Utena Tenjo & Anthy Himemiya

It turns out DHL were lying! Got a text that she'll be delivered today!!

(omg omg omg omg omg omg)

They said I'd be waiting until Friday. It's Monday. DHL, you always manage to do right by me. 🥰

Uh, if anyone has any secret instructions anywhere for sewing a stain prevention wig cap... I tried to google that and couldn't find it. I have so much cotton jersey, I might as well make one myself, right?

Edit: apologies for spamming up the thread with hype. And Utena just arrived while I was editing! Hope the rest of you get your dolls just as quickly!

Edited June 13, 2022 by Katsudon

On 6/10/2022 at 9:33 PM, Innocentsake said:

My sweet boy Sylas looking at Anthy like "I'm prettier than her, look at me!" 😂

What a couple of cuties! Could you tell me where Anthy's wig is from? It's a beautiful color.

5 hours ago, Katsudon said:

It turns out DHL were lying! Got a text that she'll be delivered today!!

(omg omg omg omg omg omg)

They said I'd be waiting until Friday. It's Monday. DHL, you always manage to do right by me. 🥰

Uh, if anyone has any secret instructions anywhere for sewing a stain prevention wig cap... I tried to google that and couldn't find it. I have so much cotton jersey, I might as well make one myself, right?

Edit: apologies for spamming up the thread with hype. And Utena just arrived while I was editing! Hope the rest of you get your dolls just as quickly!

Mine said Friday before and now it's out for delivery today too!  Wooooot!!

I love DHL, the USPS could take a lesson or 2 from them (I'm currently hoping a package will show up that they say they delivered last week!!).  DHL and Fedex give me the least problems of the big shipping companies.

And uh wig cap... not sure but they look like they'd be easy to stitch, maybe slap some plastic wrap in it 🙏

Is Anthy suppose to come with the food in the product pictures?

3 hours ago, Luden333 said:

Is Anthy suppose to come with the food in the product pictures?

No.  The cookies shown with Chuchu are just for the product photos.  All of the items included with her are listed in a little Product Details chart: Doll, eyes, wig, tiara, glasses, top, brooch, skirt, pannier, shorts [panties], cuffs, shoulder badge [epaulettes], piercing [earrings], pumps, tutu [Chuchu plush], hands 01 and 08.

I just got a notification from DHL saying my girls was delivered. Even though they supposed to be delivered Friday. To my horror I look on my ring doorbell they decide to throw them over my gate. So now when I get off work I get to rush home praying to God that they’re ok.😱😩🥲

Both of my girls are sitting on my art table, sealed in the shipping boxes. I thought long and hard about what to do: Do I wait record unboxing videos (I have a crap camera and no good setup) OR rip them open RIGHT now??

Instead I'm going to wait until the weekend so I can open them with a dear friend who shares my love of the series (but couldn't get the dolls themselves). I think it'll be a great moment to share.

Dollfies arrived at po box (I have one for figures, merch etc. since it's nicer/safer)
and I'll be picking them up tmrw, but I'm waiting on the wig cap, bodysuits, stands etc.
So I can't even dress hem up yet T uT
Don't want it to be stain city and they'll be my first dollfies. apsokdaskd
I was silly and waited to order the items so I could use the GL points on the extra items
should've just ordered the stuff right after the girls, I have to order items for Y'shtola later anyway..
Hope Volks doesn't take too TOO long to process ; u ;

Gosh, Anthy and Utena are SO pretty. What lovely owner photos. 🥰

How I long for Volks to offer layaways, though, lol. 

As for staining (for Anthy specifically...) I wonder how well/easily her stock outfit would colorfast. It's not 100% full proof or anything, but removing some of the dye probably helps... I hear about colorfasting all the time in the pullip community, but rarely for vinyls, though. 

My Anthy is here omg omg 😆 

she’s probably the prettiest DD I’ve ever seen! And she’s my first tan doll, vinyl and resin combined. Can’t believe how breathtaking she is in person. I wanna try so many different wigs and outfits on her 💕 Hope everyone’s girls arrive soon! 

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Hypercurve

10 hours ago, kranberrijam said:

Instead I'm going to wait until the weekend so I can open them with a dear friend who shares my love of the series (but couldn't get the dolls themselves). I think it'll be a great moment to share.

That sounds really nice 😄 hooray for sharing the joy!

20 hours ago, lmnprty said:

What a couple of cuties! Could you tell me where Anthy's wig is from? It's a beautiful color.

It was a gift from my friend maiya_ng (IG handle). She dyed and styled this wig herself. She sometimes sells them on her IG.

1 hour ago, Innocentsake said:

It was a gift from my friend maiya_ng (IG handle). She dyed and styled this wig herself. She sometimes sells them on her IG.

That's amazing, thanks! 

It looks like my Anthy is due to deliver today. Everyone's photos are super inspiring; I can't wait to try different wigs and eyes on her.

Edited June 14, 2022 by lmnprty

13 hours ago, kranberrijam said:

Both of my girls are sitting on my art table, sealed in the shipping boxes. I thought long and hard about what to do: Do I wait record unboxing videos (I have a crap camera and no good setup) OR rip them open RIGHT now??

I only took a couple of photos of Uzuki's unboxing but we might have to have a reboxing and fake unboxing in future.

Anyway well done everybody on the new girls. I hope to get a tan Dream Choice at some stage.

13 hours ago, Epona said:

As for staining (for Anthy specifically...) I wonder how well/easily her stock outfit would colorfast. It's not 100% full proof or anything, but removing some of the dye probably helps... I hear about colorfasting all the time in the pullip community, but rarely for vinyls, though. 

'Colourfasting' garments is actually a myth.  For synthetic fabrics especially, the dye needs to be chemically set during the initial dying process.  There is no way to actually make volatile dye re-bond with the material.  Salt and/or vinegar are used in the original dying process for some fabrics, but using them again afterwards, especially on finished garments, will do nothing but risk staining other parts of the garment.  You're just washing more loose dye out every time you soak in vinegar.  This is why jeans fade over time, and why they crock or 'rub off' on your shoes or other things no matter how much you wash them.

The main problem with trying to remove any of the dye from Himemiya's outfit, obviously, is that the red dye would just turn the white trim pink, effectively ruining her outfit.  We've at least learned that her top and cuffs are entirely lined in white, and the inside of the pleats of her skirt are lined with white with red stitching.  It should be easy enough to put tights on her to protect her legs, since they won't be seen with her huge skirt anyway.

As for her black wig cap, just wrap her head with plastic wrap first.  That should stop most if not all potential staining from her stock wig.

On 6/13/2022 at 4:33 AM, Katsudon said:

Uh, if anyone has any secret instructions anywhere for sewing a stain prevention wig cap...

Her wig cap is undyed, so you don’t need a stain prevention cap. 

My girls arrived on the busiest day of the week for me but I still managed to get them dressed and up on their shelf.  They're both so beautiful, and Himemiya's colour is so much more beautiful in person than I expected.  She actually seems to photograph a few shades lighter than she is in real life.  I currently only have one spare stand (I expected my new stands to arrive before them!) so Himemiya is sitting on my Utena manga box set...

Bonus shot of the two of them so you can maybe get a sense of how absolutely massive Himemiya's skirt is:

Not the best photos because it's a little late in the day now so the lighting is a bit off~

7 hours ago, OccultBeast said:

'Colourfasting' garments is actually a myth.  For synthetic fabrics especially, the dye needs to be chemically set during the initial dying process.  There is no way to actually make volatile dye re-bond with the material.  Salt and/or vinegar are used in the original dying process for some fabrics, but using them again afterwards, especially on finished garments, will do nothing but risk staining other parts of the garment.  You're just washing more loose dye out every time you soak in vinegar.  This is why jeans fade over time, and why they crock or 'rub off' on your shoes or other things no matter how much you wash them.

That explains a lot. I bought a Volks outfit that I read was a super stain horror and it was recommended that I soak it in a water and white vinegar mixture. All it did was dye all the white parts (and no amount of washing got it back out). Never again. 😕

She arrived today! I saw she was out for delivery and it felt like a million years I was so excited. 
I love how she looks with bangs!

On 6/14/2022 at 9:28 AM, kranberrijam said:

 Do I wait record unboxing videos (I have a crap camera and no good setup) OR rip them open RIGHT now??

11 hours ago, Xiongmao said:

I only took a couple of photos of Uzuki's unboxing but we might have to have a reboxing and fake unboxing in future.

In my opinion, unboxing videos are overhyped anyway. If you really want to make a video, one where you're playing with the dolls (e.g. posing, redressing) would likely be much more interesting to watch.

 

On 6/14/2022 at 9:28 AM, kranberrijam said:

Instead I'm going to wait until the weekend so I can open them with a dear friend who shares my love of the series (but couldn't get the dolls themselves). I think it'll be a great moment to share.

If you can be patient for that long, this sounds like a great idea.

 

1 hour ago, OccultBeast said:

They're both so beautiful, and Himemiya's colour is so much more beautiful in person than I expected.  She actually seems to photograph a few shades lighter than she is in real life. 

Modern cameras try to auto-expose for the best best contrast in your image (or just in your focus area) - this often leads to darker skin tones being overexposed.

Depending on the capabilities of your camera, you could auto-expose on Utena, then switch to manual and dial in the same exposure time and aperture (and ISO if that was auto too) from that shot. Then she should photograph properly in relation - however her face will loose a bit of contrast.

Adding to the pile of new arrivals with a quick pic... I'm a little bit obsessed. Anthy has the sweetest face.

5 hours ago, Chiakisenpai said:

She arrived today! I saw she was out for delivery and it felt like a million years I was so excited. 
I love how she looks with bangs!

She looks great in that wig, and the ice blue eyes really suit her!

On 6/14/2022 at 9:25 PM, Tierparkzone said:

If you can be patient for that long, this sounds like a great idea.

I've been keeping myself VERY busy this week. I've also not spent a lot of time in the same room as them. XD; Not too many more days now!! The Volks headcaps arrived yesterday, so that's good.

I think there is a good chance I have an Anthy incoming now. All these owner photos have me pretty stoked, and I've wanted a tawny since I first saw them in 2019. Just need option hands and busts for them now.

Ooph - DHL is not on my good list. We had a death in the family and had to leave to travel to the funeral and go figure our deliveries were set to be the day we leave. So we requested vacation hold til we get back and by the time we’re half way on our driving trip we get an alert that they are going to be delivered that evening. 🤦‍♀️ the dhl rep claimed they wouldn’t attempt delivery and to ignore them but me being paranoid I had my parents go house sit and lo and behold they were both delivered and with out a signature… 

I’d be livid if dhl had either left them on the porch (we have mail theft issues in our area) or had done so many attempts and risk stuff getting somehow set back. 
 

I’m glad to see everyone’s Anthy pics - she looks leagues better than her default photos

50 minutes ago, mangaemi said:

lo and behold they were both delivered and with out a signature… 

I've had this same issue with DHL for a while now.  Even when you don't tell them to leave the package without signature, they just slap them on the porch and knock, even for packages like this that specify a signature is required upon delivery.  Glad you were able to ensure your girls made it home safely.