Alternatives to doll carriers?

I am currently revamping a bowling ball bag for Mira. xD Skymble helped me alot with the inside, I stole some of her....whatever the sheets of stuffing are called, and we went to her workplace and bought some really nice, soft fabric.

 

both me and my husband carry our dolls in baseball equipment bags we purchased from walmart. At the time I bought them I had a dollzone 70 boy and made sure it was long enough to hold him. Basically for padding we use the pillows that dolls come with and we have quite a few so there's more than enough stuffing to keep the dolls protected. I'm pretty sure anyone that sees us on the streets totally thinks we play baseball.

 

I still need to take pics of my girl in my camera bag, but I'm so reluctant to unpack the whole thing (It's one of the few things I'm terribly meticulous about being sorted exactly so).
Anyways, she normally rides around in my purse anyways. I have a Tokidoki bag, though I can't remember the style exactly. I'd have to do some looking around as it kinda disappeared with his new line of prints.
Holds my minifee, wallet, bag of dice, phone, a change of clothes for my girl, ect. I've actually shoved two large bags of candy and two bottles of soda in there with her before too. Not that she was really happy about it, but I didn't want to pay theatre prices on snacks.
If she looks a little cramped in there, it's only because I tried to make her visible. And she's sitting on my folded fabric piece. It's quite roomy and I could fit a second minifee easily. And then some.


And she's in here alright. As she commonly is.

 

I've read here that yoga mat bags are the way to go for D.O.Ts
Does anyone know where to buy one in England?
Should do me fine for any meets =)

EDIT: I found a couple on eBay,but don't know if Nylon ones will hold their form, and not get crushed, etc.
Please help,

Soul

 

well, i usually have mine in a basket whenever i go to cons but whenever i go out with my dolls i usually have a tote bag or a shoulder backpack to carry my dolls in

 

Sometimes you will see hard aluminium camera flight cases going cheap in either TK Maxx or that hardware chain in Dorset (cannot remember their name). They come with foam padding that you can cut easily to shape.

Games Workshop Tank Cases are good for anything up to MSD size.

BTW there is a chain of charity stores in the UK that do new musical instruments and you can pick up a cheap violin for about £30 if not less. Just stick the violin on the wall for decoration and nick the case...

Junk stores are good too. They often have camera flight cases or empty violin cases on the go, and probably cheaper than what you would find on eBay - eBay isn't always cheaper, in fact, it often isn't. Loads of bargains to be had if you trawl charity stores or junk shops.

For 1/6 scale doll clothes you cannot beat the toy section in Wilkinsons, for example.

Phil.

 

I use a Guitar Hero controller case to carry my 7Ocm. boy ^^ it's made for the older, smaller PS2 guitar controller

 

I have used open Indigo book bags (they are approximately the size of a shopping bag but longer so dolls can sit up) that are made of canvas. Wheeled metal framed shopping bags. Yoga mat bags (long and thin and you can fit a Mecha Angel in). And the good old luggage with wheels.

 

I think many others do this too, but I'm currently revamping an old violin case for my boys. They're sturdy, inexpensive and look pretty. Whatelse could I want? ._.

 

80cm dolls are hard to fit into a regular bag, and I didn't want to splurge on a professional case, so I got an old guitar case at a flee market for $5, cleaned it, cut the doll's shape out of polyurethane foam, and now my MAs travel in style. It's amazing how people on the subway look at you when you carry a guitar, suddenly the cool factor is through the roof.

 

I never really liked the 'carrying a rifle over your shoulder' look of the long bags, and I'm leery of soft cases, so I've got a couple of things to make my own with.

I found a boy's Iron Man backpack at a swap for free, and I intend to reinforce the sides with probablly scrap cardboard and add pillows. My mecha angel can fit in it with his knees pulled up to his chest. It's handy, got plenty of places to hold onto, and has pockets. If I squeezed, I'm sure I could fit at least an msd in there with him. However, between my roommate and I we have a Mecha Angel, a DZ 70, and an EID woman. We have plans for at least three more (two EID men and a YID guy) within the year, possibly more.

I found a large, hard sided leather case at a swapmart for 10 dollars. It's waterproof but not necessarily water tight, and the top is two overlapping pieces with locks with the built in combinations like on briefcases. It's very bare bones with a single pocket on one side. Once I've done the backpack I'm going to add a foam pad to the bottom of the case and pillows on the walls held in place with velcro. I intend to install straps, and have individual small pillows made to serperate the dolls so they don't bash into eachother if they break free of their straps/ decide they don't like who they're sitting next to. In this case, it may be the best thing to pack them laying down, with a pillow between each of them, in which case I'll just install a couple of long, adjustable straps so I can make sure the whole contraption is snag. Even with the dolls, I suspect there will be plenty of room in the top for us to toss in the little plastic tupperware we use to hold their stuff. This is deffinately not for walking meets, I more intended it for large meet ups where we're bringing most/all of the dolls, or for conventions where the actual case will probablly remain either in the hotel room or tucked under whatever artist ally table/booth I have.

 

I have a medium-sized overnight/weekender bag I use as an alternate doll carrier. The problem I have when using it is that it can only accommodate 1 doll, and only if said doll is in a sitting position.

Duffel/gym bags also work - I just recently found out that my 63cm boy can fit, lying down and not sitting up, in a medium-sized one. I usually place pillows inside for extra padding.

 

I made my own carrier out of an old viola case I got in a second hand music shop



I got the idea from this tutorial http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=228182 it's really easy to follow

 

I use an extra-large duffel bag, the kind used for long trips and overnights or carrying equipment and clothes to and from a gym.
I lay an extra-fluffy blanket down at the bottom of the bag, place one doll on it, fold the blanket over them, and then repeat with as many other dolls as I want to bring. I typically like to place thin pillows/cushions in between each "layer" as well. It works great, the bag is big enough for my SDs.

 

Offtopic: If you don't want the violin, I'll take it!!!

I don't have a doll of my own so I can't compare sizing, but according to a friend, the Japanese elementary school kids' backpacks make for a cute, durable carrier for smaller dolls (and they come in pretty colors!). I think they're called randoseru. They're really expensive but that's because they're supposed to be really well made, well padded and very durable. However, most of the ones I've seen are made of real leather so it's not a choice for vegans.

I'm currently waiting for a friend's little sister to outgrow her backpack that her parents got her from Japan so I can have it ...I only have 3 and a half years left to go (unless she decides she absolutely must have a Barbie backpack like the other little kids in school).

 

Ice Mutt: see, that's what I would do. X3 I plan to just carry my girl in my backpack. What I might worry about is stuff like that zipper there maybe rubbing on her face, but it looks like it probably doesn't touch her. :3

 

i use old, hard luggage! :3 sewed some buckles in and i can fit 3 msds into it.

 

I originally had gotten a yoga bag at Target for my SD girl....alone she fit great and (once my second gets here) it may fit two....but then I acquired an MSD boy as well. So mom and I were at a local thrift store and saw a "new" sewing machine bag. It still had it's original price tag on it ($80) and I got it for $20! It is beautiful tapestry fabric, hard sided, wheeled etc. I have not padded the inside yet because I want to make sure the three kids all fit well....if they don't it will actually be my sewing machine case LOL. My AOD Sara fits well sitting down and I hope my Luts Juri will fit well from the other side then the Luts Woori should fit on a lap.

I mostly was scared of trying to carry all three of the kids on my shoulder/back as I am not as physically capable as most.

 

i use a yoga mat carrier stuffed with the pillows that came with the doll.

 

I was lusting over some of those sewing machine toted and scrapbooking carry alls at JoAnns and Walmart 0.0 They're expensive brand new, but so nice! Lots of pockets, zippered tops, hard sides- and big enough that it looks like even my Mecha could fit in one, curled up at least XD