I think it looks better on Clawdeen !

Current Mood : Real happy. 

Current Image Notes : I love how well this turned out ! Click on it to see it nice and big !

Today, I finally decided. The Barbie Shelf, on My Bookcase of Everything I Enjoy, was crowded to the point of dolls occasionally falling off it. I thought I’d trimmed them down pretty severely during the last move, but I couldn’t deny it anymore. Today was the day I had to play Survivor : Sixth Scale, to find a new home for at least two. Odd, that. I had seven* Barbie dolls as a kid, five in a cabinet in my 20s, about ten to fifteen – which mushroomed to a whopping 217 at one point -  in my 30s, and now, middle of my 40s, I want it down to 20 or 21, so they’d all fit seated on one shelf. That meant at least two had to go, and I knew deep down which two, even though I’d had a long history with all the dolls I still had.  

Thing is, sometimes you can have a long history and good times, and still not like something. Sometimes, even some one. I’m not gonna fool m’self and think my dolls are real or such, but…well…I bought a Matchbox Lisa Hayes doll pretty much as soon as they came out, from a TRU in Augusta, Georgia. Sure, she didn’t much look like the beloved  Macross / Robotech character, but her uniform was close enough for me. And, yes, I loved her box. About a decade later, I overpaid for a Rick Hunter character from the same line, mostly to serve as company for her. Neither were very appealing, but I stuck with them regardless.

Truth be told, I never really liked either. I’ve kept them because I’ve had them so long, not because I really enjoyed them or even appreciated the effort a company that mostly made toy cars put into them. Once I realized that, I knew they had dates with another destiny.

And I also decided against keeping Sailor Pluto. She’s gorgeous, and I still love her lush green hair, but again, I’ve kept her ‘cause she’s rare, not because I have a special affinity for the character or fondness around her at all. Plus, we found her in a box I thought I gave away years ago, after I’d winnowed down my collection for the move. So, at day’s end, Sailor Pluto, Rick Hunter, and Lisa Hayes will be moving on. I’m surprised that I don’t really feel sad about it. I feel more relief than anything else ! I still have plenty of dolls – in all different sizes – to play with and sew for, so it’s all good.

Speaking of sewing, I’m thinking of starting another tutorial. I kind of miss doing those, and I have some energy these days, why not use it to help encourage others to sew their own doll clothes ? Since my efforts to draft patterns from scratch have been a mixed bag at best, I think I’ll start with something that’ll be faster to do, easier to achieve. Perhaps…making patterns from the clothes the doll comes in, without taking said apparel apart ? I know the MH guys can always use more tank shirts and such.

For today, though, I wanted to crack open my last gift from Mother’s Day – I kinda hid it behind Operetta and Toralei’s outfits, but I’d wanted that Barbie outfit ever since I saw it a few weeks prior. Kinda funny, that – I’d seen it and hoped soooo hard it’d still be there when we had funds. I completely forgot that Barbie clothes tend to linger much longer than MH ones. I just knew that purple and that animal print would look fantastic on Clawdeen. Just had to adjust the fit.

And this one was much easier than the other Barbie dress I adapted to fit Frankie. I put it on Clawdeen inside out, pinning it to fit, then drawing over the pins with a chalk pen I got years ago from a Hancock Fabrics closeout section. It took a couple tries with basting stitches before I got it right, then I sewed it again with tiny stitches. Didn’t even have to touch the Velcro ™ in back. Thinking of adding some black sparkle tulle to the hem, to lengthen it, make the pink stand out a little more, and give it a bit of ‘Solo In The Spotlight’ callback.

The purse that came with it is OK – I think DracuLaura would like it more – and the pink studded belt has a BARBIE buckle on the front, but that’s OK. It’s also where the clasp is, so it can easily be rotated to the back. Shoes, of course, aren’t wearable by the ghouls, but I still have 21 sixth scale dolls, eleven of which can use ‘em. It’s funny how they remind me of Spectra’s boots, they’re about the same color.

Speaking of MH/Barbie connections, you probably already know this, but Mattel’s learned quite a bit from how MH was presented. And the webisodes, for better or worse, are a big part of its early success. So now, Barbie has her own short cartoon web series, called Barbie : Life in the Dreamhouse. It’s actually pretty cute. There’s four episodes so far, and I’m hoping it also does well. Here’s a preview, and a link to the site for you !

I also made a simple slip-on ‘between fittings’ romper out of ribbing I had lying around, and when I make a better one, I’ll share. It’s a bit too loose in the top, so I sewed a ribbon to it to cinch it up. Now I wanna make more. I have so much fun, I can’t find the hours for it all !

(*Malibu Barbie, Malibu Ken, Quick Curl Barbie, Quick Curl Skipper, Ballerina Barbie, Growing Up Skipper, and Sweet 16 Barbie. I tend to count Princess Leia as less a childhood doll and more of a transitional one.)