Dotee Doll Tutorial What on earth is a Dotee Doll? A Dotee Doll is a small handmade doll. They are around 4 – 7 inches long. The only real requirements are that they have a loop on top for hanging and a “tail”, usually beaded, at the bottom. They are the idea of Dorothy Christian. Dotee Dolls are made to be traded and collected. If you are familiar with ATC (Artist Trading Cards), they are traded similarly to them. I think they make adorable gifts, look so sweet hanging on a doorknob and would be fabulous as Christmas tree ornaments! You can find people to swap them with on Swap Bot http://www.swap-bot.com (Warning: Swap Bot is completely addicting!) Then again, making Dotee Dolls is really addicting as well. This tutorial contains a pattern for a Dotee Doll I created, along with lots of instructions. Use this as a starting point to create your own doll and EMERGE CREATIVELY and come up with your design! Just remember the loop at the top and the tail at the bottom!

Materials and Supplies:

• Pattern (at the end of the tutorial) • Tiny embroidery hoop • Embroidery needle • Scissors • Muslin material for face • 2 coordinating fabrics (one for the body and an accent color/pattern) • Felt for hair • Lace or Ribbon • Any other embellishments (I used some trim) (optional) • Beads (with wide holes to slide over ribbon or lace) • Poly fiberfill • Embroidery floss:

o Eyelid color (blue) o Pink o Red o Black o Color to match fabric o Color to match hair

Step #1

Cut out the pattern pieces. (Just cut loosely around the face.) Step #2

(I love these adorable little hoops!)

Cut out enough muslin to fit into your embroidery hoop.

Step #3

Transfer the face pattern to your muslin. One simple way to do this is by taping the face on a window, hold the muslin on top and trace. There are plenty of products on the market you can use to transfer embroidery patterns, but for this small simple pattern, this technique works perfectly.

Place the muslin in the embroidery hoop, centering the face.

Step #4

Now we’re going to embroider the face of the Dotee Doll. (HINT: As I mentioned at the beginning, Dotee Dolls can really be made in any way you want! Feel free to come up with a different design, draw the face on with markers, paint on the face, use buttons for eyes, etc.!) First we’ll stitch the eyes. I chose a pretty blue color (you can use any color you want!)

Embroidery floss has 6 strands. I like to use 3 strands, so I separate the floss into 2.

Knot the floss at one end.

Thread your embroidery needle.

I like a to use satin stitch for the eyelid. It makes the stitches pop off the muslin nicely. First line the eyelid with a split stitch. Bring the needle through the muslin from the back to the front.

Then push the needle from the front to the back and make a stitch. The size of the stitches doesn’t matter, just keep them even. The eyelid is small, so you’ll want to use relatively small stitches.

Bring your needle up through the back to the front, this time splitting the stitch you just made in half - in the middle of the stitch and in the middle of the strands of embroidery floss. Then make another stitch the same length as the first and push the needle through front to back. Continue stitching coming back up through the previous stitch splitting it. Follow around the eyelid.

Next we’ll fill in with satin stitches. Bring the needle through the muslin back to the front, just on the outside of the split stitch.

Take your thread across the eyelid and go back down through the fabric on the other side of the split stitch on the right side.

Bring the needle back up through the material just outside the split stitch again next to your 1st stitch, across and down on the other side of the satin stitch again.

Continue doing the satin stitch until you have filled in the entire eyelid.

Then do the other eye. Step #5

Thread your embroidery needle with black floss. (Again, I just use 3 strands of the floss.) Make a knot. Come through the back of the material next to the eyelid.

Push the needle back through the front on the end of the eyelash mark. I just use one stitch per eyelash. Stitch all of the eyelashes in the same way. Step # 6

To do the adorable rosy cheeks, use a split stitch again (the same stitch you used to line the eyelid.) Go around the circle splitting each stitch, then continue in a swirl continuing split stitches just on the inside of the previous stitches until it’s filled in.

Do the other rosy cheek in the same way. Step #7

Thread your embroidery needle with red floss. Again, I just use 3 strands of the floss. Embroider the mouth with a split stitch in the same way as you did the eyelids.

Step #8

Take your face out of the embroidery hoop and center it in the smallest circle of the pattern. Cut it out. Step #9

Pin the larger circle on your accent fabric and cut 1 out.

Step #10

Pin the oval pattern piece to your other fabric and cut out 2 pieces. Step #11

Pin the hair pattern piece to felt and cut out 1 piece.

Step #12

Pin the face to the circle piece. The back of the face will be attached to the front (right side) of the circle. Step #13

Sew the face to the round piece. Again, I use just 3 strands of the embroidery floss. For this step I’m using the embroidery floss to match the fabric. Knot the end and pull the needle from back to front, catching the face piece.

Then push the needle in front to back, on the other side of the face piece (as seen in the above photo.) Continue around the entire face, attaching it to the circle.

Step #14

Next we’ll sew the felt hair on.

I like to use a split stitch for this as well. Just like in the previous steps. Make a stitch and come back up through and split it. Go all the way around to secure the hair.

Step #15

As you did in step #13, attach the sewn piece to the front of one of the oval pieces.

Step #16

Sew on embellishments to the front if you want. (optional) Step #18

Next we’ll make the tail. Cut your ribbon or lace. I cut mine just over 12 inches.

Knot one end.

I can be difficult to get the beads onto the lace or ribbon. Take a wire and bend it in half, put the lace or ribbon in between.

Then use the wire to bead the lace or ribbon with your beads.

Knot the other end and separate the beads and fold the lace in half. Step #19

Cut another piece of lace or ribbon to about 12 inches for the hanger.

Step #20

Put the pieces together to sew. Place fabric wrong side together. Sandwich the lace or ribbon hanger (folded in half, cut ends in) at the top, and the tail on the bottom (folded in half, fold side in.)

Make a knot in your embroidery thread (again using 3 strands). Start with the first stitch just through the back of the top piece to the front of the top piece, sandwiching the knot inside the doll.

Stitch around the outside of the fabric pieces. Continue around until you get to the hanger.

When I get to the hanger, I use a split stitch, making sure to catch both ends of the lace or ribbon and both pieces of fabric.

Make sure to leave one end open to stuff the Dotee Doll. Step #21

Stuff the doll with poly fiberfill.

Step #22

Continue sewing around the doll. When you get to the tail, use a split stitch again to reinforce the stitches like you did with the hanger. Step #23

Enjoy your new Dotee Doll! Or better yet, find someone to trade with!

Ideas for customization: The possibilities are limitless for making this project your own! In fact, Dotee Dolls are just calling to be made in your individual style!

• Use any fabric you want! Use even more different fabrics and sew them together before making your doll.

• Paint the face • Use markers on your face. • Make your doll a different shape. • Sew yarn on top for hair. • Have multiple tails on your doll. • Embellishments

Now that you have made a Dotee Doll, find someone to trade with, or give it as a gift! You can find swaps on the internet. http://www.swap-bot.com is one of the most popular (and easy to use) swap websites. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me: KimberlieBurkhart@gmail.com (Put Dotee Help in the subject line so I see your question right away.) © Kimberlie Burkhart 2012 Note: At the time I am writing this tutorial, I’m still Kimberlie Burkhart, but about to be Kimberlie Kohler in a few months. I’m transitioning my business name to my own (new!) name as well. For now, you can find all my free tutorials and blog at http://www.BBBellezza.com, but my business will eventually be found at http://www.KimberlieKohler.com