Sort of hard to tell from this first photo due to scale but – never fear – this is not the sort of thing I wear about the house during lockdown (or any time) to entertain Mr. Tialys and the various deliverers of parcels to my door.
Although, if that’s your thing, I won’t judge you.
Another sewing lesson took place where Miss Tialys the Younger pretends she wants to learn to sew but, in reality, she just wants clothes for her ‘niche’ doll collection and so she sits and watches me do it all or, at least pretends to. In our last session she actually fell asleep.
I, on the other hand, was bravely struggling with teeny pattern pieces and fairly minimal instructions (no drawings, only writing 😲) but actually quite enjoying myself.
Everyone’s a critic, apparently, and she felt qualified to tell me that I’d put the ears on too close together
Although I was actually quite chuffed with it.
WARNING: Disturbing image coming up.
(He’s naked underneath and anatomically correct 😮)
In fact, I started to quite get into the whole playing with dolls thing by the end of it and my model obliged with a couple of poses.
As I’ve said before – I’m a teddy bear person myself (if anything) and have quite a collection of artist bears (from years ago) which has taken over the smallest of the small bedrooms much to Mr. T’s annoyance as he actually put the shelf up in there for books.
I cheered him up with this one though. An antique French bear too big to fit on the shelf but who consented to wearing the leather plague mask made by Mr. T. before such things were no longer a joke. 😷
Time to put the toys away now and do something more useful.
The things we get up to in lockdown!
Tialys 
#1 by nanacathy2 on February 27, 2021 - 09:28
I’d call that gainful employment, although the doll is a tad spooky!
#2 by tialys on February 27, 2021 - 11:20
Just a tad.
#3 by Wild Daffodil on February 27, 2021 - 10:49
This post has ABSOLUTELY made my day!!!
I now have a wonderful image of you in a leopard onesy and Mr T in his bizarre and scary mask, cavorting – yes cavorting around a West Dorset Village followed by a troupe of animated cleverly clad niche dolls (what does she do with them?!) – at the Full Moon (glorious last night!) at Midnight. As soon as restrictions allow, I’m coming round to be measured up for a crazy outfit so that I can join in!
Oh – and artist bears – what are they – we want to see your collection now. Pleeeeease!
#4 by tialys on February 27, 2021 - 11:17
🤣
Oh,the ideas you’ve given me.
Although, you never know in these rural parts, there might already be shenanigans of this sort already going on. I’ll keep an eye out once restrictions have been lifted. I’ll let you know whether it’s more dancing round the maypole than Wicker Man before you decide to join in.
The moon was glorious last night wasn’t it? Just right for a good old pagan ritual.
Daughter only has three of these dolls – she’s into Japanese anime and manga and these ‘ball jointed dolls’ have a look of those sorts of character. Androgynous males with floppy hair and huge eyes and the females looking much the same.
I did take a couple of photos of some of my bears but the light was fading and it didn’t do them justice so I’ll try again in better light. Artist bears are designed and hand made by craftspeople rather than mass produced. They are generally one of a kind or limited editions and made with top quality materials – mohair and glass eyes and sometimes beautiful clothing too. My downfall was when a shop specialising in bears opened in a village close to me when I lived in England before. I started attending ‘Bear Fairs’ – yes such things exist – and amassed quite a few before I came to my senses. I’ll do a post especially for you some time soon.
#5 by Wild Daffodil on February 27, 2021 - 14:09
Well! I used to live in those parts (fairly near I think – the Marshwood Vale) AND was part of all sorts of those types of shenanigans!!! I’ll have to tell you all about it one day. 😉
I never knew about the dolls or artist bears and BEAR FAIRS!!! Crickey – amazing.
I will have to see if I can find the dolls as I think one of my grandchildren would love them – the spookier the better!
#6 by tialys on February 27, 2021 - 16:40
Very near – a 15 minute drive. I can’t wait to hear all about your shenanigans.
The dolls are known as BJD dolls – which stands for ball jointed dolls – just in case you fancy a browse. Usually online only as far as I can tell.
#7 by Kellie on February 27, 2021 - 13:02
Ha ha, love the doll outfit 👌 The mask looks a bit scary though…
#8 by tialys on February 27, 2021 - 16:40
It does. To think doctors did actually wear such things during the plague.
#9 by claire93 on February 27, 2021 - 14:17
loving this post (and comments) lol.
Is that a kigurumi pattern you bought on etsy, Lynn? Looks top notch from where I’m sitting, and if Miss Tialys the Younger isn’t happy about the ears, serves her right for falling asleep during her supervisoion job ^^
I think it looks brilliant!
I also now have visions of Wild Daffodil descending on you, expecting to be measured up for something similar, but wonder if she’d be at risk of being mistaken for some kind of wild beast as the local hunters set off with their hunting horn and dogs one misty morning?
#10 by tialys on February 27, 2021 - 16:35
It is Claire – I believe you have the same pattern don’t you?
‘Wild Daffodil’ – the clue is in the name 🤣 Even though Dorset doesn’t have the same hunting practices as France (thank goodness!) she might get mistaken for a sheep worrier and then I wouldn’t fancy her chances.
#11 by claire93 on February 27, 2021 - 18:24
I didn’t buy it no, but I’ve got it in my favourites. Doll clothes making seems to have taken a back seat for the moment here. Too many other things to explore!
#12 by Wild Daffodil on February 27, 2021 - 23:12
HaHaHaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!! Oh really, this has been my fave bit of online banter for ages!!!!
#13 by katechiconi on February 27, 2021 - 14:32
That’s a Boy doll?!! Good grief. How very non-binary, to be sure. I think if the outfit had been for you, the tail should have been longer and why wouldn’t you put feet on it while you were at it? I used to have a long leopard print fleece hoodie-style dressing gown and I’m quite sure I’ve startled more than one delivery man answering the door in it, although it was far from alluring. It’s Mr Tialy’s handiwork I find more intriguing. Does he also have a nice leather strappy Spartacus-style outfit to wear with the mask? Gosh, the excitement the pair of you could cause in the village…
#14 by tialys on February 27, 2021 - 16:32
Both good ideas in case of a local fancy dress event in the future. 😂
#15 by katechiconi on February 27, 2021 - 21:56
And requiring photographic evidence, in that case!
#16 by Laurie Graves on February 27, 2021 - 14:56
Fun! However, I would keep my eye on that doll. 😉
#17 by tialys on February 27, 2021 - 16:31
Luckily, it doesn’t live at our house.
#18 by CurlsnSkirls on February 27, 2021 - 19:46
😆 🤪
Such SHEnanigans!
#19 by kathyreeves on February 28, 2021 - 15:49
I can see you and Mr. T making quite a pair next Halloween! 🤣 That doll is a bit spooky, but the costume is amazing. The bear seems too sweet to be wearing that mask, but someone has to be a model!
#20 by tialys on March 1, 2021 - 11:08
Yes, and rather the bear than me!
#21 by Carol on March 1, 2021 - 10:41
Love the onesie…., sewing such small pieces is very, very fiddly, but an excellent outfit!
#22 by tialys on March 1, 2021 - 11:03
Thanks Carol. We started off with hand sewing the pieces but my daughter’s hand stitching is slow and mine is messy so the machine it was – except for the ears!