The International Society of Dodos (iDodo)

This post celebrates the newly formed International Society of Dodos (iDodo). Our motto: If you're human, you're already a member.

The poor Dodo, an earth-bound bird about the size of a Thanksgiving turkey, toddled around Mauritius until visiting sailors bashed its brains out for sport, rendering the species extinct. With fitting irony, the International Society of Dodos bears witness to the fact that we humans belong to the only species that is single-handedly rendering itself extinct. Through guns, war, man's general inhumanity to man, and overall destruction of habitat, we are on our way out as a direct result of our own doing.

Wear an iDodo accessory to let others know that while you may be a member of a species that is self destructing, at least you're acutely aware of what is going on. A free PDF download, the Dodo Take-Away Sheet, described further at the end of this post, makes creating your own iDodo gear dead easy (if you'll pardon the pun).

Dodo Pendant
A simple statement, made using an iron-on photo transfer image to create a stuffed fabric charm with sewn-in cord loop.

 

Back of pendant, utilizing scrap of recycled material

Dodo Patch

The Dodo Patch again uses an iron-on transfer, applied to a scrap of recycled material. Ideal for use with a recycled man's shirt with unsightly corporate logos. Simply cover the logo with a patch (see Geek Chic: QR Code Patches for a similar strategy and how-to).

Dodo fabric patch

Patch close-up

Dodo Necklace

The Dodo Necklace uses the same type of strategy employed for the pendant (iron-on transfer, stuffed charms, sewn-in cord loops), but the emphasis here is on senseless gun violence.

Front: fabric transfers ironed onto scraps of recycled cloth

Back: scraps from recycled bathrobe

Dodo Pins

Finally we have the Dodo Pins, fashioned from recycled tin can lids and featuring a range of copyright-free vintage dodo images, all included in your Dodo Take-Away Sheet (see below). For complete how-to info on how to make pins from tin can lids, see the Tin Can Frames Tutorial and simply glue a pin backing onto your tin can frame.

Dodo head: last original depiction of a dodo, by Cornelis Saftleven, 1638

Segment of sketch by Sir Thomas Hubert, 1634

Facsimile of print by Roelandt Savery, 1626, in Royal Gallery at Berlin

Do-It-Yourself iDodo Gear:

 

Here is a JPEG view of the Dodo Take-Away Sheet. Download your own copy for free at my Google Groups site and you're on your way to creating your own iDodo gear.