#restringing

I did some doll doctor services for my mom and grandmother while I was in Arizona. These three tiny porcelain dolls were made by my grandma in 1980. Their elastic was worn out, and she didn’t feel like she had the dexterity to repair them. So I restrung their limbs and heads with new elastic, cleaned their skin, brushed and restyled their hair, and glued the wig down on the baby (she’s undressed because her pretty dress needed its own repairs). 

The bigger bald doll on the right hand picture is a ball-jointed porcelain doll that my mom made in 2003. I restrung her elastic and glued on her wig. That’s her standing on the right side of the bottom picture, alongside some other beautiful porcelain dolls that my mom also made. 

I tried everything. Pliers: didn’t work at all, no leverage whatsoever, s hook didn’t even move. Fat lace/knotted/braided ribbon: too weak and started to tear. Skinny satin ribbon: nearly broke my fingers and started to tear. I crocheted a taut, thick band of tight stitches: stretched and nearly broke my wrist with the force. Yarn: I’m not doing that again because I need my hands for work and I learned my lesson the last time.

The thing is, my doll is perfectly strung, exactly how I like it and I don’t want to restring him because it’s not the problem. The problem is these giant knots that RS puts at the top of the neck which barely fit through the skinny channel in the head. I have this issue with every RS doll, but for some reason this one is the worst, and I’m not risking messing up the stringing to try and fix the knots which I know nothing about anyway to even try and fix them.

So, in my frustration, I go digging through junk drawers looking for this fat piece of satin ribbon I got on a gift years ago that I know I put in a drawer somewhere. I don’t think it’ll work, but I’m not leaving my doll headless, so I have to try something different from the last thing I tried. Unfortunately I got new drawers and I threw out a ton of stuff I didn’t need so I can’t find it, but in my rifling I stumbled upon…… duct tape. Wide, stupidly strong, but still flexible duct tape.

In a frenzy, I cut a long strip and fold it in half with the sticky sides together, trim the end, and then cut about 3/4 of an inch off the width, so it’ll fit under the s hook. I adjusted my dolls head, pulled the knots as close to the center of the hole as possible, slid the tape under the hook, and gave one very strong pull and that was it. The hook (with considerable force, but no pain to my hand, wrist, or fingers) popped right into the head and twisted easily into place. I swear I heard some kind of angelic choir as it happened. It’s like 85 degrees in here, I’m drenched in sweat from running around like a mad man, so I’m nearly delirious from giddiness as my dolls head just goes right into place.

Duct tape… why did I never think of duct tape? I’m so glad I don’t have to fear playing dress up with my dolls anymore because now I know that I can always get the heads back on with a little strip of duct tape. Now I can take a nap lol, it’s too goddamn hot in here.

I'm about to restring a ball jointed doll for the first time even though I've been in this hobby for years. 

 My @doll-granado Embody is in dire need of support.  I accept all forms of thoughts&prayers. 

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