Which came first, dolls, or crafting?

crafting but did so from a very early age and my dolls were the main points of my endeavors even then

 

I always loved dolls and my grandma taught me how to crochet. It took me til high school to figure out that I could crochet for the dolls.

 

Crafting! I make polymer clay charms, and some of the crafters that inspire me own BJDs, and that's how I found out about them.

 

Been into drawing and crafting years before I discovered bjds, but it definitley gave me new incentive to dust off my brushes and put them to use! I probably would have never even thought to take up sewing if it werent for this hobby.

 

Arts and crafts came long before dolls. I was drawing, painting, and crafting 3D versions of things I drew and painted ever since I can remember. When I was about 10 I learned how to sew and started making clothes for me and my sister's American Girl dolls. That progressed to all sorts of sewing, from clothes for myself to quilts to costumes. Years later, I started making clothes for my daughter's American Girl doll. They came out much better than the ones I made as a kid, and I started really getting into design and pattern making and learning more elaborate couture sewing techniques. Eventually I got a bit frustrated with the limitations of designing and sewing for dolls with shapeless lumpy bodies, stiff unposeable limbs, and very childlike faces. The desire for a doll sewing model that looked like an adult but was still large enough to give me lots of room for detail is actually what led me to BJD.

 

crafting, as i have always loved to craft but I didn't buy a proper sewing machine till after I had brought and recieved my doll.

 

As an adult, it's crafting that has gotten me back into dolls, which I loved as a kid... And now it just is all such a wonderful whirl!

 

dolls came first, never really crafted or made any art before i had them. i thank dolls for teaching me how to sew and create, in a way!

 

Dolls definitely. I have never been the crafting type (too impatient for the trial and error phase I guess) but now I really want to learn. Luckily my mum is willing to teach me

 

Crafting ^-^
I got into the BJD hobby because of my Art when i realized how perfect they were as little models for my drawings ^^
as for making things for them i mostly make all of my dolls clothes their wigs and have done all of their face ups myself ^^ and a few of them have full body blushing as well.
i haven't done much with them photography wise but thats mostly because i have not had time. same thing with making them props and what not however i plan to get to all that once i have more time ^^

 

I decided to look into BJD's as they seemed like the perfect display for all my crafting! From crocheting, to knitting, to sewing, to jewelry making, they seemed like the perfect models!

 

I don't have a doll. I got interested in making clothes for my daughters doll. So far I have made her doll and dress and a pair of pants, I am now working on a shirt to go with the pants.

 

I am not really good at creating things, but I did start trying to create things before I bought dolls. I tried to create cosplays from quite a young age and when I got my first doll I sewed some clothes for him. Unfortunately, I soon realized that my ability is quite limited and gave up. Now I am trying to improve my photography. The dolls are a welcome break from my usual busy work schedule

 

Well... I was interested in making things a long before i got my dollfie be it making paper or plastic models or making clothes for my other dolls
its just after I got dollfie I could stert making more advanced outfits because of biger size of the doll

 

Dolls came first. I'm still learning how to sew and knit so I can make lots of clothes for my big dolly family.

 

I was able to sew beforehand, but my doll gave me more of a reason to sew. There are several crafts I've learned, or am in the process of learning, thanks to Olive. I really need to get better at wig making though

 

I have been sewing and making crafts of all kinds since I was a kid. I've only been collecting bjd a couple of years.

 

After I got my first doll and became interested in crafting. I don't don't think anyone can create my vision like I can. They may can make a better quality version, but that would cost be an arm and a leg.

 

I feel the same, I kinda had crafts before dolls, but I didn't really start to explore and expand in crafts until I had dolls to craft for.

 

I definitely got into the hobby as an outlet for my craft ambitions-- I really wanted to do more costuming, but it's so expensive... doing it on 1/4 scale, however, suddenly made it way cheaper, quicker, and my model will never change weight/shape!

Plus, I already collected miniature objects just because I love tiny things, and doing faceups is like combining my love of watercolor painting with my love of makeup, in a weird way.

 

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.

 

I've always been crafty but I think doll collecting has increased my sewing skills tremendously.

 

I had dolls before I could make the right clothes for them

 

Crafting came first. I have been doing props (like swords or guns out of cardboard) since I was... 12?
I also loved to do things with beads and modelling play dough and stuff like that.
But when dolls came, I switched to sewing, wig making and things directly related to them.

 

I'v been sewing and crafting long before i even discovered the hobby that being said, i wouldn't consider myself great at either since sewing was more an off/on thing and so was crafting but i think having the dolls makes me more excited to try and get better and make things that look really nice!

 

I'm useless at crafts so my dolls came first but I'm determined to learn to make something!!

 

I sewed and knit before BJDs, but they were the catalyst for honing my skills.

 

I learned to knit and crochet long ago! But it wasn't until I started collecting dolls that I started learning to sew.

 

I would say dolls came before crafting. I used to do some craft stuff when I was younger, but not to any heavy extent. I got my first doll a few years ago, and it wasn't until recently I started to be crafty for her(and eventually their) sake.

 

I've been in love with dolls ever since my childhood. I learned to knit, but it couldn't keep my attention so I didn't stick with it. I latter learned to sew and continued to take lessons for costume making at my college. My parents got me my first doll half way through my 2nd year. Once I got my doll I started expanding my sewing skills and I also know how to my lace wigs and hope to learn to do faceups also.

 

I had always been crafty since I grew up watching my mom craft. Sewing, painting, sculpting, ect. I love doing things with my hands. I think the only things that translated well into doll stuff was sewing and character design since I was really into character creation and figure drawing as a kid. After I got my first doll and fell out of the hobby I learned how to do makeup and style hair which has helped with faceups and wig making/styling (...somewhat, I'm still not very good) when I came back.

 

I could already sew, but I had to learn how to paint/blush dolls. I'm not amazing at it, but I'm content in what I can do currently.
One of the things I love about this hobby is how many skills I can learn if I want to. I'm currently working on learning how to make shoes!

 

I learned how to sew and crochet for my dolls.... Not ball joint dolls. I learned when i was about 6 or 7 so i could make things for my barbies and other dolls. I started sewing by altering storebought clothes to fit better and crocheting little blankets

 

Crafting has been a part of my life since childhood, though the only thing I'd say I actually got good at was traditional pencil drawings. Unfortunately, I don't have the patience for it that I used to... and sketching on resin doesn't work quite the same.

 

Even me who could basically sew and knit need "a doll" first to determine the right scale so my answer is Doll come before Crafting.

 

Dolls in general came first. When I was a child I would crochet and sew clothes for my small dolls and Barbies. My grandmother would crochet and knit for my larger dolls.
As a teenager I got involved in dollhouses and I kept that up until our last move, some 15 years ago now. I discovered BJDs about 10 years ago.

I'm not great at face-ups, or even at sewing for larger dolls (my sewing machine and I have a definite love/hate relationship), but I'm getting there...

 

I have always been crafty. I bought my dolls to practice my pattern making and sewing skills since their clothing a lot smaller and faster to make. But I have been making doll clothing for years before I got any bjds. I remember cutting up balloons to make dresses for my Polly pockets. so maybe I did start with dolls.

 

I’ve always been artistic and crafty...and there’s very few things I haven’t done over the years. But once I discovered BJDs, that was it! It was the hobby I’d always been looking for because I could do absolutely everything to express my artistic vision through these dolls! I can create characters, do face-ups, make wigs, sew complete wardrobes, make props, decorate rooms, and build upon their storylines to create an entire world! I’m frankly in creative heaven!

 

Arts and crafts came first, I was into that since I was little. I only learned to sew a little bit before I got my first dolls. These hobbies flow so well into each other!

 

I haven't gotten a proper doll yet, but I've been making things like little dresses for my Barbies since with my mom. I've also made a couple pieces of clothing for myself before, so I'm hoping I could make some things for my doll when I get one. ;v;

 

I was going to say dolls first, but after reading everyone else's replies, I've realized that the crafting actually came long before my dolls ever did! I really got into embroidery in grade school (though I never got good at it and stopped after a few months) plus I've always enjoyed painting and sewing. Heck, my first-ever cosplay was of Attack on Titan's Mikasa Ackerman, and I'm still proud of the fact that I hand-cut and sewed the 3D-maneuvering gear harness myself! Beyond that, I've also loved stuffed animals and I'd always be the one to try patching them up when they got ripped. It felt natural to extend that to my BJDs when I got into the hobby, even to the point of picking up crocheting so I could dress them up even better!