#sdcren

[smallwonderdolls]

Yup... with his new eyes, Tatsue has definitely developed a bit. XD Credits: Tatsue is a Volks SDC Ren on an MSD body.  Wig by Kemper, eyes from Yuni’s House, haori jacket by me, trousers and geta from Volks, sweater from Bears (I made an order from Bears specifically because I saw their “we will not sell to recast owners” notice and wanted to support them!  ^^ Their products seem pretty value for money.)

[smallwonderdolls]

Tatsue ^-^

Credits: Tatsue is a Volks SDC Ren head on a Volks MSD body.  Shirt and linen capris by Volks White Rose.  Wig is Kemper Nikki in mohair.  Eyes by 木啊木, but they will probably not be permanent as they’re a bit too other-worldly for my taste...

Tatsue usually wears traditional Japanese dress, or sometimes a soft rustic style like you see above.  I want to get him more yukata and kimono, perhaps in soft greys and blues.  His collection is very modest at the moment: just a couple kimono/ haori, a Volks hakama set and one yukata (ignore the floral thing, which was an early sewing attempt of mine XD; Only Shiina has ever been subjected to that one).  

One of my main gripes with the kimono/ yukata available on the international market is how un-authentic most of them look. D: If you have tips for where to get nice ones, please let me know....

EDIT: Maybe I’ll end up just making my own. >_>  Hand-sewing lots of long, straight lines is boring, though (which is why I prefer sewing for Yo-SD).  Time to re-acquaint myself with the sewing machine, perhaps...?

[smallwonderdolls]

On the degradation of resin eyes with the passage of time

When I took Tatsue out of my doll cupboard recently for a fresh profile pic, I was shocked to discover that his beautiful powder blue eyes, custom ordered from Enchanted Doll, have faded to a watery lemon yellow! D:

2018:

How they looked in 2007: 

It was all the more shocking because:

I had custom ordered the eyes from the maker sometime in end 2006 or 2007 - so they were brand new when they came to me.  

I played with the doll who wears them for less than 2 years before putting him into storage.  As with all my dolls, he was carefully kept out of sunlight whilst I was playing with him.

When I put Tatsue into storage, the eyes were still blue and looked like new. For the last 8-9 years, they have been in a dark cupboard, completely untouched and out of the light.  

They cost me about US$60.... whereas my (much older) $25 HG and Kanis Augen glass eyes are as pristine as the day I received them... D:

Besides the startling change in iris colour, the pupil of one eye looks like it has developed pale spots, and the surface of the white part of the same eye has crinkled slightly.  

I used to be a glass eye “snob”, but I ventured into resin because I wanted the perfect eyes for Tatsue... Way back in 2006/ 2007, the only option was to custom order a pair from a resin eye maker.  Now, I’m not sure I’ll ever buy resin eyes again, especially if they are expensive. :\

On to the task of finding him a new pair.... any suggestions would be gratefully received.  And if you fancy yourself a $10 pair of pale lemon resin eyes, drop me a line. :o  

[smallwonderdolls]

Testing the fit - it's not bad, could be larger.

[smallwonderdolls]

Behind the scenes, in my doll cupboard.

... ...I think I’ll start small and add a jinbei for Tatsue to my sewing list (after Peter’s cargo jacket).

[smallwonderdolls]

Tatsue

Name: Hisagi Tatsue

Sculpt: Volks SDC Ren, on an MSD boy body

Arrived: August 2006

Provenance: Purchased online from Volks in May 2006.  

Tatsue is fourth generation Japanese of Scandinavian ethnic descent.  His great-grandfather settled in Japan with his wife in order to devote himself to the Japanese art he loved, and was eventually adopted into his teacher/ master’s family (in Small Wonder’s world, it was difficult to obtain citizenship in those days by any other means).  Despite being an anomaly in the field, the family has worked hard and made a name for itself, something of which the current 3rd-generation patriarch is fiercely proud. Unfortunately for Tatsue, he has an eye disorder which makes it difficult, if not impossible, to continue in the family tradition, which is as disappointing to him as it is to his father.  He’s a sweet-natured and gentle child who really wishes he could better live up to his family’s expectations.   When he first comes to Small Wonder, he rarely meets people’s eyes, even in conversation, as he’s very self-conscious about his odd-looking eyes, so it’s hard for him to make friends, at first.  Gradually, Noel notices his disability and begins to befriend him and draw him into the wider community, which helps him to grow as a person and begin experimenting with new forms of art. Tatsue likes traditional arts and crafts, especially tactile items like pottery, and is nervous in poorly-lit places, where he can be virtually blind.  

My thoughts: As you can tell, my dolls’ back-stories just became more and more fantastical with Noel, and then Tatsue. XD; But fret not, for we’re in Yo-SD territory from here on, and my Yo-SD’s have personalities but no real backstories (as yet).  Tatsue truly took me by surprise, since I wasn’t attracted to the default “image” of SDC Ren at all, sweet though she is.  I still can’t remember where or how the idea of putting Ren on an MSD boy body came to me. @_@  But I’m glad it was a good fit!  The delicacy and refinement of the Ren sculpt (compared to my other MSD’s) has definitely fed into Tatsue’s eventual character design. ^-^