MH Care & Repair: Fixing Broken Legs **OUTDATED**

** WARNING!! This post has been UPDATED and the information contained here, in the original, is NO LONGER ACCURATE. If you're looking for fixes for an MH doll's broken leg, please see here on how to fix a male doll's broken leg, and here on how to fix a female doll's broken leg using CAM pieces. Thank you! **


Howdy y'all!
So for Christmas this year, my kids gave me my gift early.

It's Battle Damage Ghoulia! Now with real amputee action!
Needless to say, I wasn't exactly thrilled with this turn of events. But it turns out my favorite dollies have some accident-prone legs, and they've been around long enough that others have had to deal with similar problems.
I found a few good solutions online but none that really fit my issue exactly. This wasn't a Wave 1 elastic break. It wasn't a peg slip-out repair. And it wasn't quite a leg modification using CAM kit parts.
But that last post got me thinking, and soon I had a plan! So, without further ado, I present:
How to Repair Monster High Doll Legs Broken at the Knee Joint

Materials:
- any super-strong adhesive - I used Krazy Glue but Gorilla Glue and Superglue are also great.
- an Xacto knife or other craft knife with a thin, sharp blade
- a pair of thin tweezers
- a small pair of pliers, any size, but needle nose would probably be ideal (not pictured)
Due to the number of potentially dangerous items on this list, it is highly recommended that you have a friend, sibling, or parent to assist you. I'm serious! Please be very careful!

Step 1:
First, take a good look at the break you're dealing with. This is a pretty clean break from one leg being pushed out to the side, resulting in a stress fracture in the joint plastic. Breaks due to twisting, pulling, or forcing the leg into unnatural positions, or eventual brittleness of the plastic, will need different amounts of preparation and care.

Step Two:
Use your Xacto knife to cut slowly along the seam on the back of the leg. This seam is easier to cut into than the front, and the damage is ultimately less visible. Once you've cut halfway up the thigh, insert one leg of the tweezers to prop the gap open, as seen here, and use your pliers to remove the broken peg, as seen below.

Step Three:
Coat the broken ends of the peg and joint with your adhesive. Hold them together long enough to cure. I used the heat of my desk lamp to hurry the curing process; you could also use a hair dryer on low heat or a portable heater or.. I don't know.. a kitten maybe?

Hey, remember when I said Please be careful? That neon green Band-aid is the result of me stabbing myself with the tweezers. So yes! Exercise caution please! And keep Band-aids handy!

Step Four:
Once the glue has cured (e.g., it no longer appears wet and sticky; the pieces can be released without sliding away from one another), you can re-attach the broken limb. Note that those two pegs will have to pass between a narrow gap to return to their original place, and if the glue has not cured, you run the risk of gluing the joint to the inside of the leg. It can be undone but it's a pain in the butt, so, don't do it.

Using your pliers, slide the repaired joint back into the leg socket, being careful to replace it in its original spot and no further. Once the leg has been returned, you can remove your tweezers and press the two halves of the thigh together again. There's going to be a slight gap.

Step Five (optional):
As you can see in the picture above, I did a pretty rad job of actually increasing Ghoulia's leg damage in the course of her repair. If you can get your hands on some Epoxy, Sculpey, or Milliput, you might wish to fill in and smooth over those cracks, which can later be painted to match her skin.

In my case I used a homemade mixture of tissue paper, glue, and a little bit of water to create a crude papier-mache mix, which I plastered over the injury. Once it's dry I plan to sculpt it down against the skin better.

And voila! There you have it. An irreparable doll returned to active duty. Don't know about you, but that just about makes my day.

Updates All Around!

Howdy y'all!

FIRST: I won NaNoWriMo (yay!) with "The Abyss Gazes Also", but it's not over yet. If you haven't checked it out yet, you can right here. We're on Chapter 53 right now, heading into the climax, and it's getting good reviews, so come along for the ride!

SECOND: Look at these fine-ass ladies who recently came to stay.

Picture Day Operetta and Music Festival Abbey.

Our local Walmart is moving out all its old stock, and both these lines are on sale for $10 each. Check your local Walmart for end-of-season deals too! Spring 2014 dolls are coming!

Here's Abbey with just the front piece of the box removed, still attached.

Here you can see everything the doll comes with. The Music Festival line is a budget, or minor, line, but I think you get a good amount of quality accessories for the lower price. She wears a 1960s style blouse with one dropped shoulder, gathered waist and elbows, and ragged-edge three-quarter sleeves and waistline. She has a blue-and-purple faux denim mini with frayed edges. Her melting ice belt in blue translucent plastic is re-used, and I usually despise belts, but in this case it helps to keep the edges of the blouse from curling up.

The one stand-out piece of this outfit, for me, is the boots. Translucent blue melting ice boots, knee-high, with removable bright pink spiked shackles. You can't tell me that's not awesome. (Her blouse and adorable headband also prompted me to get her. I just love the style!)

I mean LOOK at those boots! You can also see her VIM pass and her earrings in the shape of one blue snowflake and one purple crystal. I wonder how many other Abbey dolls don't include her signature "ice crystal" choker?

Now on to that lovely lady from the catacombs...

Picture Day Operetta! I'd been looking EVERYWHERE for her, and B wound up running into her at Walmart, which was unexpected. She was on my must-have list for the following reasons:

- One, she's Operetta.

- Two, the Picture Day sets are fairly cheap ($10 - $15 in most stores right now, $19.99 on release) yet come with some of the greatest accessories and design for their price point. The clothes in this line are consistently well-made and gorgeous. The Fearbook is worth it if only for the sheet of stickers within.

- That jacket! Finally, an MH letterman jacket for a ghoul!

- Those shoes! .. OK, basically the fact that she's 1950s ghoul cool reincarnated. Spectacular.

However, as you might guess, that cute little "hairdo gone astray" image of her on the Picture Day boxes translates to "glue-stiffened unmanageable coil of hair" in 3D, which also left her face spattered with glue; and the back of her head has been pressed so firmly against the box that any shape her carefully crafted ponytail and pompadour might have had, has been destroyed. So, yes. She's on my "imminent boil and re-do" list.

I noticed also that her left hand is deformed and will require some careful trimming with an Xacto before it can bend as normal. Other than that, she's flawless.

The coat is cut just under the bust with three-quarter sleeves. The main body is purple pleather, with an MH logo printed on the upper left breast. The sleeves are white faux leather. The coat has knit acrylic trim at the cuffs, hem, and neck. It's well-made, though I worry about the longevity of the pleather, and it looks absolutely fantastic.

The corset is a removable piece with thin velcro closure and printed white stringing. It is structured just as a small corset should be, in panels, and it fits just right.

Operetta has a handbag shaped like a red and black dripping heart, with a music-note "tail" detail on one side. The bag is small, just big enough for a ghoul's iCoffin, but I do appreciate the nifty curve in its strap, designed to help its weight balance on a doll's arm.

On her left wrist she wears a simple black bracelet, common to the dolls released in this line and around this same time. On the right wrist she wears a bead-detailed red bracelet, a recolor of Lagoona's Dot Dead Gorgeous white bracelet.

Here are her amazing shoes, with molded and painted buttons and a red seam along the inside of the ankle. I can't get over these. They're gorgeous.

Her facemask is still heart-and-cobweb shaped, but this time the spider at its edge is bright red, adding some visual punch. On her right ear she wears a long earring of black vinyl records.

This is the full complement of accessories with this doll: jacket, corset, dress, fishnet stockings, bag, bracelets, facemask, earring, and shoes, not to mention folder with spiderweb patterns and closure, stand, and brush.

The jacket, shoes, socks, and corset could easily be added to other Operetta outfits, without disrupting her basic style themes.

The dress, leopard print interspersed with music notes and treble clefs, combines the "strapless" (clear plastic straps) look of the Ghouls Night Out designs with the tulle, patterns, and ruffles of the Dot Dead Gorgeous line. It's elegant, fierce, and adorable, all at once. That's Operetta in a nutshell!

So, in conclusion, I'd say the Picture Day line are worthwhile, for your own collection or for storing as a future investment. This is the second "basic" Operetta doll and in my opinion she's a gem. It's obvious Mattel put a lot of work into her design and the craftsmanship used to put her together.

As for the Music Festval dolls, I feel their costumes make them worth the cost, but they don't offer much else. If you have a favorite character, get them in this budget line if only to have some variety; otherwise, these dolls will soon be on deep discount, so keep your eyes peeled.

Up next: Pattern layouts for common MH outfit pieces!

Update: NaNoWriMo 2013 - Monster High: "The Abyss Gazes Also"

Howdy y'all!

I have been SUPER busy with NaNoWriMo this month. Sorry for not updating sooner. The good news is, the story's still flowing well and it should be smooth sailing straight through! (Not for the characters, of course...)

I plan to take a break next weekend, since I'm already ahead of the word-count curve, and doing some sewing and new doll posts. I should be getting Catrine deMew (Scaris) and Howleen Wolf (13 Wishes) this month, plus, if I'm super-lucky, a pre-order of the Frankie x Jackson set, Picnic Casket. He is such a cutie! But don't you dare tell him I said so!

Anyhoo, if you're interested in following the fanfic (daily updates! woo!), just click on through here. And if not, then just hang around, make y'self comfy, and I should be back in a week or so.

Hope y'all are havin' a fangtastic weekend!

Announcement: NaNoWriMo is LIVE!

Mornin', darlings!

I've been taking part in a little ol' thang called NaNoWriMo - that's shorthand for "National Novel Writing Month" - since 2008, and I can tell you, it is better than buttered bread.

The idea is to write a complete novel, about 50,000 words, in thirty days. Sounds impossible, doesn't it? Well, it's not. NaNoWriMo teaches creativity on demand, time management, and the destruction of that little voice in your head that tells you you're an idiot for even trying. I'm all for it, and you should join me!

This year's effort is all about fanfic. Here's the blurb:

A teenage boy is found brutally murdered in New Salem, not far from Monster High. Given the strange, repetitive, silent phone calls to his home, and his younger sister's stories about seeing ghosts, the people of New Salem decide the culprit must be from that damned school. But before the adults can handle the matter in a diplomatic fashion, the friends of the slain boy go on the warpath for revenge. Can Headmistress Bloodgood protect her students from the wrath of outraged townsfolk? Will the true culprit be found in time to save Monster High from total destruction? Or will a single unsolved murder spell the ruination of all the goodwill both sides have fought so hard to earn?

Now I've been toying with the idea of liveblogging my NaNo for the past two years, and this year, I'm taking the plunge.

I've posted the first four scenes - all I have at the moment (yes, I'm way behind!) - on fanfiction.net. Here's the link! "The Abyss Gazes Also"

Give it a read, and if you like what you see, why don't you follow me through the month as I finish the whole dang thing? It's going to be an awful lot of fun. Heck, for even MORE fun, you might think about joining in! Stretchin' your creative muscles is always invigorating.

Super Simple Monster High Clothes, Pt 4

So far, we've made socks, stockings, dresses, and hats. Now how about some separates to tie things together?

After making all those other bits, doubtless you've got scraps laying around. This is a handy and fun way to make use of them while boosting the content of your doll's wardrobe.

Materials:

- any random socks you've got laying around, clean and in decent shape, AND / OR leftover sock bits

- scissors, needle and thread

- a doll volunteer for measurements

* Some basic sewing skill is required for this project. Don't worry - it's nothing fancy and if you don't succeed at first, just try again until you do!

First, let's talk about those sock bits. Here's a diagram of our initial sock, cut into pieces, prior to any sewing.

Most likely, you have scrap from the portion of the sock labeled 'top or skirt material', as well as the '????' area. If you decided you don't like the look of the sock hats, you might be anxious to use those up, too. Well, here's your chance.

Step 1:

Choose which piece of scrap you're going to use, based on its dimensions. Use your doll to get an idea of what pieces will fit for different items. See the image below for an idea of size ranges.

I have a bunch of pieces about 4cm square, so I'm going to use those to make tops, and I have a few sock tops left over, which I'm going to cut down to 6cm x 10cm to make snug and cozy winter skirts.

Each skirt will be one piece, usually rectangular. Each top will be TWO pieces, a front and a back, cut to the same dimensions.

Decide which pieces can become tops (minimum measurements: 2cm x 7cm) and which can become skirts (minimum measurements: 3cm x 10cm), cut them down to the size you want, and sort into two piles so you don't get confused. Not that I ever do. *ahem*

Step 2:

For skirts, all you need to do is stitch up the sides to create a tube. You might want to test the fabric around your doll's hips first and mark or pin the amount of fabric that needs to be removed.

Tops are a little bit more complicated, due to arms and necks.

Place the fabric on or under your doll to determine where you'll need to cut armholes. Armholes can be created by simply folding the fabric in half and cutting out a small semicircle. Cut small; you can always make the hole larger, but you can't make it small again!

Use your doll again to help determine where the neckline needs to be. I've found with this material crew necks, mock turtle necks, and short, sharp V-necks look OK - but a scoop neck leads to weak shoulders, and a too-steep V can make a shirt unwearable. Again, fold the fabric in half and cut a line or a circle. This ensures both sides are even.

Step 3:

Sewing! Fold the "right" sides facing one another, "wrong" side facing you, get that needle threaded and get going. Put on some music or a favorite Youtube series. (Personally, I like to listen to Lovecraft stories from Librivox.org while I sew.)

Remember, the skirts are a single piece stitched into a tube, while the tops are two pieces stitched together at the sides. The skirt will not require an opening for closure (as long as it's 10cm or greater in length), but the shirt will most likely need to have a slit cut into the top quarter in order to fit over the head or the hips. We'll worry about closures later. For now, just get the pieces together.

Step 4:

Once they're all sewn up, go ahead and try them on. Among the pros this is known as the "first fit". It may not be pretty. Remember back when I said I don't get confused? Well, during the making of this post, I sewed two shirts with one "right" side out and one "wrong" side out. Guess I got distracted by all that Lovecraft.

This is when you'll need to cut those slits in the shirts. Make a slit less than halfway down the back of the shirt, to ensure it can fit over the head or hips without too much stretching. You can leave it open, as I did with one of Catty Noir's new tees, if the fit looks good on the front, or you can use Velcro, snaps, or a safety pin to hold it shut in the back.

Extra Ideas:

- Because these clothes are all made out of socks, they do have raw edges (if you haven't hemmed them). You can disguise those edges with a bit of ribbon or with fancy cuts, like a zig-zag pattern for Frankie Stein, or a wave pattern for Lagoona Blue. You can also buy fabric supplies such as iron-on hemming tape to finish the edges.

Next up: Using tubes to make leggings and soft pants. Plus, sleeves!

P.S. - I got the Monster High image base from winkxchara on DeviantArt... and, if you like any of the items you've seen in my pictures here, check out my Etsy store. Cheers!

Doll Customization: Youtube Playlist

Howdy y'all!

I spent my weekend gatherin' videos about Monster High doll hair, wigs, and customization, as well as gettin' some sewing time in.

Thought y'all might enjoy it, so here you go!

Super Simple Monster High Clothes, Pt 3

Okay, so we all have socks, right?

Is it just me, or do we also all lose one along the way somehow?

I don't know about you but I have a tendency to lose socks. Especially my favorite ones, or the nifty new novelty ones I only wore once. What to do with all these random unpaired lonesome socks?

I've kept a bag of unmatched socks for over a year now. It's handy when I just need a sock real quick, or when I want to do a craft project but am lacking other supplies. They're clean and wearable. Just mismatched.

Which makes them perfect for Monster High clothes!

Today I'll show y'all how to make a hat and sheath dress out of.. yep.. a sock. There are infinite variations on this theme, and once you learn it you'll never look at socks the same way. I certainly don't!

Materials:

- any random socks you've got laying around, clean and in decent shape

- scissors, needle and thread

- measuring tape - a cloth or flexible plastic one is best

* Some basic sewing skill is required for this project. Don't worry - it's nothing fancy and if you don't succeed at first, just try again until you do!

* This tutorial will work with ANY sock, but I found childrens' socks (size 9 - 11) the most fun to work with. There are many colors and patterns to choose from and the fabric isn't bulky.

Step 1a: The Hat

This is the easiest hat in the world. See that toe section on your sock? Lay the sock flat, measure four to seven centimeters from the toe, and snip it off. That's your hat. You can customize it further by stitching it to a band of elastic (which might be at the top of the sock), a loop of ribbon, or even a ring of cardboad cut from a paper towel tube. You can hem and shape the edges, add a brim, or just let it be - a loose, comfy, beret-style sock cap. The best thing is, it already matches the dress you haven't yet made.

Step 1b: The Dress

Lay the sock flat sideways and cut a straight line through the foot, removing the heel section. You should now have two straight tubes: the foot and the ankle.

Step 2:

Measure the length of each tube. This will be a bit longer than your finished dress. Between eight and ten centimeters is the ideal length. To get a good idea of how this will fit your doll, slip her into the tube and pull it as tight against her body as you'd like it to fit. If it's too short, no problem - set it aside and you can make it into a shirt or a skirt later. If it's too long, snip off as much as you'd like.

Step 3:

Now, if you're like me, you want your doll's clothes to fit well but not too snug. Cutting each tube in half makes four equal pieces, all of which will fit quite tightly. Cutting off about a quarter of each tube makes two equal pieces and two smaller leftover pieces, which you can use later. Your choice. Cut them now.

Step 4:

Turn the fabric inside out, so that the "raw" side with all the seams and loose threads is facing you. Stitch the two open sides together to form a new, smaller tube. This should fit your doll closely. If it's too loose, use a seamripper or the blade of your scissors to tear out the stitches, cut off another strip, and stitch it up again. Keep trying until you've got it just the way you like it.

Socks are one of my favorite items for creating doll clothes, because they're so versatile. The fabric is usually soft and plush without being thick or bulky. They're small and pre-made into a tube, so I only have to cut out the size or shape I want.

You can make almost anything for a doll from an unwanted sock - a skirt, sweater, coat, shorts, leggings, pajama pants. And using them makes me feel good because I'm using up a small fabric stash that mostly gathers dust!

Extra Ideas:

- Trim the neckline and / or base of your sock dress with ribbon in a contrasting color or texture. Shiny satin ribbon sharpens up the fuzziness of cotton, and bright colors jazz up mellow or neutral tones.

- Stiffen the hat or skirt by painting over it with liquid white glue or nail polish.

I bet you have some snippets and scraps left over after this one. That's why Next up: is all about crafting skirts and tops from sock material. See ya!

Super Simple Monster High Clothes, Pt 2

Hooray for stockings!

Stockings are awesome, and if you disagree.. well, I respect your right to do so, but you're just plum wrong. And they're especially awesome on MH dolls, whose lovely long legs can't help but look grand.

So, without further ado, here's how to do it!

Materials:

- one unwanted shirt - T-shirts and other stretchy knit fabrics work best.

- pen, pencil, knitting needle, etc. for easily inverting the hem

- (if sewing toes closed) scissors, needle and thread

* If you want, you can use actual nylon fabric from a pair of pantyhose. This requires a bit more sewing (and careful sewing at that) but it can be done!

Step 1:

Cut off the hem of the shirt in one long strip, being careful not to cut into the hem or cut it open. (It's not the end of the world if you do!)

Step 2:

Decide how long you'd like the stockings to be by holding the hem up against your MH doll's leg. Thigh-high is the standard, but they can also hit mid-thigh or just above the knee. Mark the length of hem at the start and end point of each stocking, from toe to leg, so you know where to cut. Alternately, cut off a length of hem, measure it against your doll's legs, fold it over itself so the length is doubled, and cut through both layers. Two pieces at once!

Step 3:

Cut the hem at the points you've marked.

If you've chosen not to sew the toe closed, just turn 'em inside out and you're done! Pop 'em on your doll and enjoy.

Step 4:

Sew one end of the hem closed with small stitches. Use the pencil or knitting needle or what-have-you to turn the segment of hem inside out. Pulling it over the doll's leg will stretch the fabric, but it should hold tightly without any supports, and when you remove them they'll be easier to put back on.

Extra Ideas:

- Prefer legwarmers to stockings? Just cut 'em short, stretch the fabric between your hands a bit, and fit them over your doll's calves. Ta da! Classic '80s scrunched legwarmers!

- It's possible to make a garter belt for your stockings, but it involves a bit of tiny-scale sewing, and it will add bulk under clothing. Perhaps I'll do a tutorial on that in the future.

- If you're using these in an outfit, try matching the color of the sleeves or jacket.

Can my Monster High doll wear these stockings under their clothes?

Sure! They can really pull an outfit together. Because they fit so snugly, they can be worn not only under dresses and skirts but also jeans, shorts, and pants. Depending on the thickness of the material used, you might have trouble getting your MH doll's shoes over the feet of the stockings. If this happens, do what you would with your own stockings: pull the slack parts tight to stretch it taut, put the shoe on, and straighten the stocking.

Next up: Hats and dresses.. made from socks, with almost no sewing at all!

Super Simple Monster High Clothes, Pt 1

Howdy!

I love the clothes Mattel designs for most of my MH dolls, but sometimes I've just got to shake things up. What with winter coming, I've been thinking about how to keep them warm, too. So today I'm going to show you some super simple clothes you can make to keep your MH ladies and gentlemen both fashionable and cozy.

First: Socks!

Heels are great and all, but sometimes a ghoul's gotta just kick back and chill for a while. Rest your tootsies in a pair of petite slip-on socks.

This project requires very little sewing, just to close the toe. You can do it!

Materials:

- an unwanted shirt - T-shirt, button-up, anything

- a pencil, knitting needle, or other long poky thing (Heath, you best stop that giggling right now!)

- (if sewing the toe closed) scissors, needle and thread

* I like to use brightly colored or contrasting thread on my MH projects. It fits them just fine!

Step 1:

Cut off the hem of the shirt in one long strip, being careful not to cut into the hem or cut it open. (It's not the end of the world if you do!)

Step 2:

Decide how long you'd like the socks to be by holding the hem up against your MH doll's leg. I like the look of ankle socks on mine, personally, but you might prefer knee-high, mid-calf, or even no-shows, right under the ankle. Mark the length of hem at the start and end point of each sock, from toe to leg, so you know where to cut.

Step 3:

Cut the hem at the points you've marked.

If you've chosen not to sew the toe closed, congratulations - just turn 'em inside out and you're done! Pop 'em on your doll and enjoy.

Step 4:

Sew one end of the hem closed with small stitches. Use the pencil or knitting needle or what-have-you to turn the segment of hem inside out.

Extra Ideas:

- Hem the tops of your socks to stop them from fraying. I like to leave them loose, for two reasons: a) I really despise hemming and b) I like slouchy, droopy socks.

- Trim the tops with a bit of lace, ribbon, or ruffled fabric in a contrasting color.

Can my Monster High doll wear these socks under shoes?

Technically, no. MH shoes are made to fit tight to their feet. But you CAN measure the amount of sock that would be showing over the top of a doll's shoe, cut that amount from a hem, leave the toe open, and push the sock up over the top of the shoe. It looks pretty good with closed shoes, scrunched down a bit.

Next up: Stockings! Plus, crafting Monster High clothes from mismatched, unloved socks.