Finding Doll Props: World’s Smallest and Lalaloopsy Blind Box Unboxing

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Anna made a quick trip to Target and returned with not one, but two brand new blind boxes for us to enjoy.

They seem quite different from the usual blind bags we’ve come to love (see Finding Doll Props: Surprising Blind Bags and Finding Doll Props: Blind Bags for Christmas). 

However, different does not mean dreadful, so let us quickly unbox them.

The first one is from a line call “World’s Smallest”.  These consist of small scale replicas of classic human toys and novelty items.

Anna says she first heard of them from a post on the bjd forum, Den of Angels.

Inside the box is the wrapped toy and a surprisingly extensive catalog of their other novelties.

Several of the offerings look promising.

Inside our box is a classic Duncan yo-yo.  It doesn’t exactly suit my tastes, but I suppose the children may enjoy learning to use it. 

But alas, this fine yo-yo is a little too large for 1/4 scale dolls.  Perhaps the yo-yo would better suit a 1/3 scale bjd instead.  It is definitely to large for our 1/6 scale yosds.

Anyway, Yuna and Sakura seem to be more interested in the other products made by this company. 

Wait, is that a small scale Barbie doll they are admiring?  Please no.

Next is the Lalaloopsy blind box.  According to Anna, Lalaloopsy is a line of play dolls designed to resemble sewn ragdolls.  How quaint.

The unwrapped box is quite pretty, it looks like a large purse or possibly a trunk.

Tucked inside, we have the wrapped doll and accessories and a catalog of all the different Lalaloopsy figures to collect.

Here we have the darling little doll and her parts. 

How adorable, she wears a wig as well.  It’s not quite as fine as my own, but apples to oranges.

Here is the little doll all dressed and ready for a day at the beach.  It would appear that most of the dolls are based on such amusing themes.

This Lalaloopsy doll is the perfect size to be a plaything for any young ball jointed doll.

“Ooooo, what is that? It’s so cute!  Can I have it?!  Can I play with it now?! Well?”

Calm down Sakura dear.

“….Um…May I play with it too?…”

“Oh, it’s so cute!  I want one too. :)”

No, not you too Usagi. 

Well, I shall have to settle this properly.

Now Sakura, didn’t you just receive those “cool” building sets (see Finding Doll Props: Kinder Joy Opening)?

And when was the last time you tidied up your other toys?

“Oh man..”

And really Usagi, don’t you think this toy should go to the actual children?

Don’t worry Usagi, there’s something special coming up for you.

“Really, yay! :)”

So that means the little Lalaloopsy goes to Yuna.

She will enjoy her new doll and take good care of it. 

However, there is still one more thing to settle.

Who gets to keep the pretty box.

This may not be so simple to resolve.  Wish us luck my dear readers.

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Doll Owner’s Corner: Pros and Cons of Collecting

It’s the first of the month, time for another Doll Owner’s Corner.  When I, the doll owner, talk about anything at all.

This month’s topic:

The Pros and Cons of Collecting Ball Jointed Dolls

Pro - Dolls are so small and easy to collect, they take up so little space.

Con - One doll takes up very little space, but if you have several (plus accessories) they will take up all shelf/closet space in you room/home.

Pro - It’s fun to make and sew things for your dolls.

Con - If you aren’t good at sewing, trying to make doll clothes can be torture.

Pro - If you can’t sew doll clothes very well, there are tons of cute options for bjds from sites like Alice’s Collections and Dollmore.

Con - All those cute doll clothes sold online come with not so cute prices.  Imagine spending as much on your doll’s clothes as your own, and that’s assuming you can find clothes that fit your doll.

Pro - It can be easy and fun to shop for doll props and furniture in toy stores and such.

Con - It’s hard to tell your friends/family that your dolls “are not toys” if you shop for doll props at toy stores.

Pro - By carefully saving up for your doll purchases, you can learn so much about handling money responsibly.

Con - You could try to be responsible with your money, or you could just as easily spend your rent money on that must-have limited edition bjd.

Pro - You can actually earn money on the side selling your own handmade doll clothes or commissioning face ups and customization.

Con - To earn money making doll stuff, you first have to learn how to sew/paint/etc. and actually get good enough to earn something from it.

Pro - Doll collecting is an interesting hobby in general, and collecting bjds is particularly unique.

Con - Interesting hobby or not, it’s hard not to feel like you’re “that weirdo who collects creepy dolls” at times.

Pro - It’s fun to go places with your dolls and there are plenty of places to take them like conventions, meet ups, museums, etc.

Con - To take your dolls anywhere you first have to decide which ones to take, plus you have to pack them carefully to prevent any sort of damage on the way.  And that’s all assuming you are comfortable taking dolls out in public at all.

Pro - By buying from doll companies from other countries, you can learn fun and fascinating things about their culture.

Con - Dealing with language barriers.

Pro - All that time spent waiting for orders to be processed and your dolls to be shipped teaches the importance of patience.

Con - Waiting.  So much waiting.  Waiting for everything! 

Pro - The joy and excitement of receiving a package in the mail.  It’s your new doll and you can’t wait to unbox it.

Con - Getting your new doll in the mail and after wrestling through all the packaging to get the darn box open, suddenly getting hit with the strong smell of new resin (gag).

And that’s just a handful of the many fun and not so fun things about collecting bjds.  Have any more you would like to add?  Leave a comment below.

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Finding Doll Props: More Food Erasers and a Tea set?

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

Oh, what joy!  Anna has brought home more delightful doll props, at least I am hoping.

Anna made trips to both Target and the 99 Cents Only Store.

Well, let us first see what is in the Target bag.

It’s a bulging package of food shaped erasers.  Anna says she found them among the party supplies.

They are quite similar to some of our previous food purchases (see Finding Doll Props: Erasers and Office Supplies and Find Doll Props: At the Party Store?).

Quite an assortment of food, there are various cakes, ice cream, sandwiches, hamburgers, hotdogs and French fries.

Almost all of it is junk food!  Couldn’t Anna have gotten something healthier?

“But Hikaru, I thought you loved cake. :)“

That’s different, fine cakes and sweets such as these are certainly not junk.

Sakura, keep your hands off those French fries!  They are horrible for you.

“Why is it bad for me to have French fries, but okay for you to have cake?”

Yes, Hikaru.  Why is the cake okay?

…Um…Cake is different…

Anyway, there doesn’t seem to many options for Shiro.  Luckily, we already have apples and plenty of tea. 

Now we should see what is inside the 99 Cents Only Store bag.

It is a plastic tea set in pink and yellow.  At first glance, I can’t really say much about the quality.

After opening the package and setting it up, this tea set doesn’t appear quite as cheap.

The scale seems a tad off, just look at how large this tea pot is compared to my dainty hands.

But Hikaru, a larger tea pot means more tea for you and the others to drink.

That is a good point, the tea seems to go so quickly around here lately.

Though it may still go too quickly with the size of the tea cups.  They look almost like mugs, particularly attractive ones at least.

And the matching plates and flatware seem particularly gargantuan compared to Sakura here.  However, she seems particularly happy about this detail.

However, Shiro seems to be having a bit of trouble sipping from the large mug.

Ah well, the food is ready and the tea is set.

Let us partake.

And may Anna someday find us a suitable table to use for our tea parties. 

Until then, be at peace my dear readers.

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Of Bjd Fashion: Lingerie for Dolls? Bra and Underwear Tutorial

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

As mentioned yesterday, Anna made various socks and tights for a few of us dolls. 

However, it became apparent (thanks to Usagi) that some other sort of doll clothes were made which we will discuss today.

But first, Yuki must leave the room at once.  Only ladies should be present.

Anyway, although I myself first arrived at Anna’s doorstep with appropriate undergarments, not all ball jointed dolls are as fortunate.  Usagi and Misako are such dolls, so it became necessary for Anna to make these…

Bras and underwear, perfectly sized for msd or 1/4 sized ball jointed dolls. 

And as with the socks and tights yesterday, Anna has created patterns and a tutorial for these most essential articles of doll clothing.

Let the sewing begin.

Bras and Underwear for MSD and YOSD Bjds Tutorial

Materials:

• T-shirt or knit fabric
• Pattern
• Lace
• Thin elastic (for underpants)
• Safety pin (for elastic)
• Thread
• Basic sewing supplies
• Soft Velcro, snaps, or hook and eye (for bra)
• Ribbon and other embellishments (optional)
• A doll

Here is the pattern.  Although I am making sets of bras and panties for MSD sized ball jointed dolls, the pattern does include Yosd sized underpants because they need undies too. 

The patterns were based on Misako and Sakura’s measurements which are found on the doll’s profile page.  However, these pieces should be easy to fit to dolls of varying measurements.

The Bra

First cut 4 pieces from the pattern, two for each “cup”.  You may find it helpful to mark with a pencil the top and center part of the pieces.  Otherwise, it’s easy to mix up the sides.

Pin the pieces with right sides together and sew around leaving the bottom side open.  Repeat for the other “cup”.

Turn each one right side out.  If you wish, you can top stitch along the edge of only the “center” sides.  You will see why later.

Sew a running stitch along the bottom and pull to gather, this will give it the right shape (check out my doll dress video tutorial for an demonstration of gathering). 

Adjust it to fit your doll before tying off.  The bustier your doll, the more gathering you may need to do.

Measure your doll from just under her bust in front to about the same spot on her back, then cut two strips of lace. 

These will be the bra straps.  Don’t worry about making them too long as they will be trimmed later.

Pin the “straps” along the sides of the cups and sew in place.

Measure your doll around her chest under her bust and add 1 inch (2.5 cm.), then use this measurement to cut another strip of lace.  This will be the band for the bra.

Pin the cups on the center of the lace and try this on your doll before sewing them in place.

To finish the band, hem the ends of the lace.

Then sew on your choice of Velcro, snaps or hooks.  I chose this soft Velcro because it isn’t as bulky and can be cut to the size I need. 

Be sure to try the bra on your doll before finishing this step.

To finish the straps, put the bra on your doll inside out and carefully pin the straps where you want them.  Remove the bra and sew the straps in place, trim off any excess lace.

Now the bra is ready to be worn by your favorite doll.

Doesn’t it look great?  Now it just needs some matching undies.

The Underpants

Cut one piece from you pattern and fold and pin the edges as shown.  Then sew to hem the leg openings.

Pin and sew the side seam on one side only.  The other side will be done later.

Double fold the top edge and pin.  This will be the waistband.

You can also pin on some lace before you sew, but this is optional.

After sewing, cut a piece of elastic as long as your doll’s waist and thread it through with a safety pin.  Just like with the tights tutorial from yesterday.

If you are sewing this with a sewing machine, you can also try sewing the elastic on to the fabric with a zig-zag stitch, stretch the fabric as you go.

After adding the elastic, all you have to do is pin and sew that other side seam.

And now you’re done!

And we have a complete set.  This one was made for Misako.

It’s trimmed with lace giving it a simple but sweet look.

(Anna, is it absolutely necessary to show the undergarments worn?)

(Yes Hikaru, our readers need to see the finished product in detail.  Plus, Misako has a gorgeous figure that’s worth showing off a little.  Anyway, isn’t this exactly why you kicked Yuki out of the room?)

(Well, it isn’t appropriate for him to see a lady's undergarments.)

(True, but you did hurt his feelings.  You should apologize to him later.)

(…I suppose you do have a point…)

This second set was made for Usagi.  I used ribbon for the straps and added ribbon bows to the bra and panties.  I used a decorative elastic on the underpants, they’re sewn on with a sewing machine.

Usagi has a smaller bust than Misako, so I didn’t have to gather the cups as much to fit.

You can use all kinds of different laces and trims for these.  And if you used different fabrics, you could even make doll swimwear instead of underwear.

Have fun making cute bras and/or undies for your dolls.

End of Tutorial

Our dear young ladies at last have suitable undergarments.  Now if only Misako had some suitable clothing to wear over them.  She has been wearing the “new doll” dress far too long.  When will Anna sew her a lovely new outfit?  I suppose only time will tell.

Until then, be at peace my dear readers.

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