Swap Stuff: Patch and two dotees

Bah, I forgot to post two of these items before I went on vacation.  I was so focused on getting swaps done and mailed that I'm lucky I remembered to take the dang photos let alone share them.

OK, here are the two items I finished before vacation.

June Patch

There was no theme, just a generic size min/max.

I really LOVE this patch.  It turned out so well.  I've done the two fabrics before (to make a horizon) but this is the first time I've done free motion quilting!  YES, I figured out how to set it up on my machine.  Though I do need to get a free motion foot.  I did this without a foot at all and it turned out but you can see it's kind of jaggy there near the starfish.  That's where the fabric and needle decided to just go nuts because there was no foot to scrap the fabric off the needle.

I can't wait to do more free motion stuff.  I might even start using colorful threads (right now I have white, black, and off-white for all my machine sewing because I'm lazy like that).

Next up, a dotee.

This was for a private swap where my partner and I decided to angel for two different swaps we were both flaked on.  She made a zombie dotee for me (which was super fabulous, one of my very favorites) and I made a summer/flower dotee.

True confession, I had this pretty much all sewed up from a previous project.  Back in the day I had a swap to make a halloween/spooky type doll (the one where I made the pumpkin head doll?).  At first I wanted to make a kind of Audrey Too/El Seed style plant monster (yes, that face isn't that scary) but the body just wasn't working out for me.  I couldn't get the connection between the head and the body to work.  Looking back, I was going at it the wrong way.  I was trying to have it all one piece (stem and head) but really should have made them separate.  That and I'm still a raw newbie with armature.  Live and learn.

So I tucked the flower face away (no need to toss it) and lo and behold it became a dotee.  I just had to remove the back fabric and trim it up to make a flat back piece.  Stitch the back piece on adding a hanger and tail and BAM, done.

Last but not least is the dotee I just finished this week.

Rainbow Dotee:  GREEN

Yup, I'm sticking with the patchwork theme for this series.  I'm really LOVING it, too.

This one has some of the smallest patchwork I've done to date.  I was using some very scrappy scraps.  Some were less than an inch wide (little strips).

Now let me pause and mention something that scares me about my love of this type of patchwork.  Knowing how cute this comes out, now I don't want to throw out even the bittiest scrap.  It's a slippery slope, folks.  I'll be keeping every little STRING.

No, I do throw out the super tiny stuff or things that are just super funky shaped (and can't be squared up at all) and selvages.  God help me, I've seen some really cute projects using selvages but I have to draw the line.  That and I rarely have really long selvages.  I can not keep selvages.  Period.

Close up of the face.  The eyes are sequins with beads on them.  The mouth is just embroidery over an existing swirl in the fabric.  I got so lucky.  I planned the eyes that way (so the fabrics split between them) but the mouth swirl was just dumb ass luck..

The pattern was just a free form one I whipped up.  Tip for making simple pillow type patterns like these.  Draw the shape on a folded piece of paper and then cut it out.  It will turn out symmetrical.  Though that doesn't guarantee the finished item will if you sew funky (there's a bit of funky sewing on this, his cheeks aren't even).  (OH, and why does symmetrical have two m's?  that seems excessive)

The back just to show off all the patchwork.

Yes, that's a batik scrap in there and damn if it doesn't look good.  See, I'm not a huge fan of batiks because they always feel crunchy/stiff but I do like the look.  This is a very good frog/toad batik.

Ok, that's all I have for now.

What am I working on now?

Dolly Parton patch, felt dotee, flower dotee, and paranormal dotee.

I'm going to use Harper Valley PTA for my Dolly patch.  I think I have it all planned out just need to execute.  I have no clue what I'm doing for the felt dotee but I'm thinking about doing some cute food.  Maybe another corn dog (that was so freaking cute).  Flower dotee?  I found these cute flowers in my craft junk (no idea where they came from) so I might make a doll holding them but I'm really leaning toward making a pot for them and maybe putting the face on the pot.  Not sure.  The paranormal dotee?  Three words.  Loch Ness Monster.