The Learning Umbrella

This is what I made for DH for Valentine’s Day.  I also bought him a new pillow to go inside the case.  He used to have a feather pillow that he loved, and had to give up when I moved in with him because it made me sneeze.  So, seven or so years later I’m trying to make it up to him!  They have these new pillows with some kind of gel inside them that feel a lot like feather pillows, and it seems pretty cool so far.

This was a fun project - making Matryoshka dolls out of felt.  There are three dolls, with pockets to nestle the smaller ones inside.  The pattern is online: http://www.maizehutton.com/matryoshkadoll_copy.pdf

The other people in this swap made so many cool versions of this pattern, and posted them on Flickr.  Looking through those pictures kind of makes me want to try it again, only better - but I already have other projects in my sewing bag.

These two Dotee Dolls were each for a swap on swap-bot.  The top doll was for a “PolkaDotee Doll” swap, so I used that polka dot fabric from my stash.  That crazy corduroy fabric was actually something that Carbon picked out last year for a pair of pants - which I made for him and which look like clown pants.  He loves them though, and wears them everywhere, usually with his tie dye shirt.  He dresses himself - and he likes that look.  The cat Dotee is what I decided to make for a “Dotees for Beginners” swap.  Dotees are supposed to have “tails”, and most people put a string of beads off the bottom.  I don’t really understand the tail concept, so I took it literally and made an animal with a tail.