How long does it take you to complete a doll?

Forever, Sadly I never completed one yet.

 

It's been over a year since I got my first one and I'm still not finished. To me, something is always missing, clothes, body blushing, their housing, and so many more things

 

Uhhhh I haven’t ever completed one so I’ll get back to you on that one lol.

 

What is complete? If you count a doll that has a wig, eyes, an outfit and shoes plus accessories - ready to be presented in a glass cabinet, then I would say on average 1 year. If you count a doll that has all the outfits and stuff that belongs to the character - maybe never? It is like with model railways - when it is done, it gets a bit boring for me. Sure you can still play with it...but, something is missing then. But no, no model railway. I still have to improve my photographic skills.

Problem with me is I get easily distracted. If a new inspiration hits me, most likely I will jump on the new doll and start research before the new blank canvas arrives. This can get a bit extreme from time to time, but for me, it is totally worth it.

Yes, I have problems really finishing a project. And there is always the chance that I discover a different technique or a new material for something and therefore rework items. So in fact it is a neverending story.

 

I have a doll that's been waiting for its outfit for more than a year LOL I have one specific outfit in mind for that doll and it is not cheap at all. I can't save up for this outfit... I always spend my money on other doll stuff...

 

I feel my dolls could use an update ever few years. Right now all their ”updated” clothing/wigs/eyes are in the mail. By the end of the month I think they’ll be done!! As for fullset dolls (I have one on the way) he’ll be totally done the moment he’s dressed up. That’s going to be a huge relief for me haha...

 

A few years? Depending on the character, it will take time from searching for the perfect pair of eyes, to getting a slot from the desired faceup artist etc. Doesn't help if I'm on a semi-hiatus ;;

 

I've had a floating head for..coming up on three years now. I know which body I want to get for it, but I end up either buying more fabric to work with or an already completed doll on the market. One day the head shall have a body, one day.

 

Usually, at least for that moment in time, it takes a month max if I have to wait for things to arrive. My process is in a few days of the doll arriving I'll paint them, and then the rest is waiting on eyes/wig/outfit. I try to pick things from US sellers so that they arrive really fast.
I accept that I'll want to redo them sometimes and that's okay. Changing them up can also be as simple as a new outfit, or a whole repaint.
The exception to the rule is my latest doll who came as a floating head. I won't be getting a body for him for at least a couple months and on top of that I want to do major modding, so he could take a year.

 

Even my most "finished" dolls aren't truly finished. I feel like dolls are like art projects in the sense that they never really get FINISHED FINISHED, and that's what's fun about them.

Like my most cohesive/display-ready dolls aren't even finished- If they have a complete outfit then I need to redo their faceup, or they only have ONE complete outfit, or they have no body/hand blushing, etc etc.

I feel like to get them display-ready (faceup, clothes, eyes and wig at least) it usually takes about a week under ideal circumstances, though. But it really depends on whether I already have all the elements or not.

 

I can't imagine being finished with a doll. If the concept is something that feels right, it's likely to continue to expand and grow into new iterations for the character. I have a concept planned for one doll that will require a lot of smaller accessories to be found or made. It's exciting to think of making little bits and pieces, but mostly, I'm thrilled at the idea of spending years looking for just the right vintage set pieces to compliment her character.

That said, i'm very much the type of person that doesn't like to "finish" things that I enjoy. I tend to drag out happy projects as long as possible, because there is something too final about calling a project "finished".

 

It's an ongoing, never-ending process.

Like many have said, even when you think you're "done," something else will happen that challenges that perspective. Maybe it's a new body type that was just released, or finding the perfect accessory, or finally making just the right wig. I'm very happy with my completed dolls, but updating them when the opportunity presents itself keeps the hobby very fresh for me.

On the other hand, I also have more long-term "project dolls," some of which have been in the works for 10+ years. This does not bother me. I don't think of them as languishing unfinished, but rather waiting patiently for the right moment to make their debut.

Sometimes a doll's concept can be difficult to realize; something vital to its aspect just isn't available...yet. Fortunately, we belong to a community where creativity abounds. With patience (and perhaps trial-and-error), nothing is impossible!

 

Too long! I feel like none of my dolls are truly complete even if they have their face-up, eyes, wig, and clothes. I currently have four "complete" dolls, but I do look at them quite often to figure out that certain something they are missing. I'm working on getting my female grail a new body since I feel like her current one doesn't suit her enough. I'm considering moving one boy to a new body so that I like him better (a floating head would take his current body so that means +1 complete doll as well) and I don't really know what to do with the other guy yet.

 

Hahahahaha! I’ve yet to complete a single doll of mine.

 

Honestly it takes me months to years because of money restrictions! That's the only reason though haha

 

Kenny’s almost done now. Right now all I need is her new wig and socks and so far it’s been seven months. It’ll probably be a few more before I’m 100% done! Maybe a year in all?

 

If I'm sufficiently motivated, it doesn't take all that long to complete a doll, and by that I mean get them into a condition where I take good photos of them - so wig, eyes, faceup, at least one outfit. The longest it's taken is about half a year for Heron, and that was because the first head I got for him didn't work out so I had to find another one. I think I get driven to finish them because I'm impatient and want to be able to do photos and photostories of them, especially if they're of my OCs. This year I intend to finish up Jessam and Ophiant, and I've already begun gathering clothes/eyes/wigs for them. Just need to bring the actual dolls home!

On the other hand, I've had this Ringdoll Wolf head knocking about for a long time with no idea what character he would be. I went through a lot of ideas before finally hitting on something solid for this year, so hopefully he'll get finished someday soon too.

 

Varies... wildly. As an example...

I got Gin's head in 2012, it's 2019 and I'm just finishing him now, slowly. He has a decent amount of clothes, got a new faceup, new eyes and his body is on layaway at super long last, but before Dream Valley there wasn't a body I liked enough for him...

On the other hand Taemin took me maybe two years...He's still not put together so maybe he will be closer to three by the time he's done, but yes...

 

If something complete - it's dead, because it stop to changes. Hope, i never come to it. =)

 

Can't say that I ever completely finish a doll. Often I'll find the perfect wig, eyes & clothes but I still want to play with them so most everything will get changed eventually.