Takara Middie vs. Fake Middie Comparison

There is a lot of controversy surrounding Blythe fakies.  And I am not even entering into the real versus fake dispute.  Here, I simply want to share some photos and observations on the fairly recent addition of fake Middies available on the market.  I know that lots of people already have fake Middies, but I thought a series of comparison shots might be fun!  I am comparing my Takara Macaron Q - Tea Party purchased from Junie Moon and a Fakie purchased from Blythe Homes on Aliexpress.com.

I cannot speak to what it is like to open a fake middie and customize her, because I don't do that.  So this discussion is limited to externals.  I welcome any comments below that would enlighten me and the readers in this area.

Here is the cover shot of the 2 girls.  In the photo comparisons, the Takara will always be on the left (the blond in panties) and the Fakie will be on the right (pink hair girl).  Many people prefer the hair on the Fakies, with Blythe purists even replacing the Takara scalps with fake's hair.  But for me, while the fake hair is often pretty, I find it a little too fine to be able to control and style, generally speaking.  And sometimes the Fakies arrive with hair that is so extremely greasy that it seems to be thickly coated in vaseline- a real hassle to get clean.  However, this Fake Middie arrived with hair that was clean, soft, thick and a very nice color.  My real issue with her was that I did not like the coloring of her face up with the hair color.  (Not a problem since I sent her out for customizing.)

Here is a close up for detail.   The lips are painted differently, which is not uncommon with Fakies.  But to my eye the actual sculpt looks a little different- the nose and eye hole both look slightly larger.  I can't take an actual measurement, because she has already been sent off for customization, but if anyone has actual info on this, I welcome it.  Also, it might be that this Takara was released in October 2010, so possibly the sculpt has changed a bit?

 

The bodies look very similar to my eye.  Is the head just a tad bigger? And the way the arms slope onto the shoulder looks just slightly different.

From the back, same eye rolling mechanism and same two screws at the back of the head.

 

Here's the side view of their faces.

 

This is the Takara.

 

This is the Fakie.  You can see that the seam is not as perfect a fit, and there is some plastic mold hanging onto the earring hole.  All Fakies that I have seen have the earring holes.

Their hands. Again, Takara on the left.

Feet.

This is a close-up of their eyes.  Takara is the blue on the left.  I know that they both look bright.  But the Takara is actually a bit more intense while the Fakie seems a little washed out and not quite as shiny.  Also, the line in the Takara are more subtle compared to the pronounced rectangles in the Fakie.  I have heard the the chips are not exactly interchangeable without some modifications.

You can see some of the glue from the scalp to the back and front face plates in these two shots.

 

Finally, there is this tiny flaw- a little red dot on the thigh.  The body seems well enough constructed.  The Neo Fakies have very rubbery legs compared to Takaras: a significant difference in quality.  But I think that in the Middie Fakies this difference is not nearly as pronounced while still there just a bit.

I hope that you have enjoyed this comparison of the two Middies!

Socks for Blythe! (a knitting pattern)

Ankle socks for Blythe

Our girls need some socks to keep their little tootsies warm as the nights are getting colder!

I am SO excited to finally share this pattern with you!  

Above you can see the ankle socks are close fitting enough to wear with close fitting shoes.  The shoes pictured are by Jemgirl for Licca/Blythe.  There are lots of styles available in her Etsy shop (here is Jemgirls's shop).  And Chantilly Lace often sells a big selection of them at BlytheCon USA, if you happen to attend.

I use US 000 double point needles.  And a super soft, fine lace weight yarn.  I look for Merino, because it seems to work best so far.  I like Athena by Elegant Yarns.  Here is a page for it on Ravelry.  But you can find it online at Amazon and other retailers, if you do a search.  And I have found similar yarns at local yarn shops.

This pattern is knit in the round, so there is no seam.  And I like that.  But it makes for kind of fussy work with such tiny needles and fine yarn.   The end result is yummy though.

Polly has another pattern online for free, too:  Sweet Socks.  These are knit flat and sewn together at the end.  These are good if you like flat knitting or you don't want to do the fussy, tiny knitting in the round.

My pattern also has a knee socks length version, too.  (See the picture below)

Here is the pattern:

Socks for Blythe

Finished Size

Ankle and Knee socks for Blythe

Materials

Soft lace yarn

000 dpn needles (1.50 mm)

Ankle Socks

CO 16 sts (not too tight)

K1P1 rib 6 rows

Divide onto 3 dpns and join

Knit 20 rounds

K2tog K1 K2tog (on each needle)

K2tog K1 (each needle)

Cut yarn, thread though needle and pull through all stitches closing toe of socks, weave in end.

Close the top rib with small seam, if desired.

Knee Socks

CO 20 sts (loosely)

K1P1 rib 8 rows

Divide onto 3 dpns and join

K 20 rounds

*K next round to last stitch, slip that stitch to first dpn and K2tog (decreasing 1 st under back seam), finish round (so this is 2 rounds)

K 1 round*

Repeat from * to * 2 more times

Redistribute stitches for evenness

K 17 rounds

K2tog K1 K2tog, K2tog (3 times), K2tog K1 K2tog

K2tog next round

Cut yarn, thread though needle and pull through all stitches closing toe of socks, weave in end.

Close the top rib with small seam, if desired.

And I'll put a copy on Scribd.com for easy printing. (Click here to go there)

Enjoy!

BlytheCon & Tonner West Coast Event 2016!!

Just Announced!

Tonner just announced a date for the next West Coast event!  I love these events.  They always sell out.  It seems like the tickets sell faster every year.  I'm looking forward to this (or rather, next) year's event.  It is always a bright spot in bleak Januaury, to chase away the end of the Holidays blues.

And...

of course...

BlytheCon Chicago!

http://www.blytheconusa.com/

BlytheCon is October 18 and the pre-meet is the day before on October 17 at Navy Pier.  For more information, click the picture for a link to the website!

And look for me at BlytheCon!  I'll be handing out little swaps/gifts as usual!

Making Dolly Carriers

I'm making Blythe carriers for the ACFDC trunk show!

 

These are the type of carriers that are meant to protect your doll inside another bag.  So they are fairly slim in profile.  But you can carry your girl and a few accessories safely inside another tote or purse for a day trip to the beach (or wherever your travels take you)!  You can consolidate items and have no fear of her being damaged by other items in your purse. 

 

As you can see, these carriers are tailored to the size of Blythe's proportions with a bigger space at one end for the head.

 

And they have a quick easy closure that is an elastic loop and a large, decorative button. 

The inside is lined with 100% cotton flannel to protect dollies pretty face!  

And it's a perfect fit for her!  So cozy!

Also, there is a pocket on the front for a few of your girl's essentials, like shoes that may like to slip off or an extra pair, plus a comb, hat or extra dress!

I'm making them in different designs to suit different tastes.

I hope you like them!

By popular demand: Peanut Butter Pie!

photo credit: Kimberly Munn

This is a real crowd pleaser!  It's a perfect cool desert for summer.  And it's no-bake!

I use a few name brand ingredients.  I suspect they are widely available.  But you can probably find substitutes if these aren't available in your area.  I think that you can really taste the difference in quality with some ingredients, which is why I'm listing here my exact ingredients.

This is the best peanut butter for pies!

These are the two toppings.

This is the pie crust.

Without further ado--

Peanut Butter Pie

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar

1 ¼ cups  creamy peanut butter (I like Skippy with the turquoise lid.)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 (16 oz) package frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 prepared graham cracker crust, 2 extra servings size (larger size)

Hershey's Shell Topping

Hershey's Double Chocolate Sundae Dream Thick & Delicious Sauce

Whipped cream

Directions

1. Pour half of half of Hershey's Shell Topping in the graham cracker crust and swirl it around to coat sides.  Be careful that the crust doesn't slide out of the pan.  It's only a little tricky. Put crust in freezer to harden chocolate.
2. Beat together cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth (all sugar lumps disappear). Mix in peanut butter and then vanilla, scraping down sides to mix completely. Fold in half whipped topping, smoothly to mix for consistency.  Fold in the rest of topping.
3. Spoon into pie shell.  Freeze until firm.  After a few hours you can put it in the refrigerator for a softer pie.  Or you can keep it in the freezer for a more ice cream type texture.
4. To serve, slice smallish pieces, because it is very rich.  Swirl chocolate sauce on top and finish with whipped cream.
   
   Here's the recipe to print.

Enjoy!

The fresh taste of Pesto is perfect for summer pastas!

Pesto and summer just seem to go together.  Pesto is fresher and lighter than traditional sauces.  And you don't have to heat up your kitchen with a long cooking bolognese.  Not to mention so much faster for those summer eves when you spent a little too much time lingering at the beach.  

I love to make a big batch of pesto and save some in a jar in the refrigerator for later.  It's great on pasta, pizza or bread.  I like the traditional flavor of pine nuts.  But some people substitute walnuts or even omit the nuts all together.

I'm giving you two recipes today.  One for the pesto, and the other is for Pesto Pasta Caprese Salad.  If you don't want to make the pesto from scratch, you can still make the pasta recipe by substituting store bought pesto.

 

Pesto

¼ c. pine nuts

4 cloves garlic, crushed

pinch kosher salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3 c. lightly packed basil leaves

½ c. grated parmesan

¾ c. extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Place pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper, basil, and cheese in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse to chop the basil.  With machine running, add the oil gradually and continue to process until creamy and smooth.  Use on pasta, pizza or bread.  *Here's the recipe to print.

 

Pesto Pasta Caprese Salad

1 lb. box Barilla Campanelle

1/3 c. pesto, or more to taste

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

¼ t. salt

¼ t. garlic powder

1/8 t. ground black pepper

1 pack (approx. 10 oz.) grape tomatoes, halved

1 (8 oz.) container fresh mozzarella pearls

small handful of basil leaves, chiffonade

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta as directed.  Drain.
2. Mix pesto, olive oil, salt, garlic, and pepper in a large bowl. Add pasta and toss to coat.  Fold in tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil chiffonade.  *Here's the recipe to print.

Enjoy with a cool Chardonnay or crisp Apple Cider!