Which came first, dolls, or crafting?

I learned how to sew because of this hobby. Hehe, my husband was already in sticker shock over the price of the dolls, so to ease the pain I decided I would make my own clothing. It worked out much better than I could have guessed. I'm so glad. Phew! ^_~

As for faceups, I already loved to draw…so that went hand in hand. ^_^

 

My dolls are a perfect outlet for dressmaking/handcrafting skills I have learned over the years. Also I get to make things for them that I am interested in making, but not necessarily wearing. I mean seriously, I am really way too old for a prom dress. And I have no interest in re-marrying. But I do love fancy clothes. Also it doesn't cost nearly as much to make a dolly dress or sweater as it does to make something for myself. Lucky dollies.

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For me, sewing/crafting by far came first... my first doll was purchased "only" to be a clothing model! (That worked out about as well as you might think it did.) I never intended to actually fall into the hobby, or end up doing faceups, mods, any of that stuff... but it's all from skills I already had before I ever encountered the hobby. I learned to sew as a kid and have been making cosplay, clothes and other things for years; I learned a lot of typical 2D art skills (the kind that help with faceups) when I was young, too, and have a degree in Fine Arts: Sculpture/Printmaking, which ties into the modding element. I might give learning to knit/crochet a shot, though, so I can make little things for them that way, but as for everything else? I didn't learn the skills because of the hobby, I got into the hobby because of the skills.

 

I am the most art-less person I know. I can't sew, draw, or craft.
But once I saw the dolls I knew my small make-up skills were going to learn to work with some new tools and paints.
Plus it gave me even more reason to invest in a DSLR since I know I'll be all over pictures of them.

Who knows, maybe it will lead to learning to sew and make wigs. I think I'd prefer to make wigs.

 

I was a cosplayer/costumer with years of prior sewing experience before I got into BJDs. I've always been both an 'artsy' person as well as a determined and frugal DIYer and a bit of a perfectionist -cough-, as well as having been interested in photography ever since I was a kid. BJDs have just given me another reason to use and improve on interests and skills that were already there. Even if it wasn't with dolls, I'm certain I would be doing the same things in another hobby.

 

1st - Seamstress, costumer, crafter, painter and clay sculptor, (old fashioned) draftsperson/graphic artist by profession. So the dolls fit right into my life. I am so glad to have small people to make costumes for, and all the other fiddlie bits are fun too.

 

It' a bit of both I think.

I learned to sew/knit/crochet/paint and other art stuff in school (I went to a school with a very strong focus on arts), and I used to love making all sorts of things. Somewhere long the line, I just quit doing anything creative at all. I was a bit down for a while, and jut had no creative spark at all. But when I got my doll, I suddenly got all these ideas on what I wanted for her. I have so many things I want to make for her to wear and use. I even started becoming interesting in painting and drawing again after I bought supplies for face-ups. I still haven't tried a face-up (I really like my girl's default)but just having the supplies sitting around sparked some ideas for paintings. I really have my doll and this hobby to thank

 

I have very basic crafting skills but I intend to get better at them... at some point. XD Face ups and modding still scare me. Eventually I'd like to be able to increase my skills and diversify, but my job has thus far made it difficult. :/

 

I knew how to sew before I got any dolls as I make costumes for myself and my boyfriend. I also did alot of sculpting with Fimo. So, when I get some nice fabrics I will get my dolls some extra clothes

 

I had rusty skill at sewing before getting my doll. I'm brushing up on it again but it's still a work in progress. This hobby is a great inspiration in skill building. That is what I love about it. It gives people the opportunity to learn new things to dabble in.

 

I've been crafty since I was a kid so definitely that first. I learned to knit and hand sew from my mom in elementary. I used to make things for my Sanrio plushies ^^; In highschool I learned to embroider and crochet. Knitting, crochet, and sewing are all hobbies I pick back up every few years. BJDs just give me a nice outlet (bigger projects for myself always end up half done =/). I've been drawing since I was a kid too - though I'm not sure how much that has helped with faceups....

 

I was crafty before I found the hobby. I had learned crochet, basic knitting an sewing. Then I went to beauty school and worked in a salon where I learned makeup application and how to make wigs so it all seemed so perfectly to fit into this hobby. I couldn't help but want to get dolls.

 

I don't have a doll yet, but I'm hugely into all kinds of crafting so this feels like a natural extension to my already existing hobbies. I mostly want to sew for my doll and probably make some furniture. I've actually already drafted a couple patterns while trying to settle on which doll to get first!

 

I was a crafter first - got my doll to sew for - made some things for her....And then I discovered Alices Collections LOLLLLL - never picked up a needle again....Well I did try half-heartedly - I felt guilty for buying stuff I could make - but hey it's fun, and it's a hobby, and I now enjoy photography, which I never did before, so it's all good

 

I have been sewing,knitting and crocheting since I was six and Istudied fashion and textiles at Uni. My dolls give me an excuse to be creative and make designs that can be worn without the outlay of large pieces of fabric.

 

Good luck, but if you do fall in, just roll with it. From my own "only one" I currently have 23 sitting around in various stages of completion (not to mention the two floating heads and one floating body). But I'm really having a lot of fun taking these raw pieces of resin, so to speak, and bringing them to life in my own vision, using all those skills I accumulated before the hobby, as well as the new and evolved ones that have come since joining up.

 

I was a crafty person to begin with but I learned so much more because of my dolls. I taught myself to sew and do face-ups just for them. I find a new craft to try out for them all the time and it can be simple or complicated but it's almost always something I haven't tried before. My dolls are my creative muses.