Dotee Doll
I've been seeing these Dotee Dolls on swapbot and decided to check into tutorials on them. I never had dolls growing up so they hold a certain fascination for me. The artist who started this art surge no longer makes them, but the web is full of ideas, patterns, tutorials and swaps.
After looking around, I found a very simple way to start. So I gathered supplies, made a pattern and started cutting. The theme for this swap was Thanksgiving, or the expression of gratitude for someone or something in our life. I know that its going to go to someone else. However, the energy I put into the doll was in gratitude for my Daughter-in-Law for how she always steps up whenever there is need in our family or among our friends.
I knew that whatever I created would be much more simple that the hundreds of amazing examples seen online. Here is my Jeanne-Dotee Doll. She is not quite finished and will need a few more accessories. When I think of the challenges women face being Mother-in-Law or Daughter-in-Law, it just makes sense that some would come in the making of this doll.
We tend to make all our mistakes in early relationships because they are the fertile ground for growth, and then we hold onto those events and have a hard time evolving in our interactions with the person.
If I make another Dotee Doll, I would like it just a little larger, a lot more artistic, and just as meaningful.
Another thing I am working (besides the Butterfly Wings quilt) are Christmas Stocking swaps. The details for these swaps say that the gift must be wrapped and small enough to fit into a stocking. I decided to use up scraps (oh, go figure!) and make mug rugs that would be useful AFTER the December holidays. This is a pic of all the backsides that I put together with the scraps.
The fronts are also scraps of Valentine novelty prints that were in my stash and scraps for the binding. There are at least four more cut for fronts laying on batting to go. The one in blue is for a stocking stuffer with a blue theme for the gift in it. This comes from the practice blocks I made for the 6" Block swap.
Swaps traditionally benefit both participants. The more I get involved with them, the better I see myself and my skills. Its not competitive. Early on, it hurt when someone flaked or didn't hold up their part of the commitment. Doing more of them releases those expectations and simply sets me up to create, to give and to be open to receive. It is such a delight to get a surprise in the mail. No matter what it is, or even if it is something I would never buy, the joy that comes in getting something from another artist is a human connection that is beyond words.
My scrap stash is dwindling, which is a delightful thing to see knowing that this fabric is being used, and hopefully results in items that people will enjoy.
