paper behind the irises for extra sparkle. The end result is a doll that’s wholly unique, and in many cases, highly coveted and valuable — some custom Blythe dolls can sell for up to three or four times their original price on eBay. Blythe fans have taken their love of the melon-headed cutie online, filling websites and Flickr galleries to the brim with highly accomplished photos of their work — and in some cases, their work-for-hire. Websites like bonbonblythe.com and heylittlegirl.com offer detailed restoration and customization services for the inexperienced or hesitant doll collector, and the results are truly stunning. Leonidas Zafeiropoulos and Thanos “Yatabazah” Samaras, the duo behind HeyLittleGirl, are renowned for their re-root jobs using actual human hair, as well as for creating the occasional “Afro-B.” Melissa Cabral of saveblythe.com has countless hours of restoration and customizing experience, so much so that she teamed up with friends Paul Copeland, Linda Yoshida, Christina Gordon, and Melissa Elliot to create puchicollective.com, the definitive Blythe lover’s site. Features include an interactive blog, technical articles, advice, tutorials, photo galleries, and free sewing patterns for the budding Blythe seamstress. “I’d never sewn a stitch before I got her,” says Gordon. “Now I make dolls, toys, little clothes — it’s been amazing.” It’s a sentiment echoed by Yoshida. “Prior to Blythe coming into my life, I only dabbled in photography. Since then, I have picked up knitting and sewing for Blythe. I find so much joy in creating outfits for my dolls.” It’s no coincidence that there’s a ton of crossover between the Blythe and crafting communities. She’s an inspiring, photogenic, and just plain cute canvas upon which to project your ideas, picking up new skills along the way. As with the craft world, the Blythe community is also a great place to find new friends. As Copeland puts it, “Blythe has introduced me to some of the finest people I’ve ever met in my life. I’ve also seen her help people out of ruts and help them to really shine. They find an inner craftiness they didn’t know they had. That’s her magic. Blythe people have heart, and if you really don’t, Blythe will eventually reveal your true colors. You can’t fool that face.” ×

Official Blythe website: blythedoll.com

Top and middle left photos by Linda Yoshida; middle right photo by Melisser; bottom photo by Melissa Cabral

FEATURE

Jenny Ryan is a crafter living in Los Angeles with her cartoonist husband, Johnny, and their two insane cats. She is owner of sewdarncute.com, and the organizer of Felt Club ( feltclub.com), L.A.’s popular indie craft fair.