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Timonium’s new wig — sigh…

Timonium’s new wig — sigh… published on 2 Comments on Timonium’s new wig — sigh…

In other news, I made Timonium three wigs this weekend. The first wig involved me sewing wefted red hair onto an elasticized size 4 wig cap. I did this with the hope of cutting and styling it to look like Jareth’s hair from Labyrinth. Unfortunately, I could still see the cap, the cap’s elastic, and the weft stitching at various points in the finished wig. In other words, it was not dense enough for my purposes. I don’t know how I could have made it denser, however, since there’s only so much room on the wig cap!

 

My second wig was made of red faux fur. Since I don’t have a sheet of red faux fur, I stitched together many small pieces from a multicolor piece of faux fur. Trying to keep all the pieces together and also trying to hide all the loose edges proved more trouble than it was worth. I threw that away.

 

In the end, I used my long pile VIOLENTLY PINK faux fur to make a simple wig from a pattern for Isabel’s wigs. It looks fine — the bright color contrasts nicely with Timonium’s dark outfit and shows up his pale resin well. I have hereby given up on making him a wig that looks like Jareth’s hair in Labyrinth.
Continue reading Timonium’s new wig — sigh…

Gerry Cole, 1:6 scale porcelain kid and project long in the making

Gerry Cole, 1:6 scale porcelain kid and project long in the making published on No Comments on Gerry Cole, 1:6 scale porcelain kid and project long in the making

About four years ago, I bought a 1:6 scale kid doll from local figural sculptor Georgia Landau, along with some mohair [or maybe wool] wig fibers. She has a porcelain head/neck, lower arms/hands, and lower legs/feet, all attached to a cloth body with wire armature. Though she has limited poseability, she is extremely adorable, with a gawky, earnest, curious personality. However, she has been sitting on my shelf, garishly dressed and bald, thus unfinished, for most of her life.

Continue reading Gerry Cole, 1:6 scale porcelain kid and project long in the making

At long last, Alison Cheney!

At long last, Alison Cheney! published on No Comments on At long last, Alison Cheney!

Finally I have finished a doll that I have been working on for about three months. It’s my version of Alison Cheney, protagonist of alternative Doctor Who adventure Scream of the Shalka, for which I’ve been writing entirely too much fanfic. This is the version from the Alison Wonderland ‘verse, which means that she and everyone else are significantly happier than they were in the Reverberations of the Shalka ‘verse. In my ‘verses, she ends up much closer friends with the Master [the Magister to her because it means teacher in Latin, and don’t tell her any different :p ] than the Doctor, which is why she’s hanging around with him in these pictures. Once I finish the Doctor, I’ll have all four major characters of the Alison Wonderland series. [The other is Brad, Alison’s significant other. Hmmmm, I should take pics of the two of them, though Brad has not officially entered the storyline yet…]Continue reading At long last, Alison Cheney!

Fritillaria’s rainbow patchwork hair

Fritillaria’s rainbow patchwork hair published on No Comments on Fritillaria’s rainbow patchwork hair

It took me all afternoon, but I successfully altered a size 6-7 fur wig to be a size 7-8 for Fritillaria, whose concept is vacillating somewhere between clown of death, doll, jester of death, and escaped marionette [of death, natch]. The wig was originally orange, yellow, green, and blue. I added red, magenta, and royal purple. Results look promising! Continue reading Fritillaria’s rainbow patchwork hair

NERDS Show, Lowell, MA, 03/05/2016: transactions and evaluation

NERDS Show, Lowell, MA, 03/05/2016: transactions and evaluation published on No Comments on NERDS Show, Lowell, MA, 03/05/2016: transactions and evaluation

I attended the NERDS Show to meet fellow doll fans and new dolls. I hoped that I would sell some stuff, preferably enough to break even, and maybe find some doll stuff to buy, but I didn’t really expect to. I was therefore happily surprised to a) offload some stuff I didn’t want and b) acquire some stuff that I did.

 

In terms of riddances, I sold a Sleeping Elf/Tinybear Bon Bon [$125.00] and a fur wig [$5.00]. I got rid of a pair of Dikadoll jointed hands in a sale [$30.00] + partial trade [wig]. That was more than enough to cover the expense of table and room rental [$35.00], and I even got a small chunk of change to put toward taxes.

 

In terms of acquisitions, I picked up two freebies: a leotard and a sparkly overskirt. The second will work for Isabel, but the first may not be adequately modifiable for her, though it will certainly fit a narrower 1:6 scale doll. No pictures.

 

I took pictures of my more exciting acquisitions.

 

Continue reading NERDS Show, Lowell, MA, 03/05/2016: transactions and evaluation

Timonium’s new hair, or, How not to make a wig

Timonium’s new hair, or, How not to make a wig published on No Comments on Timonium’s new hair, or, How not to make a wig

I spent the last two weeks making Timonium a little red version of the Goblin King’s hair. First I ordered a bunch of rooting hair from dollyhair.com. With the delightful name of Vampire Kisses, the deep reddish color has purple tones to darken it, suggestive of both red wine and fresh blood. Perfect color for someone who claims that he sups on “the blood of the innocent.” >_>

 

Then I hand sewed a wig cap from scrap cotton print, using my faux fur pattern as a base [plus seam allowances]. I used a technique that I first tried about 15 [!] years ago to attach the hair to the cap. Holding a small clump of hair between thumb and forefinger, I trimmed the ends so they were even. I applied hot glue all around the end of the clump to stick all the strands together. I hot glued this bundle to the cap, beginning at the bottom center back of the wig cap. Working my way toward the crown in a spiral path, I attached successive bundles all over the cap. Periodically I trimmed the hair to make sure that it was all a single, manageable length. I did final styling — addition of bangs, layering, and whatnot — at the end, though.

 

I can’t think of another way that I could have easily constructed this particular style in this particular size, but I still don’t recommend this method of wig construction. It’s tedious as fuck and highly unrewarding. While I enjoy almost all aspects of doll customization, I found this one a boring chore. I’m never doing that again.

 

On the plus side, Timonium looks pretty cool now!

 

Continue reading Timonium’s new hair, or, How not to make a wig

Jujube, Jeff, Dorothy, and some stuff

Jujube, Jeff, Dorothy, and some stuff published on No Comments on Jujube, Jeff, Dorothy, and some stuff

I made Jeff a wig from some of my versicolor faux fur that looks mostly pink from the front, but contains orange streaks on the sides and back. Continue reading Jujube, Jeff, Dorothy, and some stuff

Monster High Megabloks as dolls for dolls

Monster High Megabloks as dolls for dolls published on 2 Comments on Monster High Megabloks as dolls for dolls

Mattel gave the Monster High license to Megabloks, the building brick company that is not Lego, and the Megablok playsets have recently made it up to the northern reaches of the US. At Toys R Us yesterday I picked up Ghoulia Yelps and her Creepariffic Lab, as well as Ghoulia and Clawdeen figures sold separately. Here’s my sold-separately Ghoulia hanging out in her little lab.Continue reading Monster High Megabloks as dolls for dolls

Today’s hair for Isabel

Today’s hair for Isabel published on No Comments on Today’s hair for Isabel

After recently determining that 3×5″ sample swatches of faux fur yield at least one, if not two, size 4 wigs apiece, I ordered some samples of versicolor faux fur. This is a multicolored pattern where, instead of appearing in discrete tufts or stripes, the various colors blend more organically in round-edged patches. The samples obtained from my preferred supplier, LuxuryFaux Fur on Etsy, have a surprisingly long pile, maybe about 4″, and fine, silky, high-quality fibers. I made Isabel wigs from two samples today: orange/pink/purple [top photo] and light pink/dark pink [bottom photo].Continue reading Today’s hair for Isabel

Other creative projects this weekend: grave stands and Isabel’s wig

Other creative projects this weekend: grave stands and Isabel’s wig published on No Comments on Other creative projects this weekend: grave stands and Isabel’s wig

This weekend, I also made some stands for my Dellamorte gravestone magnets. Isabel kneels beside them while showing off another creation from yesterday: yet another faux fur wig.Continue reading Other creative projects this weekend: grave stands and Isabel’s wig

Polly has been helped: new hair and dress

Polly has been helped: new hair and dress published on 1 Comment on Polly has been helped: new hair and dress

Recent creative efforts this weekend included a new wig for Polly and a new dress, made from Andrea’s Barbie Angel Wing Trapeze Dress pattern. In this case, it’s more properly called Angel OF DEATH Trapeze Dress, since there are skulls all over it. :p Apparently I have a rather morbid little mermaid… ^_^Continue reading Polly has been helped: new hair and dress

New hair makes Polly look better.

New hair makes Polly look better. published on No Comments on New hair makes Polly look better.

I found a size 4 Pinky wig [the same style as that which I originally intended for my Cutey Honey, but recently ruined] in light greenish blue in my doll supplies drawer. It looked like it might go well with Polly’s tail, so I tried it on her.

Continue reading New hair makes Polly look better.

A frustrating evening with digital and 1:6 scale dolls

A frustrating evening with digital and 1:6 scale dolls published on 1 Comment on A frustrating evening with digital and 1:6 scale dolls

I had one of those evenings where I felt dissatisfied with all my accomplishments. Continue reading A frustrating evening with digital and 1:6 scale dolls

Better eyes x1, better hair x2 — slow going with doll restyling

Better eyes x1, better hair x2 — slow going with doll restyling published on No Comments on Better eyes x1, better hair x2 — slow going with doll restyling

I’m getting some 16mm low-dome Captured in Glass glass eyes for Thalia. They have white whites, black irises, and white pupils [ET2]. I would prefer black whites, black irises, and white pupils, but CiG doesn’t sell them.

 

My Takara Cy Girl Cutey Honey, last seen shorn of her brittle factory rooted red hair [back in April!], has on order a size 4 Monique wig, style Pinky [chin-length bubble bob with bangs], in a violently bright red. Now I either need to fix her sword, which broke at the VTDL meetup where I decided to remove her original hair, or get her a new one — preferable made of actual metal, so it has less chance of snapping.

 

I have discovered the intoxicating glories of dollyhair.com, from which I will eventually buy hair for Timonium’s spiky, Jarethian hair. The proprietor offers so many types of hair in so many colors that I hope to obtain some free samples of the various dark reds to see which would work best for Timonium. He has the tips of his ears painted a color that looks very close to that of dried or scabbed-over blood, so I want the same for his hair.

 

I remember that my original concept for Timonium included splatters on his feet and legs, as if he had been walking through gore. I also remember that I never did this because, for some reason, I was unsure about how to accomplish this. Now, though, the process seems so self-evident — I should clearly just coat his legs with a few layers of matte sealant for a base, mix up some paint, and make a mess like I usually do.

 

I realize that I haven’t decided what to do for Fritillaria’s eyes. I kind of like the idea of pinpoint pupils and huge irises dominated by red and white hypno spirals, but I really should mock that up first…

 

Update on creative endeavors #2: Isabel’s shitty shirt

Update on creative endeavors #2: Isabel’s shitty shirt published on No Comments on Update on creative endeavors #2: Isabel’s shitty shirt

In the past few days, I finished off another shirt for Isabel based on Andrea’s pattern. I have concluded that all the shirts I am making from this pattern will of necessity look disappointing, not as a function of the pattern, but because the pattern is not made exactly for Isabel’s measurement. For example, the pattern features shoulders that are too high and armscyes that are too big.

I tried to fit this shirt better to Isabel by lowering the tops of the shoulders. This tactic successfully reduced the amount of loose fabric around the upper chest. However, because I did not lower the back of the neck as well, the collar remains high up, looking silly. Next time I’ll just modify the pattern, rather than hacking at a partly sewn shirt. Oh well, at least the fit around the lower torso is okay…Continue reading Update on creative endeavors #2: Isabel’s shitty shirt

Thalia’s temporary pre-Raphaelite hair

Thalia’s temporary pre-Raphaelite hair published on No Comments on Thalia’s temporary pre-Raphaelite hair

Some frizzy wig is standing in for Thalia’s wild mane of black mohair curls, interspersed with plastic snakes. I like the voluminous curls; they soften her square features a bit. I also like the hair pulled back because then I can see her pointy ears.

What I don’t like are those pointy tits. I’m not sure why so many sculptors insist on aggressively projecting nipples. I can’t wait to get her a shirt.

Just for the heck of it, she’s holding Beth, my smallest articulated doll.

Continue reading Thalia’s temporary pre-Raphaelite hair

Working on dolls at long last!

Working on dolls at long last! published on No Comments on Working on dolls at long last!

I am taking advantage of a true vacation to work on a list of doll projects that has expanded alarmingly in the past months. So far I have:

  • Derooted Cutey Honey’s brittle, shedding default hair. When she went to the last VTDL meetup, I noticed that sad state of her hair and vowed to replace them. I don’t have the appropriate replacement hair, so she’s mostly bald at the moment. At least she’s not shedding anymore, though.
  • Put Thalia on the body formerly belonging to Janvier Jett, painted her hands and gave her a temporary outfit.
  • Found a large, fabric-covered storage container at Goodwill and set it up on its side, thus converted it into a passable seat to accommodate long-limbed dolls like Jareth.
  • Improved Yamarrah.

Yamarrah’s hair was not sticking up enough, so I tacked down more of the long pieces.
Continue reading Working on dolls at long last!

Possible new hair for Timonium

Possible new hair for Timonium published on No Comments on Possible new hair for Timonium

I mocked up a red wig for Timonium this morning. It’s actually a digital hairstyle that I created, Aliza, serving as a computer-generated version of a wig I may want for him. I decided to embrace his resemblance to a small Goblin King. 😀
Continue reading Possible new hair for Timonium

Modern Wizard’s faux fur wig tutorial

Modern Wizard’s faux fur wig tutorial published on No Comments on Modern Wizard’s faux fur wig tutorial

This was going to be a lavishly illustrated extravaganza, but I never got around to taking the requisite photos. Hopefully it’ll help anyway…

—

Over in a Figurvore thread on an episode of Zombieville, katydid asked me about making a wig tutorial. Following are my comments on making wigs of faux fur for your dolls. I prefer [prefur? :p ] faux fur because its garish colors suit my signature LOUD style and its lofty pile hides my messy stitching and/or hot gluing. Rest assured, however, that you can still apply these techniques on naturalistic faux furs with neat and tidy results.

 

Please note: My method involves no measurement and lots of trial and error. If you want to find out how to make a fur wig by means of exact measurements, this is not the tutorial for you.

 

The construction of a faux fur divides into two sections. First, you create a pattern. Second, you actually make the wig.
 

 
Your average 1:6 scale action figure has a head somewhere between 3 and 4 inches in circumference. [Wigs are usually mentioned in inches; I’m not just being a chauvinist for imperial units here.] However, the head circumference varies widely from doll to doll, so I advocate the creation of a wig pattern specifically for your chosen doll.
 

 

Before I tell you how to make a wig, let’s discuss the grain of the faux fur — also known as the direction in which the fibers lie.
 
 
The fur wig below is sewn with the grain of both sides pointing in the same direction. If the grain of the fur flows down from the crown, the hair on the wig will point down in compliance with gravity. This wig’s grain is pointing down from the crown. See below.

Continue reading Modern Wizard’s faux fur wig tutorial

Andrea scanned a tutorial about making a pompadour wig from faux fur.

Andrea scanned a tutorial about making a pompadour wig from faux fur. published on No Comments on Andrea scanned a tutorial about making a pompadour wig from faux fur.

Right here! I could do this! Lord knows I have enough fur. Maybe I could decorate her hair with little spiderwebs and bats…and a bird skull, if I can find one. 😀

This entry was originally posted at http://modernwizard.dreamwidth.org/1666433.html. You can comment here, but I’d prefer it if you’d comment on my DW using OpenID.

Polly my little mermaid is done!

Polly my little mermaid is done! published on No Comments on Polly my little mermaid is done!

Well, I mean that I have finished her wig and faceup. I still need to make her "I BELIEVE [in Champ]" shirt and her customized wheelchair. Maybe I should take some inspiration from one of my digital models and give her a steampunk power chair!!
Continue reading Polly my little mermaid is done!

Next level in wig construction: ponytails!!!

Next level in wig construction: ponytails!!! published on No Comments on Next level in wig construction: ponytails!!!

I redid Anna’s hair this weekend. Originally I gave her bangs and a ponytail that I made lie down with white glue, which made them look wet, sparse and stringy:Continue reading Next level in wig construction: ponytails!!!

The King of Toxic Waste is not amused.

The King of Toxic Waste is not amused. published on No Comments on The King of Toxic Waste is not amused.

So you thought it would be a clever idea to get drunk and go down with some of your frat brothers to the settlement of homeless PWS on Pine Street and post ZOMBIE CONTAINMENT AREA signs around the perimeter? Look at how unimpressed Lumberjack is with your puerile shit.
Continue reading The King of Toxic Waste is not amused.

Hey wait a minute — GIVE THAT BACK.

Hey wait a minute — GIVE THAT BACK. published on No Comments on Hey wait a minute — GIVE THAT BACK.

Yamarrah stole the wig I made for Jareth, as well as his glasses. Well, I guess that wig’s not for him anymore… :p The glasses, however, he’s not giving up so easily.

Continue reading Hey wait a minute — GIVE THAT BACK.

Yamarrah’s wig, part ?

Yamarrah’s wig, part ? published on No Comments on Yamarrah’s wig, part ?

I tacked some more around her scalp and a lot on her sideburns, trying to make them less voluminous. I also put some Mod Podge in her bangs so that they appear to be affected by gravity. She has no clothes on because I took them off to wire her from her torso all the way down each of her legs and also through each arm.

I think her forelock needs tacking.
Continue reading Yamarrah’s wig, part ?

Further work on Yamarrah’s wig

Further work on Yamarrah’s wig published on No Comments on Further work on Yamarrah’s wig

Tacked more flyaways down. Combed out the spikes for more of a blended look. Glued in some red bangs, then pulled down some orange pieces for further bangs. Still need to sculpt the bangs a bit and, of course, the widow’s peak and sideburns will lie flat against Yamarrah’s skull when I’m done; I’ll either glue them or use sticky tack on them after I do her faceup. Still, it’s looking good!
Continue reading Further work on Yamarrah’s wig

Yamarrah’s wig construction [with bonus Jareth!]

Yamarrah’s wig construction [with bonus Jareth!] published on No Comments on Yamarrah’s wig construction [with bonus Jareth!]

Made another draft wig this morning out of pink fibers, cutting them with the grain so that the hair pointed down. I rolled under less of the edges so that this one was a bit bigger than the first draft, but still snug. Yamarrah models in the first picture, Jareth in the second.

Confident that my pattern would fit Yamarrah, I cut out her final wig from the yellow base fur with red and orange spikes. The third picture shows her hair before styling. I then saw that her hair sat high on her forehead, so I experimented with the addition of a widow’s peak. The last picture shows her current hair after the addition of Mod Podge and widow’s peak, a separate triangular piece of fur that I stitched in.

I still want to give her little pieces of loose hair hanging in front of her ears. I am satisfied with progress so far, though.

Continue reading Yamarrah’s wig construction [with bonus Jareth!]

Yamarrah’s wig: cutting against the grain

Yamarrah’s wig: cutting against the grain published on No Comments on Yamarrah’s wig: cutting against the grain

I made my first 1:3 scale faux fur wig tonight! To create a pattern for Yamarrah’s wig, I used Janvier Jett’s wig, made by Akasarushi. I flipped it inside out, traced one half and reverse-engineered a simple pattern based on two semicircles side by side. Then I hot glued the edges under and stitched the center part. Had to rip out a stitch or two from the part at the back edge to make it fit, but otherwise it was the correct size. A successful first draft!

I noticed when I turned the wig right-side out that I had cut the draft wig against the grain of the fur, meaning that the hair was pointing up instead of down. Since I want Yamarrah to be a fire sprite, the resultant messy, anti-gravity look is actually pretty cool. It also adds to the 1980s air she has, I think.

Continue reading Yamarrah’s wig: cutting against the grain

More salvaged and improved wigs for Isabel

More salvaged and improved wigs for Isabel published on No Comments on More salvaged and improved wigs for Isabel

I have finished salvaging all those earlier wigs that I could, cutting out the hot glue center parts and stitching in hand sewn ones. I have taken the opportunity to try various hairstyles. Some of them even came out looking good!
Continue reading More salvaged and improved wigs for Isabel

Further wig experiments for Isabel

Further wig experiments for Isabel published on No Comments on Further wig experiments for Isabel

I have refined my wig making procedure. I used to hot-glue both the hairline edges and the center part. Hot glue, however, is not that flexible, so it often rendered the center part blocky and unrealistic. I changed from gluing the center part to hand sewing it. The results are more flexible, and they curve around the head naturalistically. I’m still hot gluing the hairline, though.
Continue reading Further wig experiments for Isabel

Wig success for Isabel!

Wig success for Isabel! published on No Comments on Wig success for Isabel!

I created a workable pattern for Isabel’s wigs! This is the second one that I made with the pattern. Shockingly enough, I got tired of plain ol’ magenta, so I added a purple understory for variety. Came out well!

I see that I need to even out the pink highlights on Isabel’s lips. Will she ever be done?!

Continue reading Wig success for Isabel!

Isabel with pink hair

Isabel with pink hair published on No Comments on Isabel with pink hair

I’m in the midst of making a wig pattern specifically for Isabel’s oddly shaped head. Here’s the latest iteration of the pattern, almost there, but with too much bulk and height in the front hairline. Isabel looks great with 3" magenta shag as hair, though!

Continue reading Isabel with pink hair

Success with poodle shag wigs!

Success with poodle shag wigs! published on No Comments on Success with poodle shag wigs!

Making wigs out of poodle shag faux fur requires more patience than making fur wigs out of regular faux fur. I finally achieved acceptable results for Chaz [top] and Doctor Z [bottom].

To work with the poodle shag, I marked the pattern with lightly sketched pen, which did not bleed through the backing as much as my usual marker, a Sharpie permanent. I also cut large to compensate for the poodle shag backing’s lack of stretch. I also glued in small pieces to the finished wigs to fill in any bare areas, which appear more readily with poodle shag, as it is sparser than straight fur fibers. Finally, in Chaz’ case, I quickly whipped a light application of diluted Mod Podge through her hair so that it kept its loft and kink, but maintained more of a definite shape. I left Doctor Z’s hair loose, as I’m going for an Einsteinian air with her.

I’m very pleased with the poodle shag wigs I’ve made. The kinky fibers work well for in-scale, small, tight curls. I accomplished what I wanted to do — make wild hair for Doctor Z — and now I have little incentive to work with the remaining scraps, especially since they’re so difficult.

Continue reading Success with poodle shag wigs!

Yamarrah’s hair

Yamarrah’s hair published on No Comments on Yamarrah’s hair

Look what I got today! Faux fur for Yamarrah’s hair! Initially she was going to have black/red/purple zigzag hair, but, as I decided she is a fire elemental, I wanted to continue the orange coloration beginning on her semi-transparent hands. Incidentally, I wanted this to be the material for Mellifer’s wig, but it was sold out when I was ready to buy, so he got a purple base with orange and yellow spikes instead.

Continue reading Yamarrah’s hair

Cola’s new hair

Cola’s new hair published on No Comments on Cola’s new hair

I made a wig for Cola last night out of my grey faux fur with 3" pile. I accidentally cut it against the grain of the fur so that the hair sticks up straight, but I decided that vertical hair suits Cola’s energetic personality. I also tried shortening her hair with about 85% success. Here’s what a wig made of the uncut 3" grey looks like on Doctor Z [whose hair was also cut from the fur so that it is pointing down]:

Continue reading Cola’s new hair

Workin’ on Barrett

Workin’ on Barrett published on No Comments on Workin’ on Barrett

I erased Barrett’s default eyebrows and sheared his default hair this evening. Amazing how much younger he looks! I also changed his shirt, since I decided he was too uninterested in his looks to wear a snazzy red button-down. He got the puke sweater instead.

Continue reading Workin’ on Barrett

Doctor Z redux

Doctor Z redux published on No Comments on Doctor Z redux

Her shiny purple face made her really difficult to photograph, so I wiped it this weekend and redid her. The darkness of her complexion, again, makes it hard for me to photograph her, but some highlighting helps pick out her features.

She also got new hair, the volume of which I reduced by flattening it with some Mod Podge. I also gave her a different top so she’s showing a little more skin.

Continue reading Doctor Z redux

Timonium improves.

Timonium improves. published on No Comments on Timonium improves.

I had some time on Monday to get around to some of those doll projects that have been in suspension since my packing and moving.
Among other things, I made improvements to Timonium. I moved the snap on his skirt so that it fits more snugly around his hips.

I also rewired him with two thick pieces of wire down his neck, through his upper torso, lower torso, then one wire down each of his thighs. After drilling channels down each of his solid fairy feets so that the wires could run past his knee joints, I found him a much more solid poser.

Timonium got a new wig too. My wig skills are definitely improving, as this one fit snugly around the edges. However, the scalp is too deep. I’m not sure if I will correct this, as I like the bulk of wild hair springing from his head and surrounding his face.

Continue reading Timonium improves.

Doctor Z is done

Doctor Z is done published on No Comments on Doctor Z is done

The aforementioned colored pencil faceup stated smudging off on my fingers, so I recreated it with a base of purplish blue paint topped with blue and black for shadows and wrinkles. I made her wig out of a white mohair one that I made years ago, just trimmed down. I then tried to make her hair behave by mixing some diluted glue into it.
Continue reading Doctor Z is done

Isabel shows more fur wigs.

Isabel shows more fur wigs. published on No Comments on Isabel shows more fur wigs.

I got a shipment of maybe 15 swatches of faux fur recently, including a bunch of new color schemes. I chose my favorite and made some more fur wigs this afternoon.

The ones in vibrant colors look different than the earlier set of vibrant colors because these have all fibers the same length. The first set of vibrant colors had short bases with longer spikes in different color. As a result, the first set provided lots of color without adding bulk. But the current set of vibrant colors adds bulk, thus making the hair less likely to respond to simple styling. That said, I love the tricolor zigzag pattern, from which all of the vibrant ones in this set are made. My current favorite, usurping even the white base with pink and green spikes, is a pink/purple/green zigzag at top right.Continue reading Isabel shows more fur wigs.

Isabel acquires faceup, hair and temporary body.

Isabel acquires faceup, hair and temporary body. published on No Comments on Isabel acquires faceup, hair and temporary body.

I started working on Isabel’s faceup last night, but eventually swapped her out to a Soom Uyoo body, as the Elfdoll Doona Ryung body she came with was weirding me out with its childlike proportions. Though her temporary body represents a shape Isabel has never had, it certainly disturbs me less than seeing the head of a 35-year-old on a 7-year-old’s body.Continue reading Isabel acquires faceup, hair and temporary body.

No thread was harmed in the making of this wig.

No thread was harmed in the making of this wig. published on No Comments on No thread was harmed in the making of this wig.

It’s constructed, as usual, entirely from faux fur and HOT GLUE. Having perfected my pattern before dinner, I made another wig after dinner for Novella in the colors that I originally intended for her: pink base, with spikes of neon green and royal purple. I like it much better than the black-based one.

As you can see, awesomeness has now been achieved.
Continue reading No thread was harmed in the making of this wig.

HAH! I made a fur wig in one piece!

HAH! I made a fur wig in one piece! published on No Comments on HAH! I made a fur wig in one piece!

That is, instead of adding strips of fur after the fact, as I did with Mellifer’s. Anyway, it really was a single piece of fur, as I turned inside-out a Soom fur wig that I had and reverse-engineered a pattern from it. Here’s Novella in my first truly successful fur wig. I find black fur more forgiving than colored fur, as black fur is attached to a black background, the raw edges of which show up less starkly than that of colored furs, which have white backgrounds [in contrast to the colored furs themselves].Continue reading HAH! I made a fur wig in one piece!

Wig for Mellifer, take 3

Wig for Mellifer, take 3 published on No Comments on Wig for Mellifer, take 3

Redid Mellifer’s wig after trimming down yesterday’s pattern. I had the right size, but then decided to trim it down more, which made it a little too small when I rolled under the raw edges. Anyway, here are the results. Since Mellifer is not swapping hair, I think I’ll just lower the forehead a bit by judicious application of small clumps of hair, then call it done. For my other dolls, though, I will use my new pattern without cutting it down even more.

Here is Mellifer as he currently stands. Because his wig is smaller, it has much better loft than the previous iteration, thus achieving more of a flame-like aspect. Yes, I am aware that I wore away his lip color with the constant handling of his head. I will replace it when I’m done aggressively moving his head around for this project.
Continue reading Wig for Mellifer, take 3

Further fur wig experiments with Mellifer

Further fur wig experiments with Mellifer published on No Comments on Further fur wig experiments with Mellifer

After successfully working with some of my faux fur [gluing it to Peter and Anna’s heads], I returned to making a wig for Mellifer.

  1. I trashed my original attempt at a mockup and made another by tracing his head from the side and cutting out two semicircles. Then I sewed them together. The result was laughably minuscule.
  2. I revised the pattern by putting a central strip [like a mohawk] between the two semicircles. The mohawk bit was too wide.
  3. I narrowed the mohawk bit and achieved a relatively good fit in the felt mockup. I reproduced it in faux fur, hot gluing the pieces together because it was easier than sewing. Too small!
  4. I lengthened the mohawk strip and the ends of the semicircles, essentially making the wig deeper. I tried again with faux fur. It was still too big, but I reduced the size by trimming around the circumference and also turning under the raw edges a bit [and securing with hot glue, of course].

So here’s the result. As you can see, the wig is still too large, especially around the ears. I may try tacking the edges under more or remaking it with what fur I have left. It suffices for now, though, and Mellifer is quite pleased that he has hair!Continue reading Further fur wig experiments with Mellifer

The August Project: testing eyes and wigs

The August Project: testing eyes and wigs published on No Comments on The August Project: testing eyes and wigs

The seller liked August's open-eyed head, but I am fonder of her winking head, which I'll be using. Here's August with a wine-colored fur wig and an acrylic eye [unknown size] of green with a brown center. She came with both the wig and the eye. For some reason I'm thinking that the eye is 16mm???
Continue reading The August Project: testing eyes and wigs

No hair up there

No hair up there published on No Comments on No hair up there

As an invdividual whose hair regularly flirts with non-existence [i.e., I buzz my hair with a #1 blade down to 3.175 mm every month], I appreciate baldness.

I especially like women with no hair on their heads or else only a few millimeters. Hair provides protection and conformity to societal expectations, especially for women, whose hair is seen as their "crowning glory" [adapted from 1 Cor 11:14-15]. A purposeful lack thereof on women, therefore, indicates a certain boldness in flouting cultural expectations. At the same time, since it lays bare one's facial features and the shape of one's head — containing lumps, dips, curves, moles and scars that are secret for most people — baldness also denotes in my mind an appealing frankness and vulnerability, a willingness to confront the world plainly, with unadorned honesty. I find women's intentional baldness a strong aesthetic statement, perhaps even a philosophical one.

My attraction to bare-headed women appears in my doll population. The aesthetic appeal remains the same, while the philosophical underpinnings are more along the line of being lazy and cheap and not wanting to spring for an expensive, high-maintenance wig. :p

Continue reading No hair up there

Wigs for Jennifer / Elfdoll infestation

Wigs for Jennifer / Elfdoll infestation published on 2 Comments on Wigs for Jennifer / Elfdoll infestation

At today’s Burlington doll club, I brought a sampling of my 1:6 smorgasbord and held a picnic for Jennifer and Rosa’s Elfdolls. [Of course, none of the cute picnic ended up in my final selection of photos, since I’m very picky about which ones I post.] The Elfdoll with the larger eyes is Dodo. The one with the red hair is Adel. I don’t know what Rosa named them, but I got some size comparison shots of them with Jennifer and with Jareth. I also tried on at least 10 wigs on Jennifer. Which ones do you think flatter her? Continue reading Wigs for Jennifer / Elfdoll infestation

Fast and functional wig making

Fast and functional wig making published on No Comments on Fast and functional wig making

Ever since I mentioned making a wig for Jennifer out of plastic wrap, yarn and glue, some people have wondered exactly how I did it. Here are step by step instructions to making a fast and functional yarn wig for your doll. No pictures yet, but maybe soon. Please note that the finished product is neither neat nor professional, so feel free to modify the sucker if you want to improve it. Continue reading Fast and functional wig making

Repent of the purple shadows! [aka hair and eyes for Frank]

Repent of the purple shadows! [aka hair and eyes for Frank] published on 1 Comment on Repent of the purple shadows! [aka hair and eyes for Frank]

EDIT: Picture now visible. Global Dolls “Candy” wig, dark brown, WRONG STYLE [= horrid ringlets], size 9-10: $8.65. Global Dolls “Carolina” wig, dark brown, RIGHT STYLE [= mohair curls], size 9-10: $25.90 [!! — blame it on the mohair]. Kemper glass eyes, brown, Karl brand, 16mm: $14.18. Finally giving Frank his eyes and hair: priceless. There are things money can’t buy. If it’s purchasable and doll-related, though, go to Audrey’s Dolls for a wide variety of supplies at deep discount.

Frank borrowed Jareth’s body for some quick photos this evening. Continue reading Repent of the purple shadows! [aka hair and eyes for Frank]

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