J-Dolls and the Latest Barbie Shoes and Clothes

Since the newest "regular" Barbie bodies are rather thin, and some of them have flat feet, I decided to see if the latest shoes might work for J-Dolls. As you can see there isn't that much difference between the two feet (J-Doll on the left, Made to Move Teresa on the right.)

I was thrilled that these neon pink flats fit the J-Doll so well. It's hard to explain, but these shoes also need a little "push" to go on, which means they don't fall off easily. It's almost like they clip on.

These flip-flops work with the J-Doll, but they're very loose, so they're probably just best for picture taking. They don't really stay on Teresa any better. They do look a little better because Teresa's toes are not as well defined. And oh yeah, I'm calling her Teresa, and not "Bambi." Hopefully I will find another name for her in the future. But it won't be Bambi.

The silver flats with ankle straps are not too bad. Again, they're a little loose, but passable. I also posted another picture of Teresa's feet, just so you can see how well they fit her. Obviously, they do fit her better, because the upper part of her foot is thicker, and so is her ankle joint.

Last, a pair of heels. I really love the roses on the heels. In addition to making great shoes for MH and EAH, Mattel seems to have stepped up its shoe game with Barbie as well. Since they are made for Barbies, the arch is just right for Teresa's foot.

Since my J-Doll's foot does not have as deep of an arch, the shoe does not fit her as well. On the other hand, it fits her as well as the pink pair of shoes below, which came with a J-Doll. So it depends on whether or not you're okay with the look. At least they won't fall off as easily as the pink flowered pair does. I'm going to have to crawl under my cutting table to find one of those pink shoes, actually.

Lastly, yesterday I bought a Mattel-made dress for Barbie. The bottom is a thin knit fabric. The yoke is a little strange. It feels almost rubbery, although it's not as unpleasant to touch as that description might imply. I suppose if the yoke was real lace, it would be much more likely to rip, or get caught in the Velcro. Anyway, I tried it on Holly, and she wants to keep it. She thinks she totally rocks this as a summer look.

I also bought a Mattel skirt recently, and that was too big around Holly's waist. I'd say items like the dress above, that don't have much structure, would work the best on the J-Dolls. Even if they only fit Barbie, I love this idea of a line of separates, shoes and accessories. I'm interested to see what else we'll get.

Thoughts on 2016 Toy Fair

First, let me say that this Toy Fair brought home to me how bad the economy is now. I think that's a big reason why some of my favorite doll manufacturers had very weak offerings. It may also explain why toy lines are focusing on old, proven stuff like Marvel, DC, Disney and Star Wars.

I'm also wondering why I got the best, and fastest, coverage of Jakks Pacific, Mattel, Hasbro and Tonner, from sites that generally focus on comic books and action figures the rest of the year. I definitely appreciated their coverage.

So, Ever After High was apparently not represented at Toy Fair at all. I've seen some pictures elsewhere of new dolls that are supposed to come out in 2016, including some with a new, "friendlier" face mold like Monster High is getting. But if the dolls weren't in the Mattel booth at Toy Fair, there's no guarantees. I can be happy with the Ever After High dolls I have, although there are a few more dolls I want to get, that have already been produced. I'm just sad that the line is not doing well. I don't really like monsters.

Tonner is driving me crazy. I'm interested in a new doll named Miette. There is even an exclusive Miette doll for sale on the Tonner/Wilde Imagination website. But I can't find out any information about her, like how tall she is, or what body type she has. What little I've found out came from eBay auctions selling off the exclusive doll after the Wilde Imagination event in January where she debuted. And I don't trust an eBay auction to be accurate. I feel like her size and body type should at least be included on the page where the one Miette doll is for sale. And it's not. See for yourself. Also, since Miette is in the Wilde Imagination line, I'm thinking the doll won't be at the Tonner convention. Maybe I'll be wrong.

I guess the Madame Alexander Travel Friend doll line is officially dead. I wish MA could have tried to deal with some of the issues, like the strange elbow joint, but that might not have been worth it in the long run.

Lastly, and this is not directly related to Toy Fair, I'm wondering when I'm going to get my Petite Barbie from Mattel. The ordering website still says the doll is slated to be released on 02/01/16. Obviously that hasn't happened, so could I have a more accurate date, Mattel?

Giveaway -- Barbie Accessories!

I've bought a few Mattel accessory sets for Barbie recently, but there were a few things in the sets that I didn't want. Instead of dropping the items off at the local thrift store, I decided to have a little giveaway. *Only* what is in the picture below will be in the giveaway. I will open the giveaway to anyone, as long as I'm not held responsible if the package gets lost between here and whatever country you live in. Simply:
1. Follow my blog
2. Leave me a comment in this post that you want to be part of the giveaway. I will hold a random drawing on Wednesday.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Curvy Barbie Is Here!

I ordered both Curvy Barbie and Petite Barbie; only Curvy Barbie has arrived. I'm not sure why Petite Barbie is backordered, unless there was just a greater demand for her. For now, I have Fashionista Doll 22, Chambray Chic. I think she's very pretty.

Her clothes are nothing special, but for a $10 doll that's to be expected. Her dress is a blue stretchy top, printed to look like a denim shirt, with a stretchy yellow skirt. One thing interesting is her belt. It has three holes in the back, so it can fit different sizes of dolls.

Fastened at the first hole, the belt just fits Made To Move Teresa.

Curvy Barbie's hair is silky soft, and there is no sign of glue. It's terribly uneven, though.

Curvy Barbie can't wear flats for the Made to Move dolls, nor can MTM Teresa wear Curvy Barbie's flats.

Curvy Barbie's feet have a slight arch.

I think Barbie's hands are nicely sculpted, although there is not much nail definition. I also took a picture of Barbie's hand with the hand of a bellybutton Teresa for comparison. They look very much alike.

There is much doll nudity below the fold, with comparisons of the Curvy body to older Barbie bodies. Come and see!

Stickley Rocker in 1/4 Scale

A common theme this year among many collectors seems to be cutting back on buying dolls and getting more enjoyment out of the dolls they already have. One of the ways I plan on getting more out of my doll collection is by improving my displays, so they are nicer to look at. Personally, I like to have my dolls displayed in somewhat real dioramas, and I need more furniture for that. I'm not against plastic furniture for my 1/6 scale dolls, but furniture for the 1/4 scale dolls is relatively hard to find, plastic or otherwise. My latest purchase in that scale is a Stickley rocking chair from this shop, made to scale using an original Stickley plan.

For those of you who don't know the related history, Gustav Stickley was an American who was in the forefront of the American Craftsman movement, similar to the Arts and Crafts movement in Britain. These movements were an attempt to go back to quality, handcrafted items in a world where more and more items were factory mass-produced. It started in the late decades of the Victorian era, and kept going into the first few decades of the 1900s, although it obviously still has popularity today. Another name for this style was Mission. In the US, think of Craftsman bungalows, with beautiful built-in wood furniture. Frank Lloyd Wright was an important architect in this style. Here is a picture of a real-life rocker that looks similar to mine, right at the Stickley furniture website.

Now that explanations are out of the way, let's look at this beautiful piece of doll furniture, made of oak.

The seat feels like leather. I'm not sure if it is. Leather was used in the Craftsman movement.

Now matter how I tried, I couldn't get the camera to focus on the back of the rocker, instead of lower down.

And here a couple of pictures for scale. Our model is Tonner's Fairytale Basic 16" vinyl doll, with the Kay head sculpt. She wears an outfit made by me, inspired by 1907 fashion.

I think this rocker suits the 16" doll quite well, don't you? Do you have plans this year to get more out of your current doll collection?

2016 Liebster Award

jSarie at Revenge of the Toy Box has presented me with the Liebster Award. Thank you!

The rules for award participation are as follows:

RULES:

1. Thank the person who presented you the award and link back to their blog
2. Post the award image on your blog. 
3. Answer 11 questions posted by the presenter. 
4. Nominate 5 blogs with less than 200 followers. 
5. Create 11 questions for the nominees to answer. 
6. List these rules in your post. Inform the people you chose of their nomination by leaving a comment on their blog and link them your post.

 1. What was the first doll or figure that started your collection?
Caboodles Barbie. Mr. BTEG bought her for me because I liked Barbies, and I liked her miniature Caboodle makeup carrying case. It was the first doll I got as an adult.

2. What were your favourite doll-related moments of 2015?
Getting my Makie doll Meg, and finally getting my second American Girl doll, Caroline. Sewing more for dolls than I have in years. And finding more doll bloggers on the internet!

3. What are you looking forward to in 2016?
Toy Fair, first of all. Can't wait to see what's new for 2016!

Secondly, I'm looking forward to making more doll clothes for my Etsy store, and more clothes for my own dolls. Struggling right now to find time and energy to finish another dress.

Lastly, I'm going to the 2016 Tonner Convention!!! It's being held in Columbus, OH, and might be one of the only chances I'll have to attend a doll convention close to where I live. It's the Tonner company's 25th anniversary, so I'm looking forward to seeing if there are any souvenir dolls made from retired lines.

4. Do you have a favourite doll in your collection?
I don't really have a favorite doll so much anymore. There are dolls within some of the lines that I collect, that I like more than others. One of the top favorites is still Calendar Girl Sydney.

5. Do you have a favourite size of doll, and if so, which one and why?
Probably the 16" dolls. They are a nice size to sew for, and to display. I love my American Girl and Madame Alexander Cissy dolls, but I really don't have the space for more than two or three each. Playscale size and smaller dolls are easier to display and find furniture and accessories for, but sometimes you can't get as much detail with the smaller dolls.

6. Do your dolls have character back-stories?
Not really. At some point I would like to, but there are other things I want to do first, like sew them more clothes and improve their display spaces. Back-stories are not really a high priority.

7. Do you prefer to buy character dolls or blank slates?
I prefer blank slates, by far. The only doll that I have that looks someone in real life is one of the Tonner versions of Judy Garland as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. And honestly, she doesn't look exactly like Judy's character. Any doll that's supposed to be Cinderella or Alice in Wonderland, but doesn't look like an actor or actress in real life, I can ignore the story they were given. Even my American Girl 18" Samantha and Caroline are not entirely the dolls as written about in their stories.

8. You can have any doll maker make the doll of your dreams. What does it look like?
She'd be an 18" vinyl doll, with golden brown hair, blue eyes and pale skin. She would wear a blue dress with lots of tucks and insertion and lace. She would have silk stockings and high button boots. She'd have a few pieces of gold jewelry, earrings and maybe a brooch. She would have to be at least 18", I would think, just because of how complicated I would like the dress! I would have the Tonner Company make her; the company has done really well with vintage styled dolls in the past.

9. How do you protect your dolls from damage (sunlight, hungry pets, angry children, wild animals, etc)?
I keep my dolls out of direct sunlight, and up on shelves or dressers. At one time we had a cat who was very fond of eating anything net or tulle that came his way. One of our cats now will also occasionally chew on things, so I have to keep them up out of her reach. She has never tried to jump up there. Fortunately, my children are well past the age of messing around with my dolls.

10. How do you store your dolls?
Store... hmm. I have most of the dolls in my collection out on display. I wish I had lots of enclosed shelving with glass doors. Since I don't, I try to store my dolls in bookcases or cubes so they get less dusty.

11. How do dolls fit into your everyday life?
Dolls keep me company. Not that I talk to them ever, nor do I change around a display or redress a doll everyday. But I get enjoyment out of looking at them; each one has a personality that seems to come through. I always have a plan in mind for what I want to do next involving my collection, even though everyday life often precludes my plans.

I nominate:
1. Presto at Growing Up Is for Quitters
2. Farrah Lily at Cozy Comforts and Dolls
3. Lisa at Once Upon a Doll Collection
4. Addy at Dollyton City
5. RagingMoon1987 at Confessions of a Dolly Lover

My 11 questions are:
1. What was the first doll or figure that started your collection?
2. Is there a retired doll or doll line that you'd like to bring back?
3. Have you ever acquired a grail doll?
4. What are you looking forward to in 2016?
5. Do you have a favorite doll line or manufacturer?
6. Any doll lines that you've moved on from?
7. Do you have an idea what dolls you would like to acquire this year?
8. What would your dream doll accessory be? I'm talking things like furniture or a car or a set of dishes.
9. If you were to write a paper on an era of doll history, which era would you pick?
10. Do you do any creative activities related to your doll collection?
11. How do dolls fit into your everyday life?

And this makes post number four for the month of January, so I've fulfilled a resolution for this month! :)

Makies Tea Set

Last week, the Evil Genius family was at CodeMash, a learning event for computer developers. Mr. BTEG's employer sent him, but as he was provided with a four-person room, the rest of the family was able to tag along. Family attendance is indeed encouraged with KidzMash, which is a learning track for the younger set. My daughters were too old to get much out of KidzMash, but they were able to do things with Mr. BTEG, including working on a robot, so that they really got a lot out of the trip. It also doesn't hurt that the event is held at the Kalahari Resort Waterpark in Sandusky, Ohio.

How does this relate to Makies? Well, lately, Mr. BTEG has been getting into 3D printing. There is a a 3D printer at the public library in downtown Cleveland, for which you pay a low price per hour. Mr. BTEG told me there would be a free 3D printer at CodeMash, if you could get an appointment. I showed him my Makie doll, and he helped me look around for 3D doll stuff that I could print. (No, I don't hide my doll purchases from Mr. BTEG, but he doesn't really have much interest in checking out the new stuff I buy.) Turns out, MakieLab has its very own design page on Thingiverse.com, a place to download 3D printed designs. The thing I especially liked among the Makies designs was this tea set. Mr. BTEG was able to grab some design time on the 3D printer, and had a set printed up for me. It's very rough and needs sanding, but I wanted to show it in its original condition. Keep in mind that it took three hours to print this set.

These were the bases where the items sat while they were printed.

The set in its entirety. Four cups, cream pitcher, sugar bowl, pot and two lids

The inside of a teacup

The sugar bowl and its lid

And here are two pictures of Meg holding tea set pieces, for an idea of the size.

I was planning on getting some pictures of Meg in the waterpark, but I actually ended up getting bored and coming home early. I did get some pictures of Meg lounging in our room; this is the one I like the best.

I wonder what "the next thing" will be with the Makies, since the company is moving to the US. In the meantime, I'm wondering if the 3D printer downtown will be good enough to print out some boots for Meg. She could use some more shoes!