Hi, everybody!
My name's Liz and I'm having a mid-life crisis.
I've spent the last week scouring these boards (and some others, and the internet, and my brain, and arguing with myself and so on and so forth.) I've made more lists then I have in a long while. My brain is full to exploding. I wander around in a daze, forgetting things I ought to remember and remembering things I ought to be forgetting.
How did I get here?
I loooooooove to sew, but there is a limit to how many clothes I can sew for myself and that I care to wear. I love vintage fashion (20s to 60s). Also, I've lost 1/3 of the weight I need to and the moving waistline sewing target is getting OLD.
Then I had a brainstorm! I could make a soft doll and sew for it.
Bleah. Not realistic enough. And my soft sculpture skills are, well. Lacking.
So then I stumbled into the world of BJD (let the list-making begin).
I kind of knew about this great and wonderful world because I have a friend who's been into anime for a very long time. But I had no real idea ... no idea AT ALL.
I narrowed it down, and down some more, and then some more, tossed in never never ever sewing for something as small as a Barbie again (misspent youth), considered price, and - finally! - just before I started this post, I ordered my very own and very first and probably only BJD.
Impldoll, Model Antonia, with a faceup. I think that's the basics. I took a wild guess and threw in a Star Erica head, no faceup.
As part of my decision-making process, I tried to wrap my head around scale. I wandered around the house measuring stuff and dividing by 3. Dishes, furniture, hairbrushes, picture frames, mirrors, kitchen equipment, more furniture, our dog. Looking at wigs, at eyes, at other people's doll clothes, tutorials, browsing the craft store.
Wallowing, in short.
I also like to make things, and I'm excited to try making 'stuff' for her. She's going to need something to put all her clothes in, after all. I'm thinking of trying to make a wardrobe steamer trunk. That plan, as some do, may founder on my excess ambitions. But it has been fun planning.
Very glad you all are here. So many posts to read!