Randall Craig Part II

I've really enjoyed trying the different Randall Craig ensembles on FR2 dolls.   This is the second part of my findings.

1)  The pants ensembles do not fit.  They are too short and will not close in the back.  Those will stay for the regular FR/NuFace/Victoire dolls.

2)  Even though the pants do not fit, it seems the capris do!  What a pleasant surprise!  Here is Rock Me Baby Rayna feeling ready for summer.

3)  The Monogram dresses fit quite well.  This one is called "Elegant" and Fashion Explorer Vanessa Perrin is modeling.  The cummerbund skirt top does not completely close in the back.  The blouse is a nice fit.

I was fortunate to win the next ensemble in a contest on Doll Divas a couple years ago.  I think Elusive Creature Natalia looks wonderful in it.  It was a Yahoo Group Exclusive that came in several different colors.  I don't know what it's called.

4)  The vintage dresses designed for FR that have the fuller skirts need the larger bust to truly look their best, especially if the dress is fitted.  Here is Renegade Dasha modeling "I Know A Place".

And I can never do a redressing post without including Agnes Von Weiss.  October Issue insisted on showing you how "Just An Impression" looks.

This one needed a slight modification in the back to look right.

So, as a summary:

• Most skirts fit and will close in the back!
• Fashions designed for Monogram/NuFace usually fit but may not close completely in the back
• Short sleeve blouses, bodysuits, and sweaters fit quite well
• Although pants aren't long enough, the capris look great!
• Dresses with fitted bodices require pinning or threading to pull the excess cloth back.  

Randall Craig's clothing is very well made.  It is tailored beautifully, lined, and exquisitely designed.  Unfortunately, Randall Craig hasn't released anything new in the past couple of years, so it's getting increasingly difficult to find.  Some of the items bring a high secondary market price since Silkstone and other 12" doll collectors are always on the search for fashions as well.   I hope this series has been beneficial to my readers.  If anyone has "A Little Moonlight" for a reasonable price, let me know!

And the Award for Biggest Integrity Dress Goes To ….

It's been almost two months since I have reviewed a doll.  Some of this is because collectors haven't received anything new since the ITBE Lingerie line in late March/early April.  After seeing a photo from my friend Reese on Flickr of In Full Regalia wearing the gown, I decided to finally debox this doll.

Mademoiselles Jolie "Ombres Poetique" is a "mini giftset" that was offered to W Club members in 2014 (I used my $20 gift coupon toward her purchase of $150 + shipping).  She was mailed in January, but I had mixed feelings when I looked at her.  I was even considering the option of some facial enhancements.

Here is a photo of Mlle Jolie inside her box.  As you can see she comes with nice lingerie.  Surprisingly, this is the first set of lingerie made exclusively for the FR2 body.   (The doll is wearing the  coordinating panty under the gown.)

As "mini giftset" the accessories are minimal.  There is one pair of shoes, a necklace, earrings, clutch, and additional set of hands.  The necklace is quite unique as it is several odd pieces strung together.

The ribbons on those shoes just made me cringe to look at them.  Back in the plastic and put away.  I found some other shoes easier to put on and take off.

Here she is, Ombres Poetique Mademoiselles Jolie, wearing the biggest gown every produced by Integrity Toys.  It's HUGE!  It's sort of like Mattel's Silkstone "In The Pink"; it's so voluminous.  I am not a fan of "unfinished edges" (C'mon guys this is definitely a Barbie Silkstone thing - White Diamonds and Gala Gown).  The tea-stain color just makes it look dirty to me.  Unfortunately, I believe Place Vendome Victoire Roux from the 2012 Tropicalia Convention is a superior version of a gown using this color.

Since I've been redressing dolls in Randall Craig fashions recently, I thought I would try a different gown.   Any help identifying the name of this one would be appreciated! It's a lovely fit!

How about something more "business"?  Maybe Randall Craig's "Fur Suited".  It's a winter ensemble, but I wanted something very luxe for this lady.  Love her in this!  Another great fit!

And even though my original intention was to let the hair down and change the lip color/eye shadow, I think she is quite striking.  I may enjoy her as presented for a while before making that decision.

Personally, I believe she is very lovely and was worth the price.  It is a beautiful use of the Luchia/Isha sculpt.   As there were over 1200 in the edition size, she can still be picked up on the secondary market at good price.  I know it feels nice to get a doll that is so perfect when you open the box!

No Baby In The Bath Water

I received a comment on my last blog post and realized I had made a mistake.   For some reason, I consider FR2 and the regular tall FR dolls two separate lines!   Breaking the Mold Vero is the only 2.0 version I have on the regular FR body, but  I still have last year's Full Spectrum Veronique on the FR2 body!  She is a favorite from last year, so she's gonna hang around for a while.

The comment caused me to go to my cabinet and look at the FR2 dolls, which are even segregated in my case!  My dear Mama always said, "Never throw out the baby with the bath water."   For those of you who don't know that expression, it means "look for the silver lining" - "just because one thing has gone wrong, find the right in the situation".   I decided to take out my Randall Craig and Dressmaker Details clothing and do some experimenting with FR2 dolls.  

I found that some ensembles actually fit the FR2 body just fine.  Here is the criteria:  the bodice of any shirt or dress cannot be tailored for the bigger bust.  Most skirt ensembles actually look quite good.  Here are some examples.

One of the earliest ensembles I own is "Uncomplicated Elegance".   This outfit was manufactured before the "tall" bodies.  Fortunately, the sleeves are short and the skirt not too form-fitting.  The white knit sweater is wrap-around with a string tie.  The skirt is a black textured silk.  Nightfall Agnes from the 2013 Premiere Convention, agreed to model.

And a close-up because I cannot resist this face!

Another earlier ensemble was "Neutrally Hip".   Since I seemed to slight Full Spectrum Veronique in the last post, I asked her assistance.

The blouse is an unstructured bodysuit.   The skirt is a lovely camel colored a-line.   I can't believe how nice it looks on the FR2 body.   I like how these colors work with Vero's face up!

The next ensemble is one that took me forever to find - "I Get A Kick Out of You".   A kind doll friend sold it to me!  I purchased it with The Muse Adele in mind but was excited to see how great A Touch of Frost Eugenia looked modeling it!

The sleeves are wonderful!   I have always loved the criss-cross suspenders.  The skirt actually closes on all hooks.  The belt even fits!  This doll is just so beautiful - thanks to my friend Veronica who corrected the eyes!

I liked this so much, I went running for "April in Paris".  I chose a doll who hasn't had a lot of camera time.  This is "Subject C" from the 2012 Tropicalia Convention.  She is a Color Infusion doll that has been transferred to a FR2 body.

I couldn't get the top hook/eye of the skirt to meet, but the belt helps to hold it all together.  The chiffon blouse has to be pulled over the doll's head, so be careful with hairstyles and eyelashes!

This doll reminds me of Sandra Bullock's character in The Blind Side.  Maybe she went platinum for the summer!

Since the unstructured body suit from "Neutrally Hip" seemed to fit, I decided to try this polka-dot ensemble.  This outfit has a full skirt.

Doesn't Nightshade Kyori, look like a hot housewife?  Modesty is definitely not her strong suit!   The skirt has a snap and closes in the back.  Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of this ensemble!

I have enjoyed trying these ensembles on my FR2 dolls and am very satisfied with the results.  I will try some more next week, so stay tuned for Part Deux!

Wrapping Up

Somehow, it seems we almost skipped autumn and moved right into winter.  Here in the south, we've been seeing freezing temperatures several days in a row.  Not only was I forced to bring out my sweaters, I decided to do some redressing.

Since the IT Convention is now only a memory, we've seen almost everything that will be released in 2014.  It starts me looking to the end of year when everyone will be doing their "Best of …" lists.  I decided to take out some of my favorites from 2013.

I was excited to see Vanessa represented at the Integrity Convention with two molds:  1.0 and 3.0.  However, I still think mold 2.0 is gorgeous in its own right.   One of my favorites from last year was Funny Face Let's Kiss and Make Up Jo Stockton using the Vanessa mold 2.0.  This doll was on a Poppy Parker body with jointed ankles.  I like that she can wear many of the older clothing pieces.

The pants are Randall Craig and the blouse belongs to Barefoot in the Park Corie Brater.

I think IT does knitwear quite well and wish they would release more of it.   Overall, I think we have too few ensembles from IT that are geared more toward cold weather.   Although the sleeves are not full length, I really love the sweater from Graphic Language.  Here is another favorite from last year, Hard Metal Lilith, modeling it.

Since I got out the Graphic Language sweater, I decided to try the Shock Bon Bon one on a FR2 doll.  It's hard to believe I've had Nightfall Agnes for over a year and have never redressed her.  I was surprised to find a pair of pants I sewed actually fit her!

I made these pants using a pattern from a doll magazine. Nightfall is a gorgeous doll.  I need to photograph her more.

Finally, I took out a tried and true favorite.  KiKi is one of my very favorite IT dolls ever produced but is often neglected for newer releases.   Here she is in a Randall Craig ensemble.  Paint in Black Colette looks good in everything.

I really need to spend more time with some of my earlier favorites.   They may be older, but they don't get much better.