Plushie dolls and randomness
May. 31st, 2012 02:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladybug_archiveSome morons graffitied our brick wall! Dad called the police and the officer took a picture for their files. And a group's going to be around to clean it off. But seriously, ugh. Things like that make me all the angrier at street gangs and all the more understanding of Lieutenant Schrank's frustrations.
And as much as I love West Side Story and feel that the gang members shouldn't be villainized, I also don't think they should be hailed as heroes. I find it concerning when I read about kids who wanted to be Jets or Sharks after seeing the production. Seeing it should make them realize how stupid being in a gang is. Gangs don't respect other people's property when they plaster graffiti everywhere (or do any number of other asinine things). No, the streets are not theirs alone. No, someone's brick wall isn't theirs at all! They have no right.
We were gone most of yesterday. We discovered that the biggest free-standing F.Y.E. to us is gone, due to their lease being bought out by another company that charged them too much. And they have no hope of relocating unless the economy situation gets better; it's just too expensive for them everywhere.
I'm rather heartbroken that it's gone. That means the only F.Y.E. near us is the dinky, more expensive one in the mall. We'll hardly ever be able to visit a free-standing one again. And F.Y.E. had the best selection of Sonic and Mario and anime merchandise! The mall version is just too small to have much of that at all. And being in the mall means that what they do have is mostly several dollars more than in their free-standing stores.
All we're getting in its place is a Dick's Sporting Goods store. That is not a good trade. There's sports stores everywhere. (And it doesn't help that I hate sports.) But there was only one store like F.Y.E., and that's the one F.Y.E. replaced.
Why, why, why did Dick's have to buy F.Y.E.'s lease?! There's even a perfectly good and vacant building right next to them! Why couldn't Dick's have taken that? Then they could have moved in and F.Y.E. could have stayed!
I am quite giddy and squeeful about something I found while out and about, though. We went to the Jo-Ann's Fabric store in that shopping area. It's so much bigger and better than one we visited last week. I found a couple of possibilities for the skin color and fabric for the plushie I'm going to make, but then Mom found something even better: a cloth doll already sewn and ready to be customized into whatever character you want! And it's 18 inches, which is so much bigger than I thought I'd be able to make if I sewed it all myself! I saw those at Jo-Ann's before, but all memory of them had fled my mind when I decided to embark on this challenge. It was only $7.99, too! Of course I snapped it right up.
It feels lovely and soft, perfect for gentle cuddling. It says it's for decorative use and isn't a toy, but I wouldn't be using it as a toy. And I imagine Setsunakou's plushies are really meant for decorative purposes too, and they've held up extremely well under my loving.
So, now all I have to do is make the clothing and figure out what to do about the hair. I don't want to lazily glue hair on; I want this to be lasting. Does anyone have tips or ideas for what to do about hair?! And also what materials I could use for hair? I don't really want something simple like yarn. I want something more real. Medium brown and a bit curly, too. I know there's doll hair at Jo-Ann's, but it looks very complicated to work with. I'd rather have something already attached to a backing, and then I would just need to sew it all in place.
I was sure a doll community was spotlighted recently on LJ. Was that doll-making or dolls in general? I thought it was the former. I would really like to talk to other people about what I specifically want, rather than just reading generic doll hair articles online.
Making the face, luckily, should not be a problem at all. So all I'm concerned about is the hair, really. The clothing I should be able to figure out fairly easily.
And as a parting, something a bit uncanny and eerie. I first started wanting this plush last August after I had a dream where I was watching The Ballad of Josie and holding said plush. And in the dream, the plush was about 18 inches. I was thinking how amazing that would be, to have one that big. I'd never be able to order one that size. I had no thoughts of making it myself at that time, or at all until a few weeks ago.
And now the doll I found to customize really is 18 inches. Wow. Seriously, I believe that dreams can and sometimes do foretell the future, but even about something as overall insignificant as making a plushie?
Also, I think maybe I'll be able to write my June theme set after all. I completed the first one, and I didn't feel drained! I'm thrilled. Maybe all it took was a little determination to not let those worn-out feelings take over.
And as much as I love West Side Story and feel that the gang members shouldn't be villainized, I also don't think they should be hailed as heroes. I find it concerning when I read about kids who wanted to be Jets or Sharks after seeing the production. Seeing it should make them realize how stupid being in a gang is. Gangs don't respect other people's property when they plaster graffiti everywhere (or do any number of other asinine things). No, the streets are not theirs alone. No, someone's brick wall isn't theirs at all! They have no right.
We were gone most of yesterday. We discovered that the biggest free-standing F.Y.E. to us is gone, due to their lease being bought out by another company that charged them too much. And they have no hope of relocating unless the economy situation gets better; it's just too expensive for them everywhere.
I'm rather heartbroken that it's gone. That means the only F.Y.E. near us is the dinky, more expensive one in the mall. We'll hardly ever be able to visit a free-standing one again. And F.Y.E. had the best selection of Sonic and Mario and anime merchandise! The mall version is just too small to have much of that at all. And being in the mall means that what they do have is mostly several dollars more than in their free-standing stores.
All we're getting in its place is a Dick's Sporting Goods store. That is not a good trade. There's sports stores everywhere. (And it doesn't help that I hate sports.) But there was only one store like F.Y.E., and that's the one F.Y.E. replaced.
Why, why, why did Dick's have to buy F.Y.E.'s lease?! There's even a perfectly good and vacant building right next to them! Why couldn't Dick's have taken that? Then they could have moved in and F.Y.E. could have stayed!
I am quite giddy and squeeful about something I found while out and about, though. We went to the Jo-Ann's Fabric store in that shopping area. It's so much bigger and better than one we visited last week. I found a couple of possibilities for the skin color and fabric for the plushie I'm going to make, but then Mom found something even better: a cloth doll already sewn and ready to be customized into whatever character you want! And it's 18 inches, which is so much bigger than I thought I'd be able to make if I sewed it all myself! I saw those at Jo-Ann's before, but all memory of them had fled my mind when I decided to embark on this challenge. It was only $7.99, too! Of course I snapped it right up.
It feels lovely and soft, perfect for gentle cuddling. It says it's for decorative use and isn't a toy, but I wouldn't be using it as a toy. And I imagine Setsunakou's plushies are really meant for decorative purposes too, and they've held up extremely well under my loving.
So, now all I have to do is make the clothing and figure out what to do about the hair. I don't want to lazily glue hair on; I want this to be lasting. Does anyone have tips or ideas for what to do about hair?! And also what materials I could use for hair? I don't really want something simple like yarn. I want something more real. Medium brown and a bit curly, too. I know there's doll hair at Jo-Ann's, but it looks very complicated to work with. I'd rather have something already attached to a backing, and then I would just need to sew it all in place.
I was sure a doll community was spotlighted recently on LJ. Was that doll-making or dolls in general? I thought it was the former. I would really like to talk to other people about what I specifically want, rather than just reading generic doll hair articles online.
Making the face, luckily, should not be a problem at all. So all I'm concerned about is the hair, really. The clothing I should be able to figure out fairly easily.
And as a parting, something a bit uncanny and eerie. I first started wanting this plush last August after I had a dream where I was watching The Ballad of Josie and holding said plush. And in the dream, the plush was about 18 inches. I was thinking how amazing that would be, to have one that big. I'd never be able to order one that size. I had no thoughts of making it myself at that time, or at all until a few weeks ago.
And now the doll I found to customize really is 18 inches. Wow. Seriously, I believe that dreams can and sometimes do foretell the future, but even about something as overall insignificant as making a plushie?
Also, I think maybe I'll be able to write my June theme set after all. I completed the first one, and I didn't feel drained! I'm thrilled. Maybe all it took was a little determination to not let those worn-out feelings take over.
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no subject
Date: 2012-05-31 09:25 pm (UTC)That is not a good trade.
...Aurgh, that sounds just as bad as what happened here in my hometown. We had little video game shop that had such an incredible selection and variety. It was bought out and replaced by a tobacco shop. *mutters Haddockisms* I feel your pain...
That's awesome that you got the pre-sewn doll, though! (...Did you mention which character you were making a doll of?) And wow, the dream... neat.
And yay, glad you didn't feel drained after the first fic!
no subject
Date: 2012-06-01 07:43 am (UTC)Blech! That's disgusting. **hugs.**
(I haven't. I think only one person knows, and that's just because I've been throwing around my non-profit merchandise ideas for the character and showing her my designs for keychains and shirts and the like. But it's Hamilton. Probably no big surprise there, but yeah.)
Yeah, the dream thing. That really leaves me scratching my head. But I am amused and intrigued.
Me too! Now I have yet another plunnie for something else, though. I have so many I'm wondering how to juggle them all and the theme set as well.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-31 09:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-01 07:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-06-01 02:00 am (UTC)I am very sorry about the F.Y.E. We don't have any in our area, but I used to visit one fairly often while traveling and they had a marvelous selection of goodies. Here's hoping they find the money to open another free-standing store nearby.
Plushie progress? Yay!
no subject
Date: 2012-06-01 07:37 am (UTC)Yes, F.Y.E. is just an amazing store! Thank you; I certainly hope they will.
Much yay! I found some clothing fabric tonight, so I'll be tinkering with that soon.
no subject
Date: 2012-06-01 03:28 am (UTC)Also, Dick's. .______. My brother used to work for one. It was not a store I cared to browse often.
Congrats on finding the doll! I'm wondering if faux fur would be something worth looking into...I know people have used it for hair on plush toys, and you can sew it onto things easily.
no subject
Date: 2012-06-01 07:32 am (UTC)Blech.
Yeah, I was wondering about the possibilities of faux fur! If I could find something the right color, I might go for it. Gah, I wish I could remember the name of this one fabric place we went to that had tons of fake fur. It was years ago, when Dad was wandering around to places like that with semi-frequency. I'll have to check the phone book for fabric places.
no subject
Date: 2012-06-04 04:07 am (UTC)I find that kind of cool about the dream. I have those moments before too and they can be unsettling, in a cool way.
Oh, and this sounds random, especially for a comment, but I recall that you made one of your icons for your journal. FFN is rolling out this new thing that you can make "book covers" for your stories and I would love to do that, but I suck with technology. How did you do yours and/or can you steer me to a source where you can make images? Thanks.
no subject
Date: 2012-06-04 09:26 am (UTC)Indeed. I semi-frequently have such moments. Such as dreaming about watching YGO sometime before I even knew what it was. That gave me a start later when the dream fulfilled.
Book covers?! That is totally awesome.
Icon-making is something I do off and on when I really want an icon and don't want to bother someone to make it for me. I just use the program that we have because my dad bought it years ago: Paint Shop Pro. I've heard that PhotoShop is better, but it's so insanely expensive that it's always been out of the question. I'm not sure if there's a program you can get free online or not. Some people can do incredible things with only MS Paint, but I'm not one of them.