Custom Skills you wish you had:

[fallensaviour]

painting Eyes and sewing are easy for me it's the sculpting and casting I can't do... :(

[Blackkryptonite]

These are all really skills to improve folks. All I can say is that it takes a lot practice and a lot of trial and error but you do improve and learn. And sometimes you pick up new techniques to bring to the table and share with others.

[Fire Marshal Bill]

I picked one of these up at a garage sale MIB for $5 a few weeks ago. A mini sewing maching for mini outfits . I'm hoping to learn how to use it!

[Blackkryptonite]

I have one of those little Sharks, Bill. It's certainly no Cadillac but it gets the job done.

[PNGwynne]

Any--all I can do is design well (draw) and paint somewhat.

Wish I had mad sewing skills!!!

[jessica]

I wish I had and could use Photoshop. I also wish I could make shoes. I wish I could sew with spandex. I hate that stuff.

I wish I could do everything better.

[jimsmegos]

Two more hours in a day that I could dedicate specifically to practicing everything mentioned by everyone here.

[bjack99]

I would like to sculpt.

[Dark Shadow]

I wish I could sculpt too. So many custom heads I'd like to make, so little talent.

I wish I could sew with spandex. I hate that stuff.

I hear you on this one! One of the methods that I learned for making body suits is as follows:

1. Cut the two pieces to size. I use the actual doll body to draw an outline (like a crime scene) and cut outside the line for the first piece and then use that piece as a template to outline the 2nd piece, which I also cut outside the line. Make sure to leave some length on the arms and neckline to allow for hems (and also on the legs if you choose not to have feet on the body suit). If you want feet, point the feet downward when outlining your pattern.

2. Lay one piece on the table, lay the doll on top of that, then lay the second piece on top of the doll. Make sure that the side of the fabric that you want to show faces the body.

3. Fasten the two pieces together, completely around the figure, with straight pins (over & under like you would for any basic seam). In this step you can stretch the spandex to the desired fit as you pin it up.

4. Hand sew the seam lines completely while the suit is stretched over the body. It's so much easier to sew lycra like this than trying to sew it flat & unstretched.

5. After sewing the seams & hems, trim the excess fabric along the seams, remove the body suit & turn it inside out.

[Ivaniski]

Custom Skills you wish you had:

I Wish i had the head painting Skills of Jessica and MegoSpidey.

[jessica]

I wish I could sculpt too. So many custom heads I'd like to make, so little talent.




I hear you on this one! One of the methods that I learned for making body suits is as follows:

1. Cut the two pieces to size. I use the actual doll body to draw an outline (like a crime scene) and cut outside the line for the first piece and then use that piece as a template to outline the 2nd piece, which I also cut outside the line. Make sure to leave some length on the arms and neckline to allow for hems (and also on the legs if you choose not to have feet on the body suit). If you want feet, point the feet downward when outlining your pattern.

2. Lay one piece on the table, lay the doll on top of that, then lay the second piece on top of the doll. Make sure that the side of the fabric that you want to show faces the body.

3. Fasten the two pieces together, completely around the figure, with straight pins (over & under like you would for any basic seam). In this step you can stretch the spandex to the desired fit as you pin it up.

4. Hand sew the seam lines completely while the suit is stretched over the body. It's so much easier to sew lycra like this than trying to sew it flat & unstretched.

5. After sewing the seams & hems, trim the excess fabric along the seams, remove the body suit & turn it inside out.

It's still a chore to sew spandex! I will keep trying though.

Aw...thanks Frank!

[BlackKnight]

To Be Able to Post on a Message Board while I am At work ...., or even look at 1 to begin with.

[Blackkryptonite]

Ah just remembered one more! Time management skills! I could probably play with my toys more if I had better time management.

[Random Axe]

I'd have to list sculpting as an area of major needed improvement. Maybe it's my sculpting materials I'm using or just my brain that has problems with 3-D stuff, but I cannot master it. It may just be a matter of practice and doing it for a year or so before I get a comfort level.

I'd also like to try my hand at mold making and casting. That's way down the road, though.

I've read a lot of posts regarding sewing spandex, and it is indeed tough. If you can master that material you can sew anything. Use a blunt needle on a machine when using lycra/spandex and pin it together securely with as many pins as possible. If hand sewing, use a smaller needle and triple stitch everything. I'm still learning the sewing part, but I can do basic stuff.

[thunderbolt]

Or you could just stop using spandex like TBolt.