Stitcher Nilyara

Since my smaller dolls aren't as easy to compare as my 1/3 scale dolls but people still seemed interested I'm going to show off the Pure Neemo dolls first. These are 1/6 scale dolls made by Azone International and mine are a mix of regular Pure Neemo dolls and Pure Neemo Flection dolls, which have redesigned joints including double-jointed knees. There is also another design Azone do in this scale called Q'z but I don't have any of these since I've only seen doll bodies for sale so far and no complete Q'z dolls.

Overall, these are all decently poseable mechanical joint dolls with nicely detailed outfits and a variety of designs. Their hair can be a bit waxy due to the way they're styled, and is fixed to the doll's head rather than a wig, but can easily be neatened up if you have a suitably small comb. I got one designed for these guys which cost me a whole 300 yen.

First off, here is the first one I got: Rebecca.

She's from their Alvastaria range which are fantasy themed. She's a little weird to pose because of how her neck joint is made and her soft vinyl head, so she is reluctant to turn her head. I really like her hat even though it sometimes squashes her hair a bit.

These two are Tieo (the boy) and Tia (the girl), also from the Alvastaria range. I got them together though they were sold separately (and when they arrived, Tieo's leg had detached but thankfully it was just a joint that had come loose and he's been fine since). There are some really nice details in their outfits if you look closely.

This one is Koron, who I think is from a short line called Melty Cute. It was exceptionally awkward to get her coat on as I left her hands attached when I did and her fingers kept snagging on the seams. I didn't want to try detaching the hands at the time though as I didn't know then if they could be safely detached (they can). She also has a lot of ribbons, which thankfully stayed done up.

Next we have Funada Kiito and Yuzuha. I don't remember what line Yuzuha and her cute little bonnet are from, but Funada is from the Assault Lily line. The Assault Lilies all wear outfits with a military hint to them, and some of the others have weapons. Funada instead has a belt that puts me in mind of a gun belt, but no weapons or a holster. Interestingly, she's the first here whose eyes aren't painted on - they're made of resin instead.

This is Mebae. I have forgotten which range she is from, but she's the other one with resin eyes, which go well with her dress. She can be a little tricky to pose due to her platform shoes, so whilst I'm typing this she is actually sat on a shelf above the PC.

Then last but not least...

A Pure Neemo doll of Nyaruko, from Haiyore! Nyaruko-san. It's an extremely silly anime that I rather enjoyed for all of the Cthulhu Mythos references (including some of the dafter elements like the Night-Gaunts tickling people with their strange rubbery hands). She's the only Pure Neemo doll I have who is from a specific piece of media and came with a few different hand options and everything she needs to engage in her special martial art, Space CQC. The ahoge is also stiff enough to stay in position but never quite goes where I want.

Since the eyelashes for her arrived at the start of this week (and the weather has started to cool down, my gods I am not built for this weather) I spent my Friday afternoon re-doing some of Maria's makeup. Before we start, here is Maria's face before changing anything. The original eyelash design I added is a stylised design based on the painted eyelashes on standard model Dollfie Dreams, 1/3 Azone dolls, and Smart Dolls.

Step one is then to remove the paint where I want to replace it. I used Volks' eco paint remover for this since I knew this would be suitable to do it without damaging the vinyl. The technique here is to dip a cotton bud (a q-tip for those of you on the other side of the Atlantic) into the solution and gently wipe this across the area to be cleaned. This meant I could be fairly precise with what I wanted to remove, so I've kept most of her eyeliner and eyeshadow along with some of the blush on her cheeks.

I didn't remove all of the colour from her lips either since the cotton bud couldn't get deep enough to remove the deeper shading and I stopped before fully removing the lip colour.

Then we get to the new makeup! I did the lips first, making use of what the Volks video I learned them from called "smile techniques" and using a colour gradient to make the lips look a little more realistic. The key change here is adding extra shading and shaping the colour at the corners of the mouth so the edges of the mouth look upturned, making Maria look a little more cheerful.

The eyelashes were tricky as I needed to keep re-pointing my brush but thinning the paint a bit (as well as using a slightly brownish grey rather than solid black) helped a lot. Lastly came the glued-on eyelashes, which was by far the trickiest part and so I'd advise only doing this if you're confident of your skill with fine work. I added a flexible fabric glue with a pin and placed the sections of eyelashes in place with fine tweezers. Just to make sure, I also added extra glue on either side to secure the lashes once the initial glue had dried.

So now we come to the big reveal, here is Maria with her new makeup!

I'm so pleased with the result, she looks extremely cute with the new makeup! I think the only change I might make is adding some gloss to her lips at some point (even if I can find it, I think the old pot of Citadel gloss varnish in my cupboard has solidified so I will need to get some new gloss varnish) to make her lips look a little more realistic, much as Volks do with their Super Dollfie faces.

I'm going to a steampunk event tomorrow, so here's a quick picture of my outfit (I know my eyes look a bit weird here, insomnia sucks). Most of it is things I've worn before, but I have added a cool extra accessory. Since it's a steampunk *and fantasy* event, I have got a fairy (played by a doll I have named Misty) contained in a jar. Why is she stuck in a jar you ask? She knows what she did, I can't trust her to fly freely or there'll be mischief again.

I've had a bunch of parts for custom nendoroid dolls hanging around for about...too long, and I'm getting antsy waiting for some Dollfie parts from Volks to be in stock, so what better time to finally do something with the nendoroid bits?

This particular face is one that has separate eyes, so I've painted it with the eyes removed. Since I'm planning to do something similar on a larger doll soon, I've tried to paint the doll's eyelashes too but I think I need more practice to get them perfect.

The overall result once the eyes and wig (which I made by hand a while ago) are added is quite good, and I like the way she looks with her darker blue eyes and pale eyeshadow. I'm naming my custom nendoroid dolls after flowers, so this is Snowdrop.

I had a little trouble with her body as I switched the standard limbs with longer ones and the left elbow joint is a bit weak (so I did have to reattach her forearm a couple of times). I'm very pleased with the way her outfit goes with the face design and the subtle effect of the glitter in her makeup definitely adds to her look.

Maria has been enjoying the recent sunny weather.

I wasn't sure about keeping Maria's clothes in a box, so I made a miniature clothes rack a few weeks ago for her to keep things on (including making a former for the clothes hangers so they're all more or less identical). It's pretty simple, being made from a length of dowel and a single plank of wood cut into four lengths, but it does the job well. It also fits into my wardrobe so the clothes don't get dusty and I can keep them with the carry case I got for her.

Something I have been thinking of doing for a while and that I'm happy doing with Maria due to the customisability of dollfies is giving a doll a tattoo. So here is Maria waiting to get started...

After about an hour of careful painting, I'm quite pleased with the result and I think Maria is too.

The design is three hawthorn blossoms, symbolising hope, and also just looking pretty and pink. It's turned out really well and I'm pretty glad I decided to give it a go.

The lighting makes it a little harder to see the fainter parts of the design, but it's turned out well.

I also had a bit of a scare with her earlier as I picked her up and her leg swung back and forth freely. Fortunately after closer inspection it was just that my frequent reposing had caused her left hip joint to slide loose, so I just had to line up the parts of the joint and push it back in. Thanks to the diagrams in the maintenance guide that came with the doll I knew beforehand what the joint looked like partly undone.

So, panic averted and she's now just watching my computer screen whilst I'm gaming.

I used some irridescent acrylic medium I got recently which added a bit of sparkle to the paint. It's not quite actually irridescent but does produce a nice effect.

After about half an hour of careful painting and four layers of paint, her nails and toenails are a lovely rich purple.

I tested the acrylic medium beforehand to see how it looked and I'm definitely going to use it on another doll in future. I have decided what dolls I want to get, but I have a few bits and pieces I need to buy for my house first (in particular my lawn has so much moss I have deemed it a lost cause) so they won't be arriving any time soon.

Now her manicure and pedicure are done, Maria is just chiling out watching me sew a skirt for her.

I'm going to try encouraging myself to get properly making things again by sharing pictures when I finish things rather than trying to do long photoshoots I'll never actually get around to doing.

So here is a pair of trousers I finished today, with decorative cordwork (based loosely on shibari ties) done by adding a bunch of eyelets to strips on the sides and waistband. I think the pattern needs a few tweaks (you may notice I'm holding the flies together because the waistband is too short and I couldn't get a buttonhole in) but it's not too bad for the first slim fitted trousers I've made.

Quick photo of Maria with the book I nearly got her name from.

Since last actually posting on here I've not been making as much stuff as I'd like on account of a variety of things (including but not limited to moving house, professional exams, messing up my foot and not being able to walk properly for months, lack of space before I moved, and THE HORRORS), but I have now gotten myself some nice things (like my own house!) and some of the larger dolls I've been coveting for ... some time.

Since I didn't see much comparing dolls when I started, I feel like posting some photos and talking about what the different dolls are like and what I think of them. I'm only going to talk about the 1/3 scale dolls here though, especially as there are so many more out there when you look at smaller dolls. TL;DR: If you want to get a Japanese internal frame doll, I recommend the Dollfie Dream (and its assorted variants).

So I don't just ramble I'm going to try to look at how easy it is to get the doll, customisability, posability, repairability, and general looks and quality.

First doll, the most affordable - the Azone International dolls.

This is Kaede J. Nouvelle, from Azone's Assault Lily line. The basic doll body is fairly standard - I have a few Azone dolls and the differences are mostly in bust size, though there is a bit of variation in height. Azone have a few different lines of dolls each with a different set of styles, with Assault Lily and Black Raven being slightly military-esque (one of my dolls actually has a revolver), Iris Collect which are a set of four characters (I have Noix, the bookworm), Happiness Clover, and some others. Each doll is a specific character design though, so although you can buy other outfits you're limited to a particular set of characters.

The quality is nice, though not all of them have resin eyes (some have printed eyes instead) and the joints don't move as smoothly as I would like, so they can be a bit awkward to pose. They do have magnets in their heels however, which together with the metal plate that comes with the doll makes them easier to stand and display.

They're the least expensive of the lot, being around ￥55K to ￥65K including the outfit, and although Azone don't sell directly outside of Japan (making their name a bit ironic) there are plenty of other sellers like Ami Ami. If the doll gets damaged it is possible to buy replacement parts though again this has to be through a secondary seller (I've heard Hobby Search is decent) and the stock tends to be low, HOWEVER you can actually weld the internal frame back together with suitable solvent glues. I repaired a broken ankle joint on one of mine using a solvent called MEK but I'd advise caution here as it's pretty powerful stuff and you do need to be careful with strong solvents!

Next up, the recommended one: The Dollfie Dream, made by Volks.

This is Maria, my custom Dollfie Dream Sister (the DDS being a slightly shorter doll than the regular Dollfie Dream). DDs come in a few different variants (there are also Dollfie Dream Boys, but I think these are only available from their licensed dolls like the doll of 9S from NieR: Automata that they made several years ago) with different heights and proportions, and though you can buy a complete doll you can also buy the required parts to make a custom doll as I have here (and I painted her makeup myself, please ignore the smudge on her lipstick). The options include different face sculpts, wigs, and eye designs too.

The pre-made characters are priced around ￥50K to ￥55K, but this doesn't include the doll's outfit. It's very easy to purchase both directly from Volks, either from their Japanese site (if like me you're in Europe) or their US site (if you're in the US). It's easy to get replacement parts from them too, and the doll is a lot easier than others to switch out parts (and comes with a guide).

The joints are smooth to move and the doll holds a pose well. Maria is also the most posable large doll I own and can almost (but not quite) sit cross-legged. The outfits are really nice quality and well-fitted too. Overall, a really nice doll that I would recommend. I don't think Maria will be my last doll from Volks.

Lastly, the frustrating one: The Smart Doll/SMArt Doll, made by Smart Doll Inc/Mirai Inc/Culture Japan/whatever name they happen to be using now (it's changed a few times).

This is Pippa, a Smart Doll - specifically the Pride Prowess design. There are a variety of designs with two different body types (the slim original one and a plumper "pear body" design, though they do sell male dolls again now and for some reason the sculpt has ripped abs). There are a lot of designs but you can't get alternate wigs or replace parts besides different bust options and a few other options like prosthetic limbs.

These dolls don't use a regular friction mechanism and instead have a ratchet mechanism in most of the joints, so the doll holds a pose very well but is a nightmare to actually get into a pose. I've also been a bit concerned about potential wear, because the doll *cannot be repaired*. Smart Doll Inc don't sell replacement bits and the complexity of the internal frame mechanisms mean you can't really weld together parts like you can with some others. These are also the most expensive of the dolls here, being around ￥52K-￥60K without the outfit, and their clothes (at least when I last checked) are pricier than for the other dolls. The design of the clothes is also unlike the way clothes for a doll are normally designed. They're designed like human clothes, which makes them difficult to put on the doll and it is expected that you'll need to dismember the doll (in particular removing the head and arms) to dress them, which is quite nerve-wracking to do.

The quality is decent though I personally feel the legs and neck are too long (for comparison, Pippa is about an inch taller than Maria when stood but when sat down Maria is around half an inch taller, because Smart Dolls are pretty leggy).

Then we get to how easy it is to get the doll and I have to mention the guy who runs Smart Doll Inc and I think does everything for their English-speaking customerbase (he lives in Japan but is originally from London IIRC so English is his first language). When I bought Pippa, after answering a questionnaire to prove that I'd read through the Smart Doll website and wasn't making an impulse purchase (weird but okay) I received an email with a list of questions saying that if I didn't respond soon enough or correctly then my order would be refunded. I had to reply with a short essay responding to it all to actually get the doll I'd ordered. Another detail I didn't mention earlier is that there are a lot of items on the Smart Doll website you can only see if you have previously bought the doll.

Never before have I encountered a company that seem so reluctant to sell their products. I can understand wanting to avoid scalpers - I'm used to limits on how many of something one can order, for example - but the Smart Doll guy seems so scared of people being dissatisfied with his dolls that he'd rather cancel their order for asking questions like "Will clothes designed for other dolls fit a Smart Doll?" (from an anecdote seen on a forum) than risk them not being entirely satisfied. It completely put me off ever buying anything from them again and I plan to make any clothes for Pippa by myself in future. They also have a weird attitude to their own history. I was surprised to learn they now sell male dolls, because for several years they had scrubbed their website of any reference to the male dolls they used to have back in (I think) 2014. You might also note I'd initially referred to the doll as a SMArt Doll, which is because they were originally called Social Media Art Dolls and had some sort of arrangement as a way of exporting Japanese culture (hence why they used to be Culture Japan), but now they have a completely different explanation of the name on their website. The whole thing is just somewhat bizarre.

The outfit I should hopefully be wearing at MCM in October, assuming I can finish the hairpiece (and sword) - Bortz from Houseki no Kuni, just in time for the manga coming back off hiatus to hit me square in the emotions again.

Now that public events are returning I’m planning to go to a steampunk event in a few weeks and thus needed an outfit - here is what I have so far! The trousers and shirt are both designed by me, whilst the hat I didn’t make but did modify with all of those ribbons.