Nicky Epstein 'Knits for Dolls' Blog Tour!!!

Welcome to a stop on the Nicky Epstein Knits for Dolls Blog Tour!!!

Today we talk about a book that has been discussed by several other blogs.

"Nicky Epstein Knits for Dolls:
25 Fun, Fabulous Outfits for 18-Inch Dolls"

We were sent a copy of the book by Sixth and Spring Books, 

so this is a sponsored post featuring our own deep thoughts.

Go here to check out the book:

http://www.sixthandspringbooks.com/index.php/nicky-epstein-knits-for-dolls.html

And check out these other blogs on the tour:

July 1

Toys In the Dryer 
House of 34

July 2

Katie's Red Umbrella

Crafting A Green World

July 3

Karen Mom Of Three's Craft Blog

Doll Diaries

July 4

Smashed Peas and Carrots

On The Laundry Line

July 5

The Doll Wardrobe 

Untrained Housewife 

July 6

American Girl Fan

July 7 

Stitch and Unwind

Our first question upon receiving the book was 

"Who is Nicky Epstein?"

This back panel on the book explains that she is basically a knitting guru.

And she has published many books on this subject.

This new book offers a lot of great projects for the amateur and advanced knitter.

If you are a novice, here's a fantastic opportunity to track down a more experienced knitter, get this book and bond over the projects.

Need summertime craft projects to keep you busy?

Here ya go!

There is a Table of Contents with pictures.

And a Project Index in the back of the book.

As you can see, it isn't just sweaters and jackets -- there are dresses, hats, blankets, bathrobes, purses, socks and much more to knit.

The book features detailed materials lists for each project as well as in-depth instructions.

You will also see some useful charts.

In the back of the book you will find a page on Yarn Resources...

As well as a Glossary and Techniques section...

Clear technique images help your work go smoothly.

And you will also find special extras on doll jewelry crafting and teatime treats to bake.

But the best part is all of the wonderful photographs of 

Madame Alexander dolls modeling the knits.

The publishers took quite a lot of care to set up elaborate scenes 

that really 'sell' each project.

How cute is this picture?

And the pictures serve as great examples of how to photograph your handmade 

doll clothing for selling online.

These images really make you want to dive into the book and start a project right away!

Thank you for visiting the blog today!

If you guys are interested in us giving this book away to one lucky reader --

we certainly can!

Just let us know in the comments if you want us to do that!!!

Two New MyAGs: The Classic Mold Conspiracy

Happy Fourth of July Americanos.

Be sure to keep your pets indoors during this joyous day, filled with beautiful fireworks that scare the poop out of animals across the nation.

___________

Today we discuss another thing everyone has been talking about.

And we have been mum about for awhile on here.

The two new MyAG dolls.

#59

aka Beatrice with slightly darker hair

Even the same eyebrows and eye color.

and #60

aka Adanya with light skin and shorter hair

Even the same eyebrows and eye color.

We like #60.

#59 is useful for people with that coloring.

But we aren't scrambling to buy either one.

Shouldn't AG be releasing dolls that I am scrambling to buy?

Yes #58, from the previous release is super cute and tempting.

But black and multi-racial people do sometimes have non-brown-colored eyes AG.

Also where is the not!Kanani -- a dark or medium skin Jess mold doll?

Or both?

Where is the medium skin Sonali mold doll that is only available right now from the Doll Hospital as a doll without hair?

And why can't we have a light skin Sonali mold doll?

We got two more light skin dolls.

Whoopie.

And they both have the classic mold.

Dude.

What about a Jess mold doll with something other than brown eyes?

What about a Marie-Grace mold doll without pincurls?

And maybe even non-blue eyes? Gasp.

Or even medium skin? Double gasp.

AG, you have 6 other face molds and most of your MyAG line already has
the classic mold face.

Your current GOTY is even white with a classic mold face.

(Kudos for the fresh hair color and new eye color though.)

One might argue that white people are the ones buying the dolls - hence why most doll lines feature 80% white dolls with the same face mold.

Are white people really the only ones who buy dolls???

No.

And are white people only going to buy white dolls???

No again.

We own 11 out of the 15 currently offered dark and medium skin dolls
and we land squarely into the white demographic.
We're so white we are one step away from being albino.
Our skin color has never stopped us from loving dark and medium skin dolls;
in fact, they are some of our favorites.

The need to celebrate humanity's diversity of features, eye colors, and skin colors should be obvious to a company that focuses on self-worth and freedom of expression.

Get it together AG.

We want creativity from you.

Creativity.

Think about all those people buying pre-loved dolls off of Ebay 
to make into custom dolls.
Think about all that money.

Then think about all the money they spend on other-brand wigs.

Maybe you should beat them to the punch, AG.

Start making MyAG dolls that people will sell their first-born in order to buy.

So Long, Molly and Emily: Archival Confessions

Well, everyone and their mother has been talking about this for awhile. So we are kinda late to the funeral here. But we were pondering deep thoughts about all of this archival stuff.

Is your Molly and Emily collection complete?

No?

Well now is the time to run in circles in panic and buy EVERYTHING.

Just kidding. Don't pee yourself.

When Samantha was archived, we were like -- "What the heck?"

But we already had everything we wanted from her collection, so we didn't panic.

We had just bought her winter coat set, velvet dress, and dog Jip.

We were satisfied.

When Felicity and Elizabeth were archived we panicked and bought a ton of stuff we had been waiting to buy. Including Felicity and Elizabeth. 

We even bought stuff we weren't sure we wanted. 

And of course, we bought stuff we didn't even have room for. 

Sound familiar? 

You probably need to join us for Archival Group Therapy then.

But we were happy with all the stuff we got in the end, so that was that.

We especially squee-ed over the tiny Noah's Ark set and the muff, mitts and pattens set.

Then came Kirsten's archival.

Girl didn't even have much left, never mind a best friend doll to accompany her into the blackness.

But we still panicked. We bought like 6 Kirstens. Not even joking.

We still have most of them boxed up.

Only two have been played with.

And only one has her braids undone.

Kirsten's fishing set and lunch were two of our most prized possessions growing up.

Don't ask me why we loved the squishy fish so much.

And Kirsten-style outfits were one of the things our Mommy made for us on a regular basis.

So for Samantha, we were in the "This stinks" Camp.

For Felicity, the "Noooooo!!!! Not yet!!!" Camp.

And for Kirsten, the "There Goes my Childhood" Camp.

And the worse part is that there are still ye old, long-retired items from all three of these collections that we'd love to have. But we have given up on those things for now. 

What's the point?

We have now become quite numb to archivals.

Molly was our first doll ever.

We were obsessed with her.

We should be freaking out.

But we aren't.

Like many people, we saw this coming and bought the things we wanted.

We just received Molly's swimsuit and her birthday dress -- the last two things on our wishlist.

They arrived in a new size square box, fyi.

Yank and Bennett came here a couple weeks before that.

We figured the new Molly bed and pjs were an attempt to increase interest in her collection, with the goal of thinning out stock, leading up to the archival.

We got the pjs. They are fly.

The bed we passed on -- do we really need another bed???

But overall, what is this last-ditch attempt to make people notice Molly???

Couldn't you have paid attention to her before you were about to axe her AG?

Perhaps we are just depressed about the whole thing?

Probably.

So many of Molly's coolest items have already come and gone a long time ago.

It's not even worth crying over.

Archival is a bitter pill to swallow.

On the one hand -- we get new dolls -- Rebecca, Marie-Grace and Cecile, and Caroline.

But we only squee-ed about the stuff in Caroline's collection.

The other two we have mostly ignored, in comparison to our normal "We must buy everything" mode of operation.

We own eight things from Rebecca's collection.

And eleven from Marie-Grace and Cecile's collection.

What's the point to these rambling confessions???

While we have bought things from the above two collections, we have no motivation to buy more and they are not releasing new stuff for them.

We lose dolls through archivals, and the new dolls only get fresh stuff for two years.

Then they are ignored in the interest of new dolls and collections.

Their story, that slice of history, and the seemingly endless possibilities of their collection are passed over.

Most of the outfits, accessories and furniture mentioned in their books is never made by AG.

This seems to be AG's new system.

Steady new doll releases, small historical collections.

I guess it works for them.

But part of the fun of Pleasant Company was the new seasonal releases 

for all of the historical dolls.

We liked the way they all got new outfits and accessories on a steady basis.

True, they didn't have to do 60 annual MyAG releases back then, because MyAG didn't exist.

But we just wish they would pay a little more attention to the historicals.

One or two girls getting one or two things each year stinks.

I feel like AG should at least do five years of new item releases for each new historical doll.

And forget that Limited Edition -- only here for a short time -- BS.

At least pretend that you give a crap about each historical doll you release.

Then maybe your fans wouldn't feel so dead inside every time you do an archival.