I got my doll... Now what?

I find myself always sitting with Kori next to me, or cuddling while watching a movie. I like having him close.

but...

When I'm attempting to sew him a new outfit and have gotten stuck or feel that 'failure' when it doesn't turn out how I wanted it to..He has ended up sitting, headless, on a shelf from days to a couple months at a time. I feel horrible about it and usually get back to sewing right away or at least order him something before putting him back together and taking him outside.

I can't always play with my boy as I have several other interests besides dolls. But he is always close for inspiration ^^

That's just me though.

 

When I don't have anything to do with/for them, observing their lovely face sculpts is enough. Or having them pose nearby the pc monitor

I want to draw them, but I've been too much of a lazybum lately even for that

 

I just sit her on my lap and look at her

 

I only have one doll (although another is on the way!) but she's basically like a friend. Sometimes we hang out and do stuff together, sometimes I just enjoy her presence/ company, and some days we don't see each other at all. I don't feel badly, I know my interest in her hasn't waned, I'm just occupied with other things.
(Besides, owning a doll is supposed to be fun. If what you feel guilty about is the money spent, then the real shame is that your investment is causing you stress. Just take pleasure in owning it.)

 

I don't activly DO anything with my dolls. Most of the times the sit in their shelf looking pretty, making me smile when I walk past.
Sometimes I'll just stare at them, admiring them and then be happy to have them.

I don't sew for them, I don't do face-ups or modifications. I rarely take pictures. I just admire them and cuddle with them.

 

I love to take photos of my dolls. It cheers me up and I adore just looking at them. They are works of art in my eyes.

I find that one of the most rewarding things I can do with them is sit them on my desk while I work or browse the 'net. Even though I'm not actively doing anything with them, they help encourage me just by being there.

 

i pretty much never do anything with my doll actually 0_o
i cant sew. i dont really take pictures cuz he never have anything to wear and i got NO PLACE to shoot him (and im not really good anyway)
i keep re-doing his faceup and messing it up over and over again. thats about all.
and i look at him all the time cuz hes pretty.
hes freaking useless now that i think about it xD

 

i just like looking at mine :}
i find that i don't need to constantly be changing them
and taking photos.

 

When I'm not actively doing something with my dolls (like sewing, photographing them, re-dressing them etc) they are most of the time tucked away in their boxes. And I either look at them or have them with me. I don't feel guilty for that at all, because they are my hobby and when I'm not actively occupy myself with my hobby - I have other things to do. However, I would feel guilty about doing something with my dolls all the time because during my day I really should be doing so many other things than playing around with my dollies

On another note - I can understand that you are eager about doing something with him. He is your first dollie and it seems like you have so many ideas for clothing and face-up. I think though, that the whole concept around these dolls (if you have them because you like to be crafty with them and not because you like to look at them of course) is that it is a work in progress. Things take time, and sometimes it is so much easier to just succumb to that fact and go with the flow! ;D

 

I don't have a camera anymore, it broke, and my doll funds... have been eaten up by a puppy that stole my heart. So photography, which is one of those 'big things' with dolls won't be happening with me for a while. I do spend a lot of time sewing though.

But when I'm not doing anything major for or with my boy he'll usually sit on the computer desk by me. Nothing major, there are days when I don't even see him at all. It's not that I don't care for him or anything, but it's not practical to have a doll in my hands 24/7.

 

Buy him a friend. They can entertain each other when you're busy. That's my theory, anyway.

 

I can't say I've ever felt that way about my dolls, I have never asked myself, "well, what now." If I am not actively doing something with my dolls I have always just been content with admiring them. I like to put them in funny/interesting poses regardless of whether or not I have my camera nearby, I change their outfits, hair and eyes, and when all's said in done, I place them somewhere where I can see and enjoy them!

 

When I got my first girl a little over five years ago I had nothing for her. No wigs, eyes, or clothes to change with. No maintenance stuff to do things with. No stand to facilitate displaying her. No camera to photograph her with. Not even a DoA membership so I could exclaim "My first girl came home today!"

My husband and I unpacked her, I dressed her, we exclaimed "oh, how lovely she is!" - and then there was a distinct feeling of now what?

Bit by bit I got all of the above things, and more dolls to keep her company - but one thing hasn't changed: some days are doll intensive days, and some aren't.
Personally I am happy for days with just looking at them, patting a wig, reposing a hand... And then I get the urge to be more active again.

Through the years I have developed this philosophy: These are amazing dolls, and you can do remarkable things with them - or nothing at all! They are dolls for your enjoyment, and you should do the things you enjoy with them... What that is differs from person to person, and contributes to this hobby's diverse and impressive nature.

To summarise: I think you should enjoy your new doll without compunction! And maybe buy more thread.

 

I have a very active and busy life. There is always more things to do than can ever get done, and I've gotten used to it just being a fact of life. So naturally, I can't be doting on my darlings every moment. Instead, I built them their own display areas (anywhere I could find a bit of vacant space, like on a shelf or on the top of a dresser.) Then I decorated those areas with bits and pieces of unused stuff I had stashed here and there. So, from all that recycling and repurposing, they now have very comfortable and permanent spaces to be displayed within my home. Having them permantly out in the open like this, in comfortable settings as part of the decor, makes me feel like they're just part of the family (people, pets, dolls) where we all happily coexist and enjoy one another's company. So when I can't actively be doing something with them, they just hang out around here like everyone else does. I also regularly take a few quiet personal moments each day to peruse DoA with my morning coffee, and that helps keep me connected to the hobby and my dolls.

 

I'm a tinkerer too. I like take photos when the light is good, and rearranging their positions so they all look like they actually enjoy each other's company, but that's not a 24/7 job (but if someone paid me I'd take them up on it in a second! ).

Right now most of my dolls are sitting on my dresser and just chilling out. But my Mattimeo is curled up on the pillows with me, reading over my shoulder. He knows he's the favourite.

 

I talk to my dolls, I place them beside me on my bed and we watch movies together. I know, it's sad, isn't it? If I had the choice though, I'd rather have a cat do these things with me. But I'm VERY allergic to cats to the point that their very presence can incapacitate me. So I have life-like dolls instead.

Oh and I don't sew or do faceups. So most of the time I'm really just chilling with my dolls while watching a movie.

Yes, I do have real friends and we go out to clubs and do other things.

 

Most of mine sit in their cabinet usually, when I am not doing anything with them. I haven't felt too well today so I have Seth cuddled upto me whilst I sit and edit pics and watch TV.

Emilie came to an Emilie Autumn gig with me recently, I wouldn't usually take a doll to a gig but I knew this one wouldn't be too dangerous.

 

When I can't do face-ups, sew, or photograph I work on my characters stories. No it's not really directly related to doing things with the doll, but I still feel like I'm doing something with them. If I'm not feeling inspired to write, I simply put them all on my desk so they can hang out somewhere else besides my shelf.

I do feel bad some days, because I have had time to charge my camera, but I neglect to. I don't feel bad for leaving the blank ones blank, because right now its so humid where I live, and its really cold to do face-ups.

 

You don't have to feel like you have to do something with them every single day. Sometimes, I go days without so much as touching them, but that's okay. I agree with others that have said that our dolls are as much works of art as they are playthings and it's okay to set them on a shelf to just look pretty and be enjoyed for what they are.

Trust me, if you go a few days without interacting with your doll, they won't be mad at you