• Loops & Threads™ Start-to-Sew Kit
  
• Assorted Bent Scissors By Craft Smart®
  

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Late Bjd Unboxing: Smart Doll Mirai or the Giant of Vinyl

This post may contain affiliate links, please check out my disclosures page for more info. Thanks!

As it was revealed in a previous post, we have a "new" doll, who arrived about seven years ago.

She did have a proper unboxing and we did make her feel at quite home, but due to Anna's negligence, we haven't spoken of it until now.

So, let us take a stroll down memory lane and view these lovely older photos back when we first received Mirai, the Smart Doll.

Here we are when Mirai arrived on November 25, 2018. 

The shipping box appeared deceptively small, and the brand "Smart Doll" wasn't a familiar company to me. Likely because they don't manufacture resin dolls like myself. Anna neglected to mention until later that they are vinyl dolls similar to Dolfie Dreams made by Volks.

None of us quite knew what to expect.

Inside the box was a novelty tote bag with a humorous caption.

I suppose it is a bit stylish, but maybe a little too casual for my tastes.

Here we have Usagi peaking in to see her "new friend".

Inside we discovered Mirai securely wrapped in bubble wrap and in a kneeling position along with another box full of wonders.
 

It included a couple of accessories that I've been told are included with all Smart Dolls, plus some items Anna chose to purchase along side Mirai (Like the Japanese flashcards, sadly they've been discontinued).

And here is Mirai, freshly unwrapped and beaming. She was so thrilled to finally come to her new home.

At her full height of 60 cm (23.6in), she towers over us all. She is the same size as a 1/3 scale or SD sized ball jointed doll.

Anna has stated that one of the reasons she chose to purchase Mirai instead of a larger resin doll is because vinyl dolls are much lighter in weight.

And here is her wig. It seems all Smart Dolls come with their own wig at no extra cost. Quite convenient, especially for doll owners who may forget to order such necessities in a timely matter.

Anyway, the wig is a snug fit and was already cut and styled to suit Mirai's face.

Anna ordered a second of eyes in a purplish hue, unfortunately to this day she has yet to use them. 

It is a shame, because we have confirmed that it the simplest thing to installed new eyes in a Smart Doll. Perhaps I could use them, except they are much too large my own purposes.

Mirai came with a custom stand to help with balance. It came packaged with this helpful instruction card.

Although some of the instructions seem peculiar, what does it mean "don't feed after midnight"?

The stand fits Mirai well and is most useful and practical. 

Standing beside her, her remarkable height seems even more incredible.

Sakura was bold enough to ask Mirai to lift her.

Mirai was only to happy to indulge the child. She actually offered me the same experience, but I politely declined.

There arose a slight problem when it came time to present the "new doll" dress. It was a tad too short and much too tight for a 1/3 scale doll like Mirai.

Anna quickly improvised a substitute. She cut off the sleeve to a long-sleeved knit top.

Not quite what I had in mind, but at least Mirai was decently dressed.  Anna did mention that it reminded her of the Disney animated film, The Little Mermaid.

And that in a nutshell, is how Mirai came into our home.

Now seven years later, here is Mirai today.

Anna made her a form fitting sundress using this sweet pink polka doll cotton, trimmed with some of my favorite lace. The style is similar to many dresses she has made for myself and the other dolls (see Of Bjd Fashion: Dresses to Sew and a Tutorial).

Due to Mirai's unique measurements, Anna had to sew in an extra set of darts to get just the perfect fit. 

To complete the ensemble, Anna also made Mirai a pair of sandals just like my own fine pair, only much larger (see Of Bjd Fashion: Improved Lace Sandals with a Tutorial).

Mirai has settled into our doll family, the children are particularly taken with her.

"Mirai! How can I be as tall as you?"

"Sakura, why do you want to be taller?"

"I want to be as big as you! Or even bigger like Anna! Then I could eat as much donuts as I want, and even lift Ghost Lady above my head! Right?"

"...Um, Sakura. I don't think Hikaru would be happy about that..."

Oh, you are quite right about that Yuna.

And Sakura, for the thousandth time, my name is Hikaru. Not Ghost Lady!

Sigh.

That is all for today my dear readers, be at peace.

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