And finally... Ghoulia !

Current Mood : Happy.

While shuffling dolls around yesterday, I decided to take the ‘Nanny 911’  Bratzillaz accessory pack cloak off Carlin, my CAM sea monster. Still not sure what I’m gonna do with it, I just can’t take that cape seriously, but the fabric’s too in scale to ditch without a fight. Anyway, the dress underneath wasn’t much to see either. I should know, I made it. That baggy fit on her was just bugging me today, so I wondered if it’d fit the Midnight Magic clones… and it did. Slightly snug across the butt, but I’m not whining. A few other clothing trades later, I had everything about where I wanted it.

And, yeah, two of the three MMagic dolls will also be moving on soon. I wanted to keep them, decided to do so – but got defeated by simple space limits. The shuffling got them both dressed in something I can easily part with, and freed up a Barbie dress for that one cheapie doll I bought for her pants that Dearest Son had running around commando. At least she’s not waist-down nude anymore !

Ginger-kitty and I are gonna fight if she doesn’t stop knockin’ over my dolls and the clock to get into the window. Now that there’s an approximate four inches of space over there, she simply has to be in it if she’s awake. But if all the cats in windows I see throughout the buildings – in our pet-free complex – are any indication, she’s following a basic feline instinct of some sort.

It was a glorious almost spring-like day – no real wind, sunny, and mild. Almost sixty degrees ! It was so nice, I checked the humidity. Spray-painting doll props needs an above 50-degree day with less than 88% humidity, and today was it ! It wouldn’t be this nice for another week. If I wanted the duplicate Operetta single-fashion shoes repainted brown, it was now or wait a while. (grin) Must’ve been Fate, since we had a just-emptied ramen box, ready to go !

I also obtained a second pair of those lavender  ‘chain knit’ Dot Dead Gorgeous  Spectra shoes from Marian, and I love them, but don’t need two pairs the same color. Dearest graciously let me use some of his aubergine car paint for a quick spritz while the spritzing was good. The Operetta shoes came out great as usual, with minimal touch-up. Man, that Fusion ‘Textured Sparkle’ is good stuff. I’m also the owner of a sparkly brown ramen box, which is also quite pretty. It can be argued that Fusion texture paints tend to overwhelm or engulf details, but I honestly hated those shoes, so the less they look like the originals, the more I like ‘em.

The car paint is, of course, model paint, and I’d tell you what the shade and brand is, if Dearest hadn’t ripped off the label when he first used it. I was kind of hoping for a purplish burgundy result, but got more of a deep grape soda color. I’m not complaining ! After the Ghoulia Deluxe Fashions photo shoot’s complete, I’ll snap an image of them, before and after. They should be dry and ‘settled’ by then !

That just leaves one pair unchanged – only because I don’t have what I want for them. I thought I was buying Skull Shores ‘color’ Frankie Stein’s slides, but I didn’t look close enough. They’re actually SS Cleo’s ! Whoops. Oh, well, they were still dirt-cheap, and all I’ll need for a ‘new’ pair is a gold Sharpie. Since most of Cleo’s palette is gold, sea blue, and black, and the original pair is sea blue, I’m gonna use an oil Sharpie pen to make her a gold pair. Soon as I get to an office supply place or stationery section that 1) sells individual pens and 2) has gold in stock. Should check Hobby Lobby when I get to go next, although I haven’t a clue when that will be. That tone tends to sell out quickly around here. Anyway, I think they’ll look great gold. Won’t Nefera be sooo jealous ?

With all that sprayin’ goin’ on, Dearest decided to paint one of his cars, and we finally used up the aubergine. We used the Fusion on the interior. It already looks better than the metallic blue exterior and black interior that it came with !

And I finally cracked open the last of the Deluxe Fashion Packs I bought last year – the one I most wanted, Ghoulia’s ! I think her ‘casual’ selection looks pretty good on her. Although I really hate the ‘drip’ motif, it’s really neat on these pants. May have to remove her shirt’s ‘brain’ bow and re-center it, but I love it, and it’ll coordinate that shirt with about half her Mattel-made separates. I love how simple the collar is. Love the little cherry vest, too, but like the time I tried to sew my own, they tend to sit waaay back on the doll unless it’s made much bigger than this one is.

As for her accessories, for some reason, I like this ‘brain’ purse when I haven’t liked the others, possibly due to its shape. It doesn’t look that much like a brain. More like a purse made from her ‘brain puffs’ snack accessory from the Dead Tired line. I don’t know why Mattel insists on giving her blue or partially blue shoes, possibly to coordinate with her hair, but I’d have rather they just be all black or black and red. Could use them with more dolls and clothes that way. Ah, well, that’s what paint and Sharpies are for – customization !

I still don’t like her earrings. They kinda creep me out, the whole ‘worms and the undead’ thing. What ranks is, they really look adorable on her. I’ve given some thought to sanding down the worm segments and painting them, but that’s a lotta work for a half-penny’s worth of plastic. I’ll probably bag ‘em and throw ‘em in the ‘pitch ditch’.

Tomorrow, her dress ! See ya’ll then ! 

My desks are just *packed*...

Current Mood : Ready to be put away for the night. 

Current Image Notes : Click to embiggen !

Well, the Monster High dolls are moved to my desk – all 41 and three knockoffs of ‘em - I couldn’t get to it ‘til today. There’s a young man’s birthday to plan, a house to clean, class yesterday, therapy tomorrow…whew ! And the shelves *were* clean, but now they’re fulla ponies and die-cast 1-18^th scale cars. Dearest Son will be inheriting the shelves once they’re down, but until then, ‘cause it’s his birthday week, he’s displaying some special toy favorites on them. I think he’s just getting a feel for how he’ll want them set up once the toys and shelves are in his room.

You know, I bought most of those MLP and clone ponies m’self, and I still had no idea he had so many. It’s a herd and a half !

Still cleaning the place since we may have visitors before or after his Saturday party. Plus it just needs doing. I’m nearly caught up ! Another load or two of laundry and a good bathroom cleaning, and that’ll be done, save for routine maintenance between now and then. I’m hoping to get that done tomorrow, and have some time to sew or maybe set up the MH crew a little better. I’m mostly using the wooden desk cubby Beloved Hubby made me shortly after we moved here, with the school playset bleachers, the lunchroom picnic table, and the Coffin Bean sofas and chairs. I even have a ‘Ghoulia Enclave’, which is housing six of my seven favorite zombies. I’m thinking that, on my next ‘me’ day, I’m gonna pull down both the MH and Barbie prop/furniture boxes, arrange everyone, and store the rest.

It’s kinda sad to admit, but I don’t really miss the MH school playset. Something was always getting knocked over in it or pushed over by it, and no matter how I set it up, just by installing the furniture it came with, it was instantly overcrowded. I figured that, if I had more desks, another table, another set of bleachers, I’d enjoy it more, and luckily I found those cheap from Mattel. But it turned out that what I was really having fun with was the desks, the bleachers, and the other props. If it turns out, I haven’t touched the School in six months, I’ll probably sell it. Maybe it’ll be like some other stuff in the line – it’s a shelf-sitter for a couple weeks, then less than a year later, it’s nearly bringing its weight in gold. I still can’t believe Gil Webber brought more than $300. on eBay this winter !

Can’t remember if I mentioned that I’ve pulled five not-very-rare dolls from my own MH herd, and I was planning on keeping my shorn-hair Gloom Beach DLaura as a fitting model. Decided to keep Dawn of the Dance Clawdeen for that instead. I’m lucky enough to have her first three sets of hands – the ‘splayed’ originals, the ‘claw’ rereleases, and the black glove Gloom Beach set – but I need three Clawdeens to use them. Dearest has already said I can borrow his purple-glove Sweet 1600 hands anytime, long as I return them. Since I can’t sell or trade any handless dolls, and it was mostly the short hair on DLaura I favored for fittings anyway, Clawdeen is a better choice.

I know I forgot to say that the patch Beloved affixed to our bed is still holding, thank Everything. I am sooo looking forward to a good night’s sleep tonight !

Every day, I'm shufflin', shufflin'...

Current Mood : Tired and wired. 

Last night, almost for a lark, we decided to swap the locations of my desks and the sofa. I’d get more light, and be out from under the too-hot-for-me vents, we could move the TV from its barely-secure perch, and the sofa would be a lot more comfy for family time away from the bay window.  Whoo. I hope our next lark isn’t so much work ! I had to clear off and clean both my tables, all the supplies under them, and find a place for all my MH dolls. The shelves I had them on couldn’t be installed in the windows ! That’s where the four fabric cubes went. Insulation and display ! Since it doesn’t get direct sunlight, the risk of fading should be minimal, but I’ve blocked the cube backs with cardboard, just in case. The timing was great – with Dearest Son visiting grandparents and Beloved Hubby at work, I’d have all day today to reconfigure my new space ! I’m still finding places for everything.

Since I had to tear it all up to move it, I went through it and cleaned as I went. The box of ‘spare’ fabric and some other craft misc. no one here is ever gonna use is ready for a trip to GoodWill, I finally got over a year’s worth of deceased gnats out of the magnifying lamp,  moved the office supply stuff to where everyone can get to it, and vacuumed. I lost a bit of space, and had to fold the School playset away, but I have to confess, I wasn’t using it nearly as much as I thought I would. It took up a lot more space for less ‘play area’ than I planned on. Can still pull it out anytime, but I kinda feel somehow ‘closer’ to my dolls without it. And with them off the shelves and just an arm’s reach away. 

Another confession. Back when I first got ‘into’ MH, I only had a few – there only were a few ! – and even though I had my own doll/sewing Studio, they were on my desk, constantly. When we moved to a smaller place, they stayed on my desk until I had too many, and even then I rotated the old and new ones all the time. I never really liked putting them on shelves. So I wasn’t expecting things to work out this way, but I’m glad they did !

But first, I had a mess of a house to clean, with days-off piled-up dishes, three bags of trash, and two loads of laundry to take care of before I could get to the ‘fun’ stuff. You can imagine how wiped out I am – and what didn’t get done. Ah, well. At least all my stuff’s out of the hallway and doorframes.

Ghoulia and sleep, my two big obsessions...

Current Mood : Yaaay ! 

Only one problem with sleeping consistently on air mattresses. While they’ve granted me the best sleep I’ve had in possibly ever, after using them every night for about four to six months, they start developing little holes, and you wake up muttering one night, “Can’t sleep…bed will eat me’ because it started deflating at 2am.

We’ve gone through three between us in nearly a year. And about Thursday, ours started giving up its ghost, darn it. Some of the patches worked, but this morning, we both woke up more on the floor than off it. So we headed out to secure a new bed.

You’d think, after yesterday’s total skunking at TRU, that I would barely bother with even checking Mal-Wart’s three-foot-wide MH space. But you also know I did, and they had almost the entire Scaris and Dance Class lines, except for Deuce and Skelita, and all but Cleo from the Photo Day series. I even got to see the very luridly-colored Scaris Café and the not-that-bad new car. Wow. Glad I already bought Operetta’s Dance  outfit, because deciding between her and Scaris Ghoulia would have been tough !

Dance Howleen was briefly a contender, but I really don’t like the character much, so I’d mostly be buying her to have her – and I don’t like her. So, no. Cute as anything, though. I may have a second or third thought over her. Rather glad I didn’t buy the Picture Day DLaura’s outfit, it’s more of a screaming pink than I thought. Seeing the Jinafire dragon doll up-close confirmed my suspicions – she looks more like a bubble-eye goldfish than a dragon to me. Her clothes are awesome, her detailing is superb, but that over-bulging face with the wide, staring eyes just didn’t scream ‘NO ! Me ! You NEED me ! Not Ghoulia ! ‘ to me in any fashion. Even her vaunted shoes just made me yawn. While I applauded (even as I didn’t want yet another *&^%ing Day of the Dead sugar skull MH doll) the elements that made up the Skelita doll, on Jinafire, it looked cliché, lazy, and stereotypical, and therefore boring. Ain’t I ‘Little Mrs. Opinion’ today ?

And you guys know, sure as the sun rose this morning, that the last thing I need is a new Ghoulia. I have seven already, although the duplicate Roller Maze one is on the ‘moving on’ pile. But you also know darn well who came home with us. Like most of the Mal-Wart dolls, there was only one, but that one Scaris Ghoulia is mine ! Yaaay ! Her hand really is up against the box, it’s like she’s trying to get out on her own. How awesome is that ? I got a brand-new Ghoulia to model her brand-new Deluxe Fashion Pack !

And, instead of buying a new bed, we bought a repair kit. It’s holding !  We’ll see how it works out tonight – wish us luck !

Opened the Winx sets today. Gave the purses to Dearest Son – what he does with all these doll purses, I’ll never know – but once I knew the headbands fit, I kept them. They really look cute on MH dolls ! The shoes got a quick boil soak, and while that worked its magic, I went after the wings. If there’s something I might can use on something I buy, I’ll try to – even if I have to tear it up to try !

While they slide easily out of the ‘flutter’ hinges that fit into the dolls’ backs, the heart-shaped plastic bits that remain on the wings was not designed to be removed easily. However, it couldn’t stand long against the determination of an adult with hand tools. Basically used snip-pliers to hack off bits of pink heart until the whole thing gave way to my prying fingernails. Underneath are two convenient holes on each wing that I can use to attach them to any bodice with needle and thread, or use clear elastics or ribbon to secure them to the doll, then arrange clothes around them. I could even use a hot needle or small hole punch to make new holes as needed. So, now I have blue and pink ‘Speedix’ wing sets whenever I want to use ‘em. The third accessory set I didn’t buy yesterday also features primarily pink wings, but they’re orange and yellow where this pair is blue and green.

After all that, I had a good ole fashioned shoe boil. The Winx shoes were just a twinge too tight, so I gathered up those and the LIV footwear, and put the kettle on. I also rounded up enough dolls to mold the shoes and in less time than it takes to type it, five pair were soaked in boiling water and fitted to a doll to dry. Worked perfectly with the Winx and two of the LIV pairs. The other LIV pair is just too small to stretch to what I want, so I’m gonna alter them into slides, fit them to another doll, or something else later.

I’m gonna have a great week ! 

Sweet Sunday !

Current Mood : Rewarded in full. 

Success ! This year, I used my TRU holiday spending rewards – all of ‘em ! Got to run out this morning and have another spinning tour of the store. I don’t know why, but even when I’m trying to make a quick in-and-out trip, it still takes me an hour to spend ten bucks in ‘free’ money.

But I left with three bags fulla stuff, and only spent nine bucks, so I was happy. Ours still has jack-all in the MH aisle – about 20 Dot Dead Gorgeous Lagoonas and three Operettas, several were-cat twin sets, three Scaris Frankies and two Clawdeens, and the full complement of Ghouls Alive, which I played with for a good three minutes. Nothing I wanted, and aside from school and Create A Monster Lab playsets, that was it. Nothin’ in MLP, but I found three different colors of knockoff ponies in the dollar toy bins, and snagged them for Dearest Son. He likes to customize ‘em.

In the bin next to them, I found possibly the last set of MH pencils – five for the dollar – so I snagged those, but passed on the same-priced notepads. Just not much on the ‘skullie’, and I already have one I like in my purse. Wandered around with the same pink shoe Barbie Stardoll I considered last time, but ended up putting her back and choosing two Winx : Speedix Accessory Packs for the shoes, which I’ve now seen on MH dolls. Lingering on a low peg, I spied two LIV doll accessory sets, LIV’n Bright and LIV’n Travel , and took ‘em to the price scanner. I already have the Travel one, it’s where those purple and silver Mary Jane pumps came from. At 48c each, I decided to snag ‘em both, and any pieces I didn’t want or didn’t fit could go to Dearest.

That pretty much completed the tour, but the Christmas markdowns were by the register anyway…90% off ! Not much from which to choose, but there wasn’t much last time either. Ended up snagging four boxes of Spangler cherry-flavored candy canes (a long-time favorite) and four Smartees flavored/colored canes, for 13c and 25c a box, respectively. They had lots more flavors, but I didn’t like most of the rest, and already had a good supply of good ole peppermint canes in, so I left the rest. My cashier said that he didn’t know the candy had gone so low, so he was gonna snag some at breaktime. Hey, candy tastes a lot better when it’s 25c instead of $2.50 ! And with the $10. Rewards coupons, they were even less than that !

Dearest loved his surprise ponies, and I had candy bars from the grocery store – my second stop – for both of them. Hey, when Hershey’s Special Dark is 60c at the register, it’s easy to please your guys ! I was looking forward to a Smartee cane and a quick nap.

The doggie cloak and pet dish that came in the LIV sets made Dearest happy, too, since the cloak fit his ponies, and the big pink purse went well with DLaura’s outfit. I was happy to see the sunglasses fit the MH face perfectly. Haven’t opened the Winx sets yet, but he’ll score some purses from those, too. I hope to figure out a way to integrate the Winx wings into some clothes or something, just for fun. I got the Bloom – blue bow shoes – and Flora – pink bows –ones, since I don’t really think I’ll use the bright yellow low boots from the remaining Stella one. At least, not without spray paint, and I don’t really wanna pay full price for something I don’t really like, just to alter it and still not really like it.

Smartees candy canes are really delicious. I look forward to us enjoying the remaining 46 ! 

Starving in a Giant Peach

Current Mood : Hungry. 

Current Image Notes : Click to embiggenate !

You’d think that, with all the new, licensed MH doll clothes I bought over the holidays last year – not to mention not-holidays all through the year ! – and the limited styles of patterns out there, I wouldn’t be much into sewing some weeks. While it’s true that there are some days I just know it’s not a good time to pick up a needle in any form, most days I’m eager to try a new technique, or I’ve been inspired by something that caught my ever-scanning eyes.

One thing I was averting my eyes from today was a viewing of James and the Giant Peach on Netflix. Read the story in grade school, didn’t like it. To me, it was one of those tales that meanders around for a while, characters have a weak sort of adventure, then it’s over, there’s no real point to it, and while the status quo may have changed, it’s not much. Oooh, neglected orphan kid is revealed to be virtually homeless. Does he really have a home at story’s end ? It just sort of…ended, without much resolution. Sorry, but I need to believe that a character I just spent two hours caring about isn’t gonna starve on the street now that the fantasy sequence is over. But that was Dearest Son’s choice, and since I’d already watched two Law & Order episodes, I couldn’t complain. Didn’t mean I had to watch it, though.

Anyway. About the only thing I remember from the story was that the boy and bugs decide to eat some of their peachy conveyance while they’re flying / sailing in it, because it was the only food source and they probably couldn’t eat enough to keep it from flying / floating. I remembered this while I was standing in front of the four plastic milk crates stuffed fulla fabric, about a foot away from two boxes of more, with yet another in the bedroom, concealed in a nightstand. I was trying to decide what to use for a new creation, bemoaning my lack of recent trips to fabric centers, when I realized it. I was standing in front of my own giant peach, but by refusing to use any of it for fear of screwing things up, was starving my creativity. And enthusiasm.  

No fabric in my ‘holdings’ is so rare, I can’t get more or something similar. In fact, 99.9% of it isn’t even sentimental, and less than a quarter of it I own simply because it’s got stars on it. And it’s not like I have a bunch of six-inch squares. Most of that’s a half-yard or more. Ya’ll know how many doll outfits you can make with a half yard of fabric ? Enough so that even your doll is tired of it ! And still have more to make duplicates of for sales or trades. Sure, some of the stash is difficult to work with, but I already know most of the tricks – or can easily look up any questions I have, both online and in books I can’t bear to be without. (sigh) I probably have a running surplus of sewing books, too…

In fact, one box is nothing but ‘spare’ fabric, which I decided to keep instead of donate, to use on first-drafts and experiments that can be wrecked and tossed without a care. It’s so ridiculous, it’s nearly obscene. I think of this comic and realize I’m making excuses, not new things. I’m wasting time instead of enjoying it.  

So don’t be surprised to read that I’ve heaved a box of ‘scrap’ fabric to a recycling/donation center soon, and you start seeing better ones in finished items, even as fails. I’m gonna eat some of this peach before it rolls over me !

Anyway. Here’s Operetta’s second Deluxe fashion, and I love it. While the prototype photos showed this as a much more subdued print, I rather like it this way. It’s hard to tell from photos, but the collar is purple metallic fabric, and is gorgeous. In fact, the little purple shrug actually took away from the dress by hiding the collar, so I ‘hung’ it up in the background. It’s a cute little thing, but it didn’t go with yesterday’s outfit and doesn’t work here, so it’ll probably turn up later.

The dress is inexpensive satin, but it shines and is really full and pretty. The swirly black design on the skirt is the same as her earrings and that awful mask-thing. As an abstract heart, it’s pretty, but swirled around too much and it looks like wrought iron. (giggle) Or rot-iron. In fact, if I had to compare, it’s like the single-pack fashions are more ‘Jem’ and the deluxe ones are more ‘Vintage Barbie’. The Deluxe fit is better, the style is more subdued, but classic, and they’re more elegant than edgy. However, the single packs have better shoes and wilder colors, so why not enjoy it all !

Her belt is OK, but like the shrug, I don’t see me using it much. The ‘dice’ motif is nearly as yawn-inducing to me as Ghoulia’s ‘drip’ one. What I really like is her purse strap. Sure, the purse looks more like a canteen than a handbag, but the strap easily detaches, and can be worn any way you like with just a bit of ribbon tying things up in the back, or a jump ring and chain if you wanna add some metal to it. Sure, it’s like Ghoulia’s issue belt, but no buckle, so you don’t hafta worry about this part being in front or anything. I really like how versatile it can be.

And Memphis had to get in the act as soon as Operetta sat down. Something about tuffets…

Good Golly, Miss Operetta !

Current Mood : Hungry

I tell ya’ll, being on a doll diet’s a PITA, but I’m sure you’re already well aware of that. Mostly because, like everybody else, I really enjoy looking forward to a sort-of surprise in the ole mailbox. Yeah, I want new goodies, who doesn’t, but possibly the whole reason I still waste time with eBay is because I rather like the anticipation, and it can cost under five bucks. And let’s face it, the stuff I want is the same stuff *everybody* wants, so it’s unlikely to appear dirt-cheap on a message board lot. Heck, I told Marian which five dolls were moving on, and four out of five were the same ones she let go ! I’m really not anything special, at least in MH circles…

Anyway…the day after I got the shoes I bought so cheep from her - and she tossed in a couple bonus surprises ! – I did a Pinecone survey and got my eBay Bucks. Time to go shoppin’ ! Originally, I was gonna snag DracuLaura’s Picture Day dress, even though the seller was a bit confusing about whether or not the ‘accessories’, like the jewelry and such, were included or sold separately. It was in the photo, but I always read the text and if it doesn’t say ‘everything in the photo’ or ‘this, that, and the other is included in this auction’, I’m hesitant about buying, ‘cause I’m not sure what I’m getting. Plus, I really could make that outfit m’self. I’ve done yoke and ruffled skirts, about the only difference is the hemline print. And the plastic Minnie Mouse headband bow. Can now make ‘em out of forked ribbon, but I still lack that all-important plastic injection molder.

So I snagged Operetta’s Dance Class outfit instead. Like Robecca’s, it’s mostly a leotard with a fluffy overskirt, so I can use it as the character’s swimwear. I don’t like her shoes with that one, so I was glad to find a cheaper set without ‘em, but I got the awesome lavender ‘mask’ and hairbow, which I do like. Subtracting my eBay Bucks and Pinecone survey money put the price low enough to where I’m not gonna groan much about it – it’s actually lower than my target price. Yaay ! It still kinda ranks to grow accustomed to pay 2/3 of a doll’s shelf MSRP for just her clothes, no doll, no shoes, no packaging, but it’s still cheaper than hunting for and buying the whole doll. It’s been like that since ’10, so I shouldn’t whine about it now. I just get spoiled when I can snag awesome shoes from person-to-person sales (if I’m fast enough !) - then see that sellers on eBay want $10. for what I just paid $3. for. And anyway, now I have something else to look forward to !

And like the perpetual motion machine it is, I earned 20c in eBay Bucks for future purchases. (sigh) I’ll use it, of course. I’ve got plenty of time, since they’re not issued ‘til April.

Made my decision about the Midnight Magic knockoff girls. I see it as kinda like having a nice Nefera, but in triplicate – it’s good to have a doll that’ll fit stuff that’s just a twinge too big. They’re kinda pretty and unique, and I can easily share those with our younger visitors. Like any other doll, if they break, well, I can fix or decide from there what to do – it’s borrowing trouble to not touch them out of fear. Probably do a little customization. The one with the grey skintone and black hair would be so pretty in a pageboy, and ya’ll know how I am with super-long doll  hair. It usually gets braided up or cut…but I’m really thinking of making them my own Scarily Ever After dolls – I got a brunette Rapunzel and a grey Snow White anytime I want ‘em ! Of course, if you think MH dolls have limited footwear options, that’s nothin’ on these MM girls. So far, they fit Moxie Teenz and Spice Girl doll boots and can wear the MH guys’ shoes, but they look bad on ‘em.

Decided to take a little time after lunch to sew, so I dug for the Shananigan sheath dress pattern and sewed it with maybe a 1/8-inch seam. It’s funny that I can sew those narrow seams, but I can’t even start a good 1/8-inch hem at all. I messed up the darts right at the start, and took them a bit too big, but in the end, the simple strapless sheath fit the MM girls just fine. Lagoona’s mom is still wearing a very loose Barbie sheath, so I’ll probably sew her up something soon. You’ll get to see all that after Operetta’s Deluxe pack !

As for that…it’s nice. I like Operetta’s shoes in this one – I haven’t liked many since her signature edition – although they’re dice and spider-web themed, it hardly shows, so I can share them with other dolls. No need to mention that I am a complete and total sucker for bow-toe shoes. Same for her clothes – she and Ghoulia can share darn near anything, since they both use most of the same palette. The skirt is a denim-like fabric that doesn’t stretch, and I love the stitch decoration. It’s quite similar to the stitches on Lagoona’s Skull Shores outfit, but for some reason, on Operetta, nearly the same pattern puts me in mind of the gates of Graceland. Her gorgeous blouse is stretchy, and it can be snugged up high or pushed down low. I could even adjust the size of the top fold-over strip a bit. Her earrings kept falling out, but they’re cute…unlike those weird glasses !

I’m sure they’ll seat easier on a doll without her ‘victory roll’ hairstyle, but on one with it intact, it’s a shove and a push to even get them to her ears. I’ve seen the glasses appear on several ‘grab bag’ sales lots, and now I know why – they’re not particularly attractive, they don’t sit on the doll’s face well, they’re hard to put on and position, and they cover waaay too much of her smoky, black-velvet-painting eyes. So, this is probably one of the few photos of it you’ll ever see, my pair will most likely become very familiar with the inside of the ‘ditch bin’ later tonight.  

On the whole, though, I like this set. Tomorrow’s dress is lovely, and I think today’s ensemble is perfect for a Friday evening out with the ghouls, and well-suited to the character. Glad I bought all the ones I liked !