Which came first, dolls, or crafting?

I've kind of always been a crafter and I've loved dolls forever, but I was able to make crafts long before I had the money to actually jump into collecting dolls, so the crafting came first, but a lot of it is very useful in scaling down to doll size.

 

For me it was certainly crafting.

 

Oh, the crafting definitely came first! That's why I got into dolls. I love, love, love sewing and always wanted to make clothes for myself - everyday clothes and costumes - but it was getting too expensive and I was running out of places to store my supplies and what I was making. Then I discovered Barbies and all that I could do with them - repainting faces, making them clothes and shoes, making accessories and props - and I became a Barbie collector. Then my sister bought me my first BJD for a graduation present (from Beauty School at the age of 30, something that was difficult for me) and learned I could do the same with her!!

 

Ive been crafting forever. The dolls were an extension as a means to shell characters and to be an outlet for my love of props and miniatures.

 

I learned to knit when I was...six, I think? I don't know for sure, it might have been earlier. Anyways, I was very young. I learned to sew around the same time, although I didn't get any good at it until I was a young teenager. That was when I got into fashion dolls, you see, and started sewing for them. So yeah, the crafting definitely came first. But I grew up with a mom who made most of our family's clothing, so it was bound to happen, really.

 

Yup! I had been working with polymer clay for a year and a half before buying my first doll, and i had been making brushed yarn tails, which made making my first wig a bit easier. I craft quite a bit, bjds were just another way to make crafts and art.

 

I was a crafter long before I jointed the hobby. When I was in grade school I taught myself how to make beaded earrings (some of which incorporated porcupine quills), and in college I took up knitting and crocheting. So far I've only occasionally relied on my crafting abilities for the doll hobby. The few times I have done so haven't gone so well (my knitted items always come out wrong), but I do it anyway because it's fun!

 

The first doll I had that I really was head-over-heels in love with/made things for/created an elaborate story about was a little penny wooden doll. She's basically the only reason I learned how to sew (albeit very, very badly at first--but hey, I can't have been more than about eight). Later on, I had a little cloth doll who badly needed clothing and, given that I had just accidentally destroyed my dear little wooden doll, I learned to crochet and transferred quite a few of my skills to her... the dolls and my skills have grown more sophisticated in a loose parallel ever since.

Come to think of it, it would actually be quite fun to re-shell that first wooden doll into a BJD...

 

Dolls.

When I got Alex back in 2012, I had all these grand ideas on projects I could do, now I had a doll. But, nothing came of them. Almost 5yrs later, and I'm finally giving myself that push to buy a sewing machine, get some fabric in that I can practice with, and pick up kumihimo for braided headbands to hold wigs in place (if necessary). I have ideas for outfits (including a few cosplay pieces, and a beautiful red & blue number for Alex), and for a couple of plush 'creatures'. One small enough for my MK Cris, and another large enough for Alex (yes, he's a Grown man, but he still has a plush 'creature'). Just simple designs that I really want to try.

Who knows? In a few months time, or by the end of the year, I might have some items listed on Etsy. Not to make a proper business out of it, well not just yet, but just to make a little money back each month.

 

Sewing came first, my dolls are my miniature dress maker's dummies.

 

It's crafting for me! I used to make costumes and outfits for myself, but realise that it's too space consuming so I decided to craft for my dolls instead which is a better idea

 

I wondered this question myself! For me, like a lot of the others, I enjoyed knitting and sewing before liking BJDs, however when I saw them, I thought it would give me a reason to do more of what I knew and also learn more. Now I knit, sew and everything else for my dolls! I love that they can be part of my creativity ♥

 

The dolls came first for me. I wanted to learn to sew and knit so I could make clothes for them and ideally save money.

 

Dolls! Crafting always felt like a chore before. I never really got the hang of cutting in a straight line.

 

Lifelong artists/crafter, always liked dolls, it made sense my hobby eventually crossed over.

 

Crafting and sewing came first. My daughter bought a bjd (long ago) but did not have the money to buy the clothes she liked for her. I picked op sewing again to make some. After a few years sewing she took me to Think Pink and got me (as suprise and a thank you) a RS Bei. I thought it would stay with one bjd but then I got a chubby Leekeworld sister for the Bei. Not long after that I got very very hooked on bjd's. today I have more dolls than she has :/. A twist in the story: I sold both yosds to found money to buy her a mnf first belong to a friend of her. It was my 'thank you' for getting me in a hobby a really love.

 

Crafting and sewing definitely came first. I've been sewing for years before I got into the bjd hobby. Now that I've pretty much grown out of cosplay I love to sew for the dolls.

 

....both? sort of? i have been crafting and making miniature things for my toys and dolls ever since i was in elementary school, ball jointed dolls were just a new and beautiful toy to make things for

 

I am def a doll first girl.
But I've always been into creative things. And my mom is pretty crafty.
So I def found dolls to be a way to enhance my creativity.
And I've been saying I'm going to sew since I got into the hobby.
But have yet to learn due to my own insecurities. But it is my goal this year.
One thing it really got me into though was photography.
Seeing such amazing doll photos made me pick up my camera.
And I couldn't be anymore grateful because I love it so much now!

 

Crafting came first. I always liked to do crafts as a kid and I have been an avid fiber artist for years and I then I started to learn to sew so crafting has been a big part of my life. I think the dolls for me are an outlet to plug my crafting into. Dolls are like a big canvas for me to dress with all my years of crafting.