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BJD Collection Sidekick: Best Dolly Tool/Accessory

Dec 19, 2016

    1. What's your go-to sidekick for your BJD hobby? Do you have a tool, accessory, other doll, whatever, that you are constantly reaching for when working/playing/crafting with your BJDs? (A camera, your phone, a dremel or xacto knife, airbrush, sewing machine, really nice doll stand, a set, computer application, etc.)

      Has this "sidekick" changed over time?

      Do you have a couple for different aspects of the hobby?

      What do you think your "sidekick" says about your way of participating in the hobby? Are you more of a collector, a hobbyist, a crafter, a social media presence/blogger?

      Are their any "sidekicks"/necessary tools that you wouldn't have thought were as useful as they are when you started the hobby?

      If you interpreted this prompt differently from the header and were really excited about that, please feel free to respond with that too!

      For example, I didn't think I'd like my dremel as much as I do, and there's an app called Scrivener (which I got on sort of a whim when it was really discounted) which has really helped with storytelling.

      Edit: Sorry, formatting somehow striked through my typing. I had no idea that was possible.
       
      #1 americanseamstress, Dec 19, 2016
      Last edited: Dec 19, 2016
    2. My magnetic pin cushion is a life saver. I haven't been hunting for my sewing needles for ages. I don't need to store them in a box or pin them into a bit of material anymore and they can be left in full view, without fear of getting lost, next to my armchair.

      Another one is the needle organiser. It tells me which type of needle I used last in my sewing machine. It saves on a lot of 'where is my magnifier?', 'which number is engraved? I cannot see for sure', 'Shall I just try?'.

      My respirator when I spray MSC.

      The MDF board on which I put my resins to be sprayed.

      At the moment, these are the crafts-facilitators I use the most. :)
       
      #2 Lilla, Dec 19, 2016
      • x 1
    3. Never expected this, but my crochet hook is the one item I can't do without. I use it for turning out corners on my sewing, for getting the thread through difficult to reach places, but also to temporarily hold doll string, particularly on their necks and to ease it through the channels sometimes. And as a restringing tool altogether for really small dolls. I don't actually crochet ;)
       
      #3 Wennie, Dec 19, 2016
      • x 2
    4. My camera strap. Invaluable for pulling up those S-hooks so I can change or get off the heads of my dolls. The other one would be the restringing hook I got from Soom aaaaaages ago.
       
      #4 Khell, Dec 19, 2016
      • x 1
    5. This is a good idea for a thread.

      My "sidekick" has definitely changed over time. First few years, it was definitely the dremmel tool. I had a lot of hybrids and some modded bodies.
      For a while it was a soft toothbrush and retractable makeup brush my grandmother got free at Dillard's or some other such place to fix wig fly aways and dust.
      Now, I'm not sure. It might just be the entire Target store.

      I think I interact with the hobby mostly as a crafter. I haven't sewn much yet but did mods and created clay food for a while. Lately I've been interested in props.
      Think I have more of a collectors attitude towards accessories for dolls than I do towards the dolls themselves.
      I'm definitely not a photographer (at least not a good one) XD but working on that.
       
      #5 louiselle, Dec 19, 2016
      Last edited: Dec 19, 2016
      • x 1
    6. It's interesting to learn what others think of as their "sidekick" in this hobby!

      Personally, my "sidekick" has to be my knitting needles at the moment, I'm obsessed with knitting little jumpers and scarfs for my doll, though that may be because of the season (I don't want him getting chilly!) I think another one would be my phone, I love taking photos of my doll because he's so beautiful, sometimes they look like selfies (I like using apps to add things to the photos I take too) :)
       
      #6 ForbiddenFirebolt, Dec 19, 2016
      • x 1
    7. Great thread! :3nodding:

      Mine are my Dremel (with flex shaft attachment), my airbrush, and my rubber paint tools that I use for apoxy. But I recently got a new toy to play with, a Cricut, as I can't play with the others for a while, baby hazards. So we'll see how long before that gets added.
       
      #7 Kitkaze, Dec 23, 2016
      • x 1
    8. @Kitkaze
      Can your Cricut be used to cut fabric, or just paper?
       
      #8 americanseamstress, Dec 23, 2016
    9. Yes to both! And lots of other fun things! from thin paper to thick cardstock and fun foam.
       
      #9 Kitkaze, Dec 23, 2016
    10. Needle nose pliers. I use them for restringing, and making jewelry and holding any little thingie that needs worked on.
       
      #10 rosalynmouse, Jan 26, 2017
      • x 1
    11. I reach for my sketchpad and pencil first! It's got really nice semi-stiff removable pages perfect for pattern making. And of course I use it to mock up ideas for clothes and accessories.<3
      My fabric stash and sewing machine are the second thing I grab at. :blush
       
      #11 Princesouffle, Jan 26, 2017
      • x 1
    12. I have two things that I grab for when I'm working with my dolls, because for me "working" usually means "redressing". Redressing usually means taking off the head, so I grab a pair of knitting needles and a shoelace. The shoelace is for pulling the S-hook, and the first knitting needle is for keeping the S-hook in reach while I take it off, and the second knitting needle is for keeping the elastic from slipping through the body. I've used this method for two years and so far it's only gone awry once.
       
      #12 RagingMoon1987, Feb 18, 2017
      • x 1
    13. I agree with @ForbiddenFirebolt, definitely knitting needles and yarn! I am constantly coming up with new pattern ideas for clothes I want to design and every where I go I am looking for interesting fine yarns that I can add to my stash!
       
      #13 MurisDesigns, Feb 18, 2017
      • x 2
    14. I would say my main hobby sidekick is my DSLR. Photographing dolls is half the fun of the hobby for me, and I feel accomplished when lighting and posing and camera cooperate to give me a shot looking the way I want it to. <3
       
      #14 Amet, Feb 18, 2017
      • x 1
    15. Honestly... the thing I use most is a little cellphone chair that is perfect for her to sit in. I like sewing and I plan to do more, but my main past time is my painting, so she often sits with me and just watches me work. :) I mainly enjoy this hobby by simply just having them around me.
       
      #15 skyf, Feb 18, 2017
      • x 1