Aang & Angela – Custom Doll – Rilynn

Angela:
So, this is a two-fer today. Aang and I are both involved in this post. We did a build-a-doll-from-scratch project with a collection of loose doll parts we bought. Here, we’ll introduce you to her.

This is your content warning; there will be photos of an eyeless, completely deconstructed doll following. If that creeps you out, check the photos tab for a gallery of the finished doll (her name is Rilynn) instead.

When we got Rilynn’s parts, she came to us completely in pieces.

This was how Rilynn came to us – as a pile of parts!

Aang:
I think the hardest part of Rilynn’s construction (and you’ll get why this is strange later) was stringing her limbs back onto her torso. Holding the elastic stretched out while trying to clamp the pliers around the ferrules and flatten them into place. Ow.
And the tension cups, getting those in and out of the individual limbs is just…OWWWWW. But, stubborn as I am, I got the job well and truly done –

Rilynn repainted and put (mostly) back together – I had yet to tie her head on properly because she didn’t have eyes at this stage.

Angela:
So, we got Rilynn all put together, then repainted her face and freckled her wrists a bit to match what I’d done on her face (the freckling/mottling on her face was mostly to hide a gouge on her nose I couldn’t quite remove. I made it look like a freckle to match the rest.
At this point, I got her eyes and hair in the mail, but past experiences with putting eyes into American Girls (Sorcha and Little Sky, who you’ll meet shortly) had not gone smoothly and had ended in lopped up eyelashes and goobered up eye mechanisms, multiple attempts and sore hands in the process of putting them in. So I left her sit while I worked on a couple of other dolls who needed repairs and restoration less severe than Rilynn.

It took me a couple of weeks to finally get up the guts to do it, but I did – and I took Rilynn over to the sink, boiled up some hot water and poured it into her empty head (sorry, sweetie!) to soften the vinyl. Left her for a good four minutes or so to heat up, then I set about trying to put her eyes in.
To my surprise. both eyes slid right in, adjusted easily and not a single eyelash out of place by the time I was done with her. Her head was still hot when I brought her over to the worktable to glue her wig down, that’s how quickly it went. I didn’t even have to heat the head a second time for the second eye, which was really a bit odd for me.

So, the eyes and wig came from Doll of a Kind — I love their doll supplies, I have others wearing her wigs in my collection.

Rilynn with her hair and eyes on (and borrowing Aang’s “Create Your Own” meet outfit)

I did a little bit of clever photography in the daffodil patch outside before they wilted/got wind damaged on us, I’ll leave you with a few of those pictures to look at too.

So, that’s the story of how we created Rilynn “Wildcat” Parker.

“Interesting eyes you have,” Michael said without thinking, dropping his gaze in embarrassment a second later. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Letting her hand go, he took a step back and let out a breath. “I’m more of a pipes guy, not a smooth talker.”
“It’s fine,” Rilynn blinked, realizing she wasn’t wearing her contacts, amusement touching her voice, “You wouldn’t be the first to say something about them. But you might be one of the nicest. I usually wear color lenses to cover up the mismatch, but my eyes wouldn’t have it today. So here I am.”
“They make you unique,” Michael offered softly, his eyes lifting again to meet hers as a smile appeared. “Think of it as special and don’t hide who you are.”
“Thank you,” Rilynn’s voice softened, light color creeping into her cheeks and a smile on her lips, “I… covering them up is an old habit. Two-Tone Parker got tired of the teasing in school.”
Bayleaf & Lady Pandora; Phoenix Rising

Posted In: Aang's Doll Hospital • Angela's Dolly Care