Five Tiny Dresses and a New Blog

Now that the year is drawing to a close, and I have finished my 365 Sewn Hearts, several people have asked me, "What's next?"  I've been thinking and rethinking that; and the answer is...

 a new blog! 

 It will not be in the "365" format; at first I thought would do that again, but then I decided to be kind to myself and not add that pressure to my life!  Instead, this new blog will focus on my new love, Blythe dolls.  I will be able to ramble on about them in a separate place, so I don't bore my non-dolly readers--that's good for me and for you!  I expect to post there once or twice a week, while continuing to post here about more general sewing, crafts and art.  Blythes will still show up here occasionally, when I have made something for my dolls that fits the context of this blog...like sewing these dolly dresses, for example!

First, I proudly admit that my dolly family has grown to five.  I wanted them all to have a Christmas outfit, so using the pattern for the party dress at the Blythe site, Puchi Collective  I whipped out these five tiny dresses. My stash of Christmas fabrics is rather huge, so it wasn't hard to find some small-scale designs for this project. I decided to add a detail of some sort to each waist and hem...that was where things got a little tricky, because I didn't want to repeat any of the trims or ribbons. I've recently discovered a couple of shops on Etsy that specialize in extra-small notions which are perfect for doll clothes, so I will be doing more shopping there in the future!

Now, getting back to the new blog...it's called Blythe Happy. I invite you to take a look--I've started blogging there already.  If you aren't interested in dolls, you still might find something fun--for example, there are more pictures there from my walk through Colonial Williamsburg...I brought one of the Blythes with me and took pictures with her there, too.

 If by some chance I manage to "convert" a reader to Blythe--oh happy day!  I want to hear from you!

My Blog is a Book!

If you have a blog, you are probably aware that there is at least one place you can go online to have your blog content turned into a book.  I decided to give it a try, and I had all my blog posts from 2011 printed and bound so I could give the book to my mom, who doesn't use a computer.

I used Blog 2 Print after seeing one of their ads online.  The process was easy but pricey--it costs around $50 for one copy!  The price goes up if you choose a hard cover, or if you have a lot of pages.  I chose the soft cover and my number of pages was included in the basic price.  I searched online for a coupon, so I ended up paying only $45.  I wouldn't have done it for myself, but I want to be able to share my blog with my mother, and this seemed like a great way to do that.

The front cover (above) doesn't please me as much as the back cover (below).  The small image I saw on the website as I chose the background for the covers didn't help me that much!  I would have used a picture with a dark background for the front cover if I had known better.  They offer a lot of different cover colors and designs, so if I ever decide to do this again I will choose my cover photos to coordinate better with the cover.

Here's a glimpse at the inside pages.  I chose the space-saving option of having the text run along the side of the pictures.  Although it is different than the actual layout of my blog, I think it looks fine, and it kept me below the number of pages that would have cost more!

Everything in all of my posts is included, but the reader comments are not.  That's too bad, because the comments add a lot!

If I do this again, I think I will pay the extra $10 for the hard cover.  After paying $45, I want my book to last!

I'm on my way to Little Rock, Arkansas this weekend for the Craft Gossip Fork and Talk event; conveniently enough, that's where my mother lives, so I will be visiting her and giving her this book!  (Of course, my mom is the real reason I travel to Arkansas regularly; it is a great bonus that I can schedule my trip to coincide with this blogger's meet-up.)   I will post again on Tuesday; see you then!