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Problems with MiniFee

Nov 10, 2007

    1. Hello! I'm new to the bjd world and I'm getting somewhat frustrated with my new doll. My doll was purchased from a friend of mine whom originally bought and assembled her. She's a Luts doll with a Cherry kid def head and a mature mini fee body. I absolutely love her except for the fact that she's highly strung. She likes to keep her legs and arms bent at 90 degrees or be bent over at the waist. Because of her high strung nature, i have a hard time trying to pose her or trying to get her to stand. Is this normal thing that a bjd does? I'd love to hear any advice. Thanks! ^___^
       
    2. I've seen Minifees do some fancy standing posts - I don't think bending over at the waist when you don't want them too is normal for them. Re the arms, many BJD's mainly like their arms to be straight or 90 degrees, but if they will not stay straight then she is probably too tightly strung.

      Here is a thread about Kid Delf head on Minifee, with some photos:
      http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121272

      To get some answers from people who own Minifees, try changing your thread title (edit first post of your thread, go to advanced edit). It always seems to work best here on DoA if you are specific in your title. Maybe something like - Problem with Minifee girl posing

      Carolyn
       
    3. i've seen my friends mini fee and it is NOT normal for them to not be able to stand streight. I'd definately loosen her up a little. Keep in mind you can always tighten the elastic if you wish or loosen more as you find what you like in a BJD.

      Just be sure there is enough elastic to loosen her before you take the elastic out 0.0 Lol, it must have been painful for your friend to string her so tightly.
       
    4. Fairly normal, if the tension is too tight (waist bendy not so much, but bendy arms and legs are). Playing with her a lot should loosen the tension or, if there's enough left over elastic in her head, you can loosen the knot a bit and string her more loosely. Luts bodies are known for kicky legs, but most owners learn quickly to adapt to that, and soon have her as good as any other doll.
       
    5. Carolyn.S, thank you for the links and the thread advice!

      Penguino, thank you for the advice. i'll be sure to check that out ^^

      Washi, well her arms aren't as tightly strung as her legs are. for example, if i posed her as if she was standing up, she'd stay that way for several minutes then either her knees would pop back, she'd do an impression of a drinking bird (folding over at the hips)... or both. I didn't know that kicky-legs are typical for luts doll bodies. because of her kicky-ness, would it be worth it to get her joints sueded?
       
    6. The dolls I have sueded have much much much (much!) better posing than they did before my sueding them.

      I had a doll whose joints were, frankly, poorly designed, and he is now one of my best posers. :)

      Ann in CT
      p.s. My Mini Fée is somewhat kicky, although he will stand by himself. ac
       
    7. I have to agree too! If restringing doesn't work, although I suspect it will, then consider sueding your dolls joints. You can find lots of information in the workshop area.
       
    8. My minifee stands and poses like a champ-- so I think a little elastic loosening should help.
       
    9. Geeze, your girl sounds really strung out XD

      Anyways, loosening the elastic a bit should help that. To do that in her head there should be an S hook. If you loosen the knot resting on that ((or in your doll's torso, I'm not sure which way it was done. My Mistral's elastic knot is in her head whereas my Shoko's is in her torso so...)) that should help with the knees. You'll have to unstring her torso to be able to adepty play with her arms. In her torso there will be another knot on the elastic for her arms. To loosen this one you'll need to disconnect a hand ((via S hook)) and then you should be able to get to the knot. If not you could just completely unstring her. I know that sounds daunting, but it's really not that bad ^^
       
    10. all - Last night i was examining my new doll to try and find the elastic cord knots. The cord that's connected to her legs doesn't appear to have any material left so that i could loosen her. o _o

      I'm highly considering getting her sueded. What does that entail, exactly? Will the new material be placed on the inner part of her joints or will it be visible on the outer parts?

      Thank you everyone for viewing and replying to the thread, i greatly appreciate it. ^___^
       
    11. I've heard recommended 'hot glue sueding', in which LOW MELT hot-glue is put in a thin layer inside the socket of a joint--don't even take apart the doll, but hold the joint open by folding the limb back uncomfortably, put the glue in the socket and spread it around with the gun tip, wait a few seconds for the glue to solidify, and gently replace the disjointed limb back together.

      I've Done sueding with very thin splits of leather called pliver from eBay and Aileen's Tacky Glue.
      The doll gets taken apart and cleaned.
      Cut a rough square of pliver a little bigger than the joint (bigger for hips, littler for wrists, etc.), and stretch it carefully over a finger or thumb to round the pliver so it fits the round socket better.

      I used a Q-tip to put glue in the socket, and put the pliver, stretching and moving it until it is smooth in all (or at least most of) the socket.

      Repeat for remaining sockets.

      Wait a day for the glue to entirely dry.

      Cut out the stringing holes with an Exacto (or other small-bladed craft knife), and trim the overhanging pliver back to the edge of the joint.

      Restring doll & play with him/her, rejoicing in better posing. :)

      Ann in CT
       
    12. Ann in CT - :o oh wow, thank you so much for the tutorial! Your advice cleared up many of my misconceptions. I definately want to suede my doll now. ^___^