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Date: Jul 1, 2008

Fillings

Buffington · Guru

Here is the website you could get your goods from as they are Secrist dealers in Europe and you can also pay with Paypal and use GBP! I think they just got this not too long ago. http://www.secristdolls.eu/

Are you using the 1/4 limbs and cloth body for her or are you using the full limbs and vinyl body? It will make a difference on what I tell you.

Susan · Senior Member

Hi! I have this question about how to fill the baby. I`m about to make baby Zoe but I don`t know to weight the doll correctly. I'm think that the head have to weight the same that the body and it fills with plastic poly pellets and fine glass beads fills the limbs, but I really don`t know how to make the baby weigths just like a real baby. I`m about to use 1/4 limbs on Zoe. Can anyone help me?

LovesDolls · Guru

I put about the same amount of weight in the body as I do in the head, if the head is large enough. Only on larger dolls do I bother to weigh the arms and legs. I usually just put stuffing in them. I will tell you what "not" to weigh your doll with. Do not use sand (sterilized or not) and do not use bb pellets or anything that will be damaged if it could get wet. Fiberfill and polypellets or glass beads are the best thing to weigh with!

Susan · Senior Member

All rigth! thank you for your advice!

LovesDolls · Guru

You can't really weigh them as heavy as a real baby because so far no one has found something that can be placed inside of them safely that is the same density as what is inside of us! People seem to be able to get them to about half of the weight as a baby of the same length.

Buffington · Guru

When I do the 17" preemies, I weight them between 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds (never over 4 pounds). I use polyfil in the body with polypellets (or if you want more weight and want it squishier, use glass beads in a bag instead of the pellets) and I put the glass beads and polyfil in the limbs & head.

I fill the limbs (1/4) with the glass beads to just past the wrist/ankle then fill the rest with polyfil and seal with either E6000 glue (or hot glue). I use about 1 cup or so of the glass beads in the head (in a fabric bag) and then polyfil the rest, and again seal.

Also remember, when you weight your doll, it is considered "dead weight" meaning that the doll will weigh actually less but feel heavier (like holding a 5 pound baby and a 5 pound bag of potatoes, the potatoes "feel" heavier because its dead weight). I hate that term but that is what it's called. I hope I explained that so it's not confusing. confused

And as Loves said, no metal, no sand, no food like beans or rice (I actually know a woman who put instant rice in the baby for weight! ashamed

till I told her that bugs and rodents are attracted to this since its food)!! Some use aquarium gravel since it's cheap but then you gotta make sure it's not dyed or colored in any way and it usually won't make it through customs!

-- Edited by Buffington at 16:11, 2008-07-07

Poppycat · Veteran Member

. . . but all the babies I see on the nursery pages say the babies weight 6 lbs., or 5 lbs. 3 oz. or whatever. Don't the babies have to ACTUALLY weigh what they say? If that is the case, the babies have to be stuffed full to achieve the actual weight.
I know I'm bummed because my 5 lb. baby feels so hard with all her weighting in. I want her arms and legs to be soft, but still don't know how to get that.

Also, I saw a big supply of "sandblasting glass" and thought I read somewhere that could be used for weight, but it looked so fine -- almost powder-y. Do some people use this? How?

Buffington · Guru

If you click on this forum link: http://www.activeboard.com/forum.spark?aBID=121380&p=3&topicID=36573093 I have pretty much answered your question too. You don't just count the polypellet weight, you also have to add in the stuffing weight as well as the vinyl parts. I tell how to do that in the other post :)

Georgiaga · Senior Member

So as a newbie, I can safely say that a 17''- 19" baby only really needs about a 2 lb. bag of the galss beads distributed half way up the arms and legs- fill the remainder with polyfill- and about a cup of beads in a sock or stocking inside the head and then the rest polyfill there ae well, right? I know there isn't an exact science, but is that a good rule of thumb, per se? (and a little sock of glass beads in the middle of the body with poly all around it)
I just got all my Secrist supplies and while I made Gumdrop in the Course #2, I am awaiting Couse #3 with Rosie and cannot wait to make the full on baby with all the techniques and rooted hair! Wish me luck! smile

-- Edited by Georgiaga on Tuesday 11th of January 2011 10:09:57 PM

Buffington · Guru

That should work about right. Good luck with your new Rosie. She is darling. I am doing her as a bi-racial baby.

Georgiaga · Senior Member

I really want to do an AA and Bi-racial doll one day when I get more experience under my belt. I have only Gumdrop so far. Waiting for over $500 worth of getting started supplies ( delayed in our GA ice storm) and Rosie and a the new Diana head and 19" Brandi limbs 3/4 after that. Seriously new, but well read on it all. Used to be a hair designer and make-up artist so I feel I can tackle the painting and rooting . We'll see about the rooting, but I used to pull hair through frosting capd for a living, so can't be much different as I used different size needles for that as well...same pricipal. I better knock on wood, though...I know it takes may times practicing to perfect and I know I will probably still not be satisfied with my firsts, but should come easier from my training background. confuse

Buffington · Guru

Your training should come in handy in this field! Just remember, sometimes the babies come out how we want them and sometimes our hands and brains make them come out differently than we expect. Some are naturals at the reborning and some have struggles. Some root, some wig their babies. And it does take practice. When in doubt, use the search feature in forum first, you will probably find what you are looking for :)