Beginner's Dotee Swap

I want to encourage everyone who hasn't tried it yet to join this swap and make your first dotee. Don't be scared! Dotees are basically really simple and I love how each one has its own style and personality. They are so individual and expressive... they seem to form their own identities while you are making them! It doesn't matter if they are pretty or if they are goofy looking, cute or creepy... they are all different!

For this swap you will make 1 dotee for 1 partner. Open theme, anything goes. Beginners welcome. Swappers with experience making dotees are also welcome, as long as you would enjoy receiving a beginner's first dotee!

The basic form of a dotee is simply a little blob that is sewn together and stuffed (like a little pillow for a body) with a face (can be stitched on or drawn on with regular sharpie or fabric marker), a tail (usually beaded), and a loop (usually ribbon) at the top for a hanger. You are totally free to decorate your dotee any way that you like, or you can leave it very simple. It just needs to have a stuffed body, a face, a hanger, and a tail, and from there you embellish and decorate it however you like, with whatever you have on hand. You can add yarn or other fibers for hair, you can add beading, charms, buttons, sequins, glitter, jewels, embroidery, etc. You can make the body in any shape, but the easiest to start with is a simple oval, or an hourglass figure that curves in slightly at the waist.

I sew mine by hand, just needle and thread. If you want to make it quicker and easier to put your dotee together, make a small one. Dotees range from about 3-6 inches tall (just for the body, not including the length of the hanger and tail).

Here is a tutorial that I like. Turn up your volume, it's got some interesting music.