February Meeting - Tarts and Goddesses

Once upon a time...there was a small but lively group of dollmakers called "The Dolly Mama and her Fabric Floozies," founded by Rose Vollmer and based out of Gilbert, AZ - but drawing from across the Phoenix metro area.  As these things happen at times, it became difficult to have a consistent meeting place.  (I've seen it happen with all three of the clubs I belonged to in Ohio!)

Lives changed, people drifted, but there was still a need to get like-minded people together.  Some of those original members, plus some new members are meeting monthly once again - usually at my house!  Because Fabric Floozies is also a business name for Rose, we've renamed the group "Tarts and Goddesses," or TAG.  I hope to post photos of things from our meetings (without a lot of words) on this blog for the foreseeable future.

In December, instead of exchanging regular gifts, we exchanged "squishies."  Each member filled a quart-sized zip lock bag with goodies and scraps, and maybe a few challenging items, that could be used by a dollmaker.  Each squishy was put into a gift bag to obscure the contents, numbered, and then everyone drew a number to claim their prize.  The contents were many and varied.

(Example of the contents of one squishy)

At the February meeting, several people had dolls to show and tell, using some of the contents of the squishy bag.

(Created by Maggie)

(Created by Mary)

(Created by Steph, Pattern "Stump Sisters" by Judi Wellnitz)

(Created by Sue, pattern by Ray Slater)

(Created by Yvonne)

Our project for the month was provided by Yvonne Nathanson.  Yvonne stitched together many flat muslin dolls and each member chose one.  We sat together and stitched and began drawing faces and adding other details.  Here are some of the examples of completed dolls, attached to canvases, that Yvonne made before the meeting:

Flat dolls completed by members will be part of our show-and-tell for March.

Other dolls that had been completed, and brought for show-and-tell:

(Yvonne's Santa, made from a pattern in CPS magazine several years ago.)

(Steph's jester)

(Sue's doll from the Kimama pattern by Paula McGee)

Next meeting - "mark making" on fabric!