Erik Kirk's thread.

[DG]

You did a great job!

[true_blue22]

Thanks, DG! I was happy with how it turned out.

My one and only Erik Kirk: WM 160cm, fair skin tone, #78 head.
500-year-old vampire who finds my blood irresistible.

[itashaLover]

Hi, everyone. 6 months ago I learned the basics of using a sewing machine.

I think I'm inevitably drifting in this direction too. Just can't find clothes for my doll that I really want.

What sewing machine model do you use?

[true_blue22]

Hi, itashaLover - thanks for stopping by. My sewing machine is an Elna 1000 - a very basic model, but it does the job. I think it was around AU $300. I find a pair of tweezers very helpful for guiding the thread through the needle. A headlamp is handy, too, when I need brighter lighting than the sewing machine provides. My husband taught me how to use the machine as his Mother was a seamstress. So I was lucky that he could teach me. There are tutorials on YouTube where you can learn how to sew, too. Please keep me posted if you do decide you're going to learn.

My one and only Erik Kirk: WM 160cm, fair skin tone, #78 head.
500-year-old vampire who finds my blood irresistible.

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[itashaLover]

true_blue22,
thank you for reply!
That's similar to what I was looking at, don't want to waste my money on some cheap crap.

[PrizmGirl]

I did that with a couple shirts too! Makes it so much easier!

[true_blue22]

true_blue22,
thank you for reply!
That's similar to what I was looking at, don't want to waste my money on some cheap crap.

You're welcome, itashaLover. I wouldn't go with a really cheap sewing machine, either, because it would most likely be poor quality. I'm quite happy with my Elna 1000. When I first learned how to sew, I started with a really easy project: shortening and hemming my curtains. Then I moved on to making coats for my dog which gave me more practice on the machine. Then by the time Erik arrived, I felt confident enough to slice his shirts up the back and sew the Velcro on. A wider hem is needed for Velcro than for plastic snaps. So the next time I order a shirt for Erik, I'll order it one size bigger to allow for that.

My one and only Erik Kirk: WM 160cm, fair skin tone, #78 head.
500-year-old vampire who finds my blood irresistible.

[true_blue22]

I did that with a couple shirts too! Makes it so much easier!

Hi, PrizmGirl. I totally agree - I'm so grateful to the person who invented Velcro. Shirts are much harder to get onto a doll than shorts. But Velcro (and sewing skills) are the perfect solution.

My one and only Erik Kirk: WM 160cm, fair skin tone, #78 head.
500-year-old vampire who finds my blood irresistible.

[true_blue22]

Hi, everyone. Just wanted to share the modification I did on Erik's shirt using plastic snaps. They're quicker and easier to apply than sewing on Velcro, but the material can gape between the snaps. However, they don't snag on his body stocking like Velcro can. Everything has pros and cons. I ordered T5 (size 20) snaps which are 12.4 millimetres wide. They're a good general-purpose snap that suits most kinds of fabric. I ordered mine from ebay for $16. They're not genuine KAM snaps, but they've done the job quite well. If you'd like to know the best size of snap to use for thinner or thicker fabrics, there's a guide here from the KAM snaps website: https://kamsnaps.com/pages/choosing-the ... stic-snaps I learned how to apply them by watching tutorials on YouTube. The preparation for the shirt is similar to applying Velcro: cut the shirt up the middle at the back, then sew hems on each side before adding the snaps.

My one and only Erik Kirk: WM 160cm, fair skin tone, #78 head.
500-year-old vampire who finds my blood irresistible.

The kit I ordered included the snaps, the snap tool and an awl to poke holes in the fabric before attaching the snaps.

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15 different colours of snaps for $16 - that's great value considering that our largest craft supplies store wanted $6 for small bags of snaps with one colour.

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Male snap on the left, female on the right.

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All I have to do is get his hands through those sleeves and pull it up onto his shoulders. So easy!

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I chose black snaps to blend in with the trim along the neck since I didn't have navy snaps.

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I placed the snaps about 3 inches apart.

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All fastened up.

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The fabric gapes a bit in between the snaps but it's a minor quibble.

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I'm quite pleased with how this shirt modification worked out.

[Mister Bungle 157]

true_blue22,
thank you for reply!
That's similar to what I was looking at, don't want to waste my money on some cheap crap.

If you look on Craigslist.... you can find a really decent machine that'll last you
forever. Look for an older Singer or Kenmore machine with all metal gears. I
picked up a 1962 Singer 328K for free. I had a local shop tune it up for about $50.
It'll sew anything I need it to sew..... and easily at that. I can even sew garment leather
if I want to. I also picked up a Singer 401A at a flea market for $10.
Its a beast and has a ton of stitch patterns to choose from.
Sewing machines from the mid 70s and older are built like tanks. Singer, Kenmore
and Pfaff machines from the 50s-early 70s are all very decent.

https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/327
https://silverbobbin.com/singer-401a-se ... ue-review/

[itashaLover]

Mister Bungle 157,
thanks for info!

[true_blue22]

Hi, everyone. Erik's blonde eyebrow wigs arrived today, but unfortunately I can't post any photos until tomorrow. I decided to remove his eyelashes as they were caked with glue (I'm not the best at attaching them) and I found a small split on his upper left eyelid. So I had to remove his eyes and use TPE paste to repair the split. That'll have to sit overnight to dry before I can put Erik's eyes in again. If I didn't fix that split, the next attempt at removing eyelashes might make it tear even further. Hell, no! Shout-out to Muesky for her video which taught me how to make TPE paste. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ta-igRxomc


My one and only Erik Kirk: WM 160cm, fair skin tone, #78 head.
500-year-old vampire who finds my blood irresistible.

[true_blue22]

Hi, everyone. I was finally able to apply Erik's new blonde eyebrow wigs last night. I had to trim them as I did with the first pair so they'd look better on him. I'm quite pleased with the result and so is he. He got new eyelashes, too.

I was happy when his new blonde brows arrived in the mail.

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Erik's dark brown brows were too stark when paired with his blonde wig. So they had to go - along with his old eyelashes!

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I had to wait overnight for the Micro Kristal Klear to completely dry underneath his new brows.

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A closer look at them before his wig goes on.

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I'm glad his new eyelashes look good because they were a bitch to apply.

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So happy to have my blonde boy back again.

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He looks handsome to me.

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My one and only Erik Kirk: WM 160cm, fair skin tone, #78 head.
500-year-old vampire who finds my blood irresistible.

[DG]

He be lookin good!

[true_blue22]

Hi, DG. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and reply. Erik and I appreciate your lovely compliment. I'll keep my eyes peeled for any updates on your thread.

My one and only Erik Kirk: WM 160cm, fair skin tone, #78 head.
500-year-old vampire who finds my blood irresistible.