Dolly Mail News!

Moshi Moshi Annie Hall Shirt

So I was sitting at my desk at work yesterday at 5:00, normally the time I'm running for the door, but instead I'm counting down the seconds to the Moshi Moshi Studio Etsy update. 5:00pm on the dot, 10:00pm UK time, all the goodies are up but there's only one thing I want and it's my second Annie Hall Blythe shirt.

I've learned to think quickly during these updates because I've had several items ripped right of my cart on the way to check out and it is never cool. With the Annie Hall shirt Hilary makes, of which I have become a huge fan, I've learned to look first at the shirt material and then at the tie material. If I like one or the other enough, I grab it. For my last purchase I went for the tie material. This time I went for the shirt. I really love the pattern and the olive green color. Miraculously, it is mine. I would love to say that this is the last one for some time but I just can't. It's almost like winning an auction on ebay! It's just too much of a rush! And I adore these shirts so much! I wish she made them in my size!

Hendrix in her Pom Pom Dress

As if that was not enough, I get a text from my sweety right after I leave work that I have dolly mail at home!!! What could be better? I finally got a Shershe original Pom Pom knit dress! I've been loving them forever and finally got around to contacting her for a commission a few weeks ago. It is the softest, most delicate, floofiest most darling thing ever! I just love looking at it! It is so sweet, I knew it had to go on Hendrix first. But I'm sure she's willing to share. Sherri's Pom Pom dresses are just so sweet and simple, with colors that are just so cheery and textures so dandelion like, they appear to be able to float. I may need one more. I'm hopeless. In the mean time, as per usual, I haven't shopped for myself in ages. LOL!

Hamsa gets her Moshi Moshi

We love this narrow bridge, a photo by Zanalee on Flickr.

Did I mention we finally got our Moshi Moshi Annie Hall shirt in the mail last week! EEEP! I knew immediately it had to go to Hamsa. It's totally her look. After all, as a Punkaholic People Blythe, she literally arrived in a shirt and tie. As well as plaid bondage pants. LOL!

I really love this look on her. But I've always adored Hilary Wagstaff's Blythe style. I appreciate it's departure from mere "dolliness" although I love that aesthetic as well. Hillary's clothes are like clothes I would wear. Her Annie Hall inspired shirts actually made check out some photos on Diane Keaton from the film and it reminded me of how much I just love this look! I love that movie and I love that Diane Keaton was just being herself, wearing what made her feel comfortable and look stylish at the same time.

I actually went through an "Annie Hall" period in High School myself during junior high. Me and a few other girl friends would wear mens shirts, ties and overcoats. One of the greatest times of my life.

New Button Arcade Commssion on it's Way!

Since Button Arcade is no longer posting shop dresses on Flickr as they are made I had to hop on her commission list a few months ago just so I could get one more dress. My name came up just before New Years and she contacted me so that I could let her know what fabric I wanted and what kind of pockets. I adore her monster dresses  and at first said I wanted another but then decided to go with the pull ring pockets instead on this beautiful "Peace" design fabric. She just emailed me the photo today. I LOVE IT!!! I also bought one of Hilary Wagstaffs "Spirit of '72" pieces, a very cool orange butterfly collar blouse with polka dots. It's been a while since I got some Moshi Moshi and I couldn't resist this ode to the 70s. I'm a 70s baby! 75 not 72. LOL!!
Weeee!!! I love anticipating Dolly Mail!

Craft Ambitions

My First Felt Dress

I have creative spurts, peaks, spikes if you will. I have pending doll/craft projects laying about all over at any given time. I have an addiction to newness and I think this explains a great deal of my tendency to collect unfinished projects. Occasionally, the excitement over that newness doesn't last. 
Last night I was struck with the need to attempt several projects at once, but I plan to see them through to completion. I bought several pieces of felt in the craft section at Kinokuniya yesterday. I've been dying to work with felt and when I came upon these fat squares while I was at lunch yesterday, I just grabbed the opportunity. I had a great idea for the beginnings of a simple, seamless Blythe dress so I came home and made a pattern using a couple of dresses I already had. The first one I made was a bit wonky. The second which Hamsa is wearing to the left is closer to what I'm going for. I feel so ashamed being the daughter of a seamstress who graduated and taught at the Paris Academy of Fashion that I don't know a lot of sewing terms so bare with me. I mean the thing is I didn't sew anything, which is exactly my intention. LOL!! I always hated sewing. I would just sketch dresses and get my mom to make them. I think it's probably more that I'm intimidated of sewing then that I hate it. You know how that goes. I am in total awe of designers who are incredibly skilled at sewing like my mom and Valentine Westphal and Hilary Wagstaff  but I never for a second think that I could ever be that good because I would always get really frustrated when I was younger helping my mom with all the needles and bobbins and holding the pieces straight in the sewing machine. I was awful at it But I loved playing with her fabrics and draping them around me and thinking of things they could be used for. I was good at imagining and drawing, not so much execution where fashion was concerned. I made bathing suits for my Barbies which was a simple process of sewing two spandex halves together and turning them inside out. I was lucky if I remembered not to sew the leg holes shut. LOL!!

But ever since I saw this felt exhibition last summer with my cousin at the Cooper Hewitt Museum I've had it in my mind to make a dress for myself or Blythe from felt. I was so impressed by how the felt made garment pieces on display seemed literally molded onto the form and without any sewing or seams because felt takes on the form of the owner eventually and becomes like a kind of fabric sculpture. So anyway, that's what I have in mind for these Blythe dress pieces. I also plan on gluing little designs on them the way mom used to do on felt animals she made for our Christmas tree. She was into creation myths at the time and cut out a bunch of animals that represented those found in the Mayan "tree of life" myth, from the highest winged creatures to the lowest underground serpents. Yes, my mom is one of a kind, really ahead of her time. She glued on sequins for eyes and thin bits of felt for stripes or whatever she saw fit and it was all based on animals from the tree of life that she had seen in this huge  reference book on Ancient Art that she had borrowed from the library. This was combined by all the usual more traditional Christmas tree decorations, lights, icicles, wreaths, fake snow spray. We had a very eclectic tree. : ) 

In addition to the dress, I also spray painted Bowie's eyelids green with a little gold and glued her scalp into her coolcat dome which arrived a day ago finally! I'm super happy so far with how she's coming out. I also decided to work a little bit more on carving her nostrils. I think they look good, although I have no real idea what I'm doing. It's really helped a lot reading Fanny Zara's incredible fashion and customizer interview blogs this week. I just try to look at the work of people whose work I really like, like Melly Kay and Gbaby and others. I always feel that there must be some technique to carving but it seems as if everyone has their own unique way of doing it.  I love the diverse result of all that uniqueness and how special all their dolls look when they are done. They have such a sweet and singular spirit.