Welcome to the 2013 March Talent Showcase here on BlytheLife.com. Every year I’ve been featuring up-and-coming talent in the Blythe community and this year is no different! To start things off, I’m featuring Jessica. Jessica is the woman behind an Etsy shop called Sew Do Something.

Hi Jessica! What can you tell us about yourself?
Hi Michelle! Thank you for choosing me for your March Talent Showcase. I currently live in Chesapeake, Virginia with my husband. I took sewing in middle school when I was younger and was a big fan of design. I have owned a sewing machine of some sort for about 20 years. Most of that time they sat unused, until my husband went on an 8 month deployment in May of 2011. We had just moved here about ten months before and I really didn’t know anyone yet and I wasn’t working. So I pulled out the machine, found a few free patterns online and started sewing. I was making purses and bags at the time and they kind of became my thing. Everyone received some kind of bag for Christmas that year. I was handing them out to people that came to my house and sending them to work with my husband. I just kept making them until eventually it dawned on me to open a shop on Etsy. And Sew Do Something was born! Then I went back to work full-time for a while and anything creative fell to the wayside. But now I am back and working creatively for myself. And at the beginning of 2013, I started making dresses for Blythe and love it!

How did you discover the world of Blythe?
Prior to moving to Virginia, my husband was stationed in Japan (outside of Tokyo) for two years and I spent a couple of weeks there in 2010. I fell in love with the country and it’s culture. Everything there is just so beautifully ornate and decorated. Even their manhole covers are carved with flowers and designs! Mike, my husband, had started sending me Kokeshi Dolls before I visited and while I was there I brought home about a dozen more. Kokeshi Dolls are made from a solid piece of wood and have a small body painted with traditional Japanese kimono and a large round head. They’re an artform and so beautiful. After I returned I became drawn to anything Japanese and kawaii. If you search the internet long enough for Kokeshi Dolls, your search terms turn into Japanese Dolls and you will eventually find Blythe. I just didn’t realize what I a big following and culture she had! I loved her from the second I saw her and knew that I needed to own one. I just adopted my first girl in December and now have a family of five!

What made you decide to start sewing for your dolls?
I think it’s just natural that those who can sew or knit and love the dolls will immediately turn to making a wardrobe as soon as they have their first one traveling to them. Every girl needs a fantastic wardrobe. And let’s be honest, sometimes the stock outfits are pretty unimpressive. Or worse, you bought a custom that’s travelling to you nude. While searching for patterns to get sizing ideas, I came across the Doll Coordinate Review books from Dolly Dolly and just knew that I needed to tackle these patterns. I also had a vision in my mind for my first girl. She’s a custom with a sullen look and long straight black hair. She was the perfect model for a Wednesday Addams pilgrim dress. That was my first design and one of my most popular.

How has the transition from dolly hobbyist to dolly seamstress been for you?
It’s been interesting. Everyone was so used to seeing me make bags, wristlets and purses, so when I started posting the dresses feedback showed me they were curious and confused. A lot of people have been amazed at the tiny detail that goes into the garments. I think in the world of dolls most of us are used to the simpler or less detailed fashions for Barbie that we had as little girls. My most fashionable doll when I was little was a Brooke Shields doll. She wore a blue fuzzy sweater with a white cowl neck and leggings. Doll fashion has come a long way and so have the dolls that wear it. I’m using the opportunity to break out of my shell, fashion wise, which has been great for my creativity. I tended to make purses that I liked or wanted to carry which kept my designs all very basic. With Blythe, I can go outside of my comfort zones with print, color and embellishments. All of my girls have such different personalities and I still getting to know each of them so it’s been fun to experiment and use them as fitting models to see what works. I am loving the community that is around these little big-eyed beauties. Everyone has been so nice and welcoming.

Tell us about the experience of making your first Blythe-related sale and how it was getting to see your dress on a doll for the first time.
The first sale happened so quickly, really the first three did. Within an hour after listing them. And to international people. I was blown away. I had never experienced an item selling that quickly, so to me this was exciting and humbling at the same time. I’m very judgmental of my work. And very modest of my skill. I am my own worst critic. I’m overjoyed anytime someone likes my work. When I send something out I am always on pins and needles waiting for them to receive it. The whole time something is shipping I’m thinking, what if they don’t like it? And I track an item all the way through to it’s delivery. My creations are my art and just like any artist these are labors of love. Some dresses take me hours to make, so I am very invested in it’s safe arrival to it’s new home and whether or not someone enjoys it. I never want someone to be unhappy with an item they’ve worked hard to have the money to buy.

Seeing one of my dresses on a doll for the first time was such a joy. It’s easy to sit down and say, “I’m going to make this.” And then you realize the difficulty of working on such a small scale. Sometimes your fingers don’t want to do what you want them to. And you have to basically learn your machines all over again. You have to learn new techniques and ways to interface the garment so your machine doesn’t eat it. I probably ruined about seven or eight sets of socks figuring it all out and the right stitches to use where. I’m working up to trying out dresses my serger. But when you finish that first dress and it’s adorable, the real panic starts and I start begging the dress, please fit please fit please fit. Luckily I had my own doll by then to test it on. When it fit I was beyond excited! I immediately texted pics of it to about six people and ran to show my husband. He’s always very supportive and impressed by my projects. He shows them off to the people at his work.

What kind of process do you go through when designing and sewing for Blythe?
For me, it’s a lot like the method a sculpter takes when they see a block of stone or clay. They might have an idea in mind of what they want to make, but they really let the medium decide where it’s going to go. I have a tendency to do this with fabric. Sometimes this turns out badly. I recently had a dress that when finished it was lovely, but I had picked the wrong type of fabric for the pattern. I overcompensated for the weave by making my seams too large and it wouldn’t snap on the back of a Takara body. I gave it away to a woman who’s daughter collected Monster High dolls to test it out on a smaller sized body. It’s always about learning for me. What works and what doesn’t, what’s better than something else. It all matters.

There are times when I see a fabric and I know it will work a certain way. On the reverse side I sometimes think of a pattern first in my head and the fabrics I want to try on it. This is sometimes the riskier option because I like to try out fabrics that might not be suited for what I want it to do. I don’t like to stick to all of the traditional rules of making a garment. The bonus of Blythe is that she wears clothes beautifully when she is sitting, standing and posing. The Takara body accepts fashion nicely. She’s been given classic hourglass measurements which was originally considered the perfect fit for fashion in the Western world. Unlike Barbie who has unrealistic hourglass body proportions, Blythe is more human in that respect. So if the garment is fitted well, the dress and the doll compliment one another. I have another doll with a similar sized body but her arms are different and it makes the dresses lay differently. It’s just like human bodies. Two women could both wear the same size, but they will wear the same dress differently based on their actual proportions.

Where do find your inspiration for the dresses you sew?
I use my own dolls and my love of different fashions as inspiration. I imagine a lot of clothing for Blythe that I personally cannot wear either because it doesn’t fit my personality or my body type. Each doll starts to develop their own persona and an outfit that works well on one might not be quite right for another. Learning to style based on their individual looks is a process I am still learning. And that’s really what it becomes. You are a fashion stylist and a designer. Because the dolls are so customizable it makes it fun to design based on personality and themes. I’ve been sketching a line of 1920’s inspired wear because the girls with their hair bobbed really call me to do it. It just seems to be fitting for the girls with the Louise Brooke and Clara Bow looks. I’ve always loved the fashion of the 1920s and the 1940s. I was a teenager and in my early 20s during the height of grunge wear so I am heavily influenced by those looks as well. I’m also in awe by the fashions I saw the teenagers wearing in Japan. The girls in school uniforms on a Saturday riding the trains, the Lolita and Emily Temple Cute girls in Harajuku and the Mori girls lounging in the park. The Japanese love fashion and aren’t afraid to experiment with it. I can take fashion chances with the dolls that I am not brave enough to take myself.

What’s a sewing tip you could share with us about crafting for Blythe?
Start with an easy pattern if you have never sewn anything small scale before. And do it several times. This will help you get to learn your machine. I have a top of the line machine and thought that right out of the gate I could pick a heavily structured pattern and I ruined the whole thing. Your machine might require certain interfacing to sew the tiny seams on the dresses. I had several fabrics get eaten by the feed dogs on my machine until I figured this out. And just know, you can make that piece of clothing, it might just take some time. Small scale doesn’t mean it takes less time. A quality garment with detail will take you a while to make.

What do you find exciting about running your own business?
There are so many thing. First and foremost, I love the entire creative process. It really drives me. I also love that I can handle my stress much better because this is all on my own time. I don’t have many deadlines to worry about and when I do (like for a swap or a giveaway) I can plan it out better. It’s also really great that I have my own studio to work in and that puts me in a zone. I’ll turn on Netflix and just work.

What might we expect from you and Sew Do Something in the future?
Different styles of dresses, pants and tops and accessories! I’ve been working on shrinking down some of my favorite purse and handbag patterns to Blythe size. I’m really loving working on the historical fashion too so I plan on more period pieces too.

Thank you so much for doing this interview with me, Jessica! What kind of advice do you have for someone who’s try to transition from human-sized sewing to doll sewing?
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity! I would say that most of what you know of fitting for humans will work for dolls. But there are certain adjustments you need to take into account. Some fabric needs lined or it stains which adds bulk to your already tiny seams. If it’s a pattern you’ve never made before, make a muslin first or fit as you go. Make your stitch length smaller. My machine is set for a stand 3.5 but I put it as low as 1.6. Sewing slowly will help you keep your lines straighter and enable you to get closer to the edge of a seam than with a longer and faster stitch. And have fun! This is about your enjoyment of making the garment and seeing it on your doll! If it’s not fun you’ll think its a chore.

You can find out more about Jessica and her shop on her blog, Etsy, Facebook, Flickr and Twitter!

1850’sPre-Civil War-inspired Dress Giveaway!

Jessica of Sew Do Something has graciously decided to giveaway a dress in one of her new pattens, inspired by the styles of the 1850’s! The winner will get a dress in this style and choose a fabric design from a selection chosen by Jessica.

You can get up to eight (8) entries for this giveaway draw and you can enter until Saturday March 9th 2013 at 11:59pm Pacific. The draw will be held on Sunday March 10th 2013 and the winner will be announced on BlytheLife.com. Remember to use a valid email address for all comments. If you win, your email will be forwarded to Jessica so she will be in contact with you about your prize.

Please only use one email address per person, those using multiple email addresses for more entries will be disqualified.

Mandatory Entry: Comment below about the interview with Jessica of Sew Do Something! This is worth 1 entry into the giveaway.

Bonus Entry #1: Tweet about the contest! Please retweet the following once per day from your public Twitter account! (If you look below, there is a box for you to include your Twitter username, if you do, I can easily verify your bonus entry!) Each tweet is 1 entry into the giveaway for a maximum of 2 entries into the giveaway. Please comment below to tell me that you’ve been tweeting (1 comment per tweet!)

Check out the @blythelifecom interview with Jessica of Sew Do Something! #giveaway http://bit.ly/12TVpmc

Bonus Entry #2: Blog about the contest! Be sure to include some details about the contest and include links to BlytheLife.com, this interview/giveaway page, Sew Do Something Etsy shop and the Sew Do Something blog! For 1 blog entry, this is worth 5 entries into the giveaway! You must comment below with the URL to your blog post.

I was first introduced to Katie via social media (either Flickr or Twitter). She has a fantastic blog, comes up with creative things to share with the doll community and she’s very active! She sews, paints eyechips, creates wire crowns and blogs – she does it all!

Hi Katie! What can you tell us about yourself?
Having just entered my 30s it feels a little strange to be playing with dolls, but I love them! I live in Canberra, Australia (the capital) and like most people in my city, I work for the Government in IT, though my background lies in the museum/cultural area. I’ve played music in a few bands, including my own that lasted about 8 years and have created artwork for CDs, etc. My other passion is crime/criminology, and I am currently studying part time in this field. As a teenager, I collected random dolls and modified them into fairies or sculptures that I used to sell at a shop called “Pretty on the Inside”. I guess this is where my doll obsession comes from. My other obsession is travel, I have travelled and lived all over the world, most recently to Japan.

How did your discover Blythe? Who’s in your doll family?
When I discovered Blythe, I was looking for something to replace drinking and going out to bars with. As odd as this sounds, when all of your social life consists of “going out” it gets lonely when you quit. I was looking for a hobby that would let me express my creativity, but also get me outside the house. A hobby that would help me meet new friends, and have more in common with them than alcohol. A bunch of people on a non-doll related message board were posting pics of their Blythe dolls in their own thread, talking in their own secret doll language about RBLs and re-rooting and NRFB hair issues. I fell in love with their big eyes and big heads and was soon trawling eBay looking for my own. In the beginning, $100 for a doll seemed INSANE. Now I have dolls worth a lot more than that, I laugh at my past self.

At the moment I have 17:
Blonde sidepart KB, Raven wispy KB, Redhead sidepart KB, PD Amaryllis, Ayanami Rei, Asian Butterfly, Gentle River, Dottie Dot, Miss Sally Rice, Nostalgic Pop, Heather Sky, Very Cherry Berry, Marabelle Melody (Moofala custom), Angelica Eve, Fruit Punch, Very Vicky and PD Cassis.

Where did the name 2:22 am come from?
Having suffered sleep issues my whole life I find I prefer being awake at night. My most creative hour is around 2am. This is when I get what I call my “creative surge” and I really want to make things. Having a 9-5 job ruins my creativity a bit because I have to be in bed at this time.

What has been the biggest spark of creativity for you when it comes to crafting for Blythe?
The biggest spark for me is that I imagine clothes or accessories that I want, but they don’t exist. Therefore I have to make them. Currently I am in the process of learning how to make my own doll shoes.

You craft a great variety of things for Blythes – sewing clothes, wired crowns, painted eyechips – which is your favourite and why?
Making doll head accessories like crowns and headbands is definitely the most rewarding. I am able to make items that are original and unique. With clothes I find no matter how much I try, all Blythe clothes are a little bit similar, and there’s always someone doing it better. I am really picky about my sewing and have piles of tiny dresses that I have discarded because they aren’t perfect. Making wire crowns is something I have done since I was a teenager, and once I get in the rhythm I find it hard to stop.

How has opening up a shop changed your view of the Blythe community and your position in it?
Putting your goods out there to be judged is a little daunting. I see other sellers’ items being bought within seconds of being posted and I’m really happy for them. They’ve put in years of work to get where they are, which is inspirational. Having a unique item that is wanted in the community is a dream of mine. I’m still trying to work out what “my thing” is as I dabble in so much.

I was a vendor at BlytheCon 2012 in Australia and that was a load of fun, selling in person is so much nicer than online. I got to meet so many nice people and talk about the thing I love the most, Blythe. In regards to my online shop, being in Australia means that to send anything overseas costs a lot. Most of the time buyers don’t want to pay for registration which puts me at risk if the item goes missing. Running a shop has shown me that most of the Blythe community are lovely, considerate and reasonable people. There are a few bad apples out there but I haven’t let that ruin my experience.

What went through your mind the first time you saw one of your items on another person’s doll?
I was really proud that someone liked my creation enough to display it to the world on their doll. I do make a lot of dolly items for friends though and it always warms my heart when I see them enjoying my gifts.

What are your plans for future vending, either online or selling in person?
At the moment I am planning new items for my store, mainly a new Blythe headwear range but my real love lies with Blythe shoes which I am learning to create. I also have plans to sell at future Blythe events in person so please come and say hello! Last year I went to Japan and brought back a lot of stock to sell at BlytheCon that you can’t normally get in Australia. I would love to do this every year.

What can you tell us about your blog and your resources on there?
My blog is really a mixture of my dolly obsessions. It started out with me posting photos of my Blythe dolls but it’s turned into more of a resource. My most popular post so far was about a decline in the Blythe market. I also wrote an entire series of posts regarding fake Blythe dolls. At the time I started investigating this issue, there was still question as to whether inferior dolls showing up on the market were fakes or just poorly made. I think it is pretty well known now that fake dolls exist. My blog contains a lot of “how to” posts, especially in regard to restoring busted up Kenner Blythe dolls or buying dolls.

My background in museums/archives, along with teaching database classes has led to me wanting comprehensive lists of items. For this reason I’ve created lists of all the Takara shoe sets, accessory sets and clothing sets with photos and release dates. Often, I’d see a pair of doll shoes, or an item of clothing and have trouble working out which sets they were from. I’m halfway through creating a catalogue of all of the stock shoes that came with Blythe dolls and have started on a Momoko doll shoe catalogue. Another page on my website contains a list of doll names and commonly used words written in Japanese. It is very useful when searching on Yahoo! Japan for those extra rate items.

Can you tell us about what we might expect from you in the future?
My new range of Blythe headwear, more posts about Blythe shopping in Japan and the usual musings regarding my favourite doll, Blythe.

Thank you so much for doing this interview with me, Katie! What kind of advice would you give someone who’s new to the hobby?
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity. I have always loved your blog and definitely recommend Blythelife.com to anyone new in the hobby. My other advice would be to do your research, ask questions and read up on Bad Dolly Deals to ensure you are not dealing with someone dishonest.

Most importantly, don’t worry about what other people think of your new hobby. Playing with dolls is totally acceptable behaviour for adults.

You can find Katie and all the wonderful things that she makes at her blog, on Flickr and on Etsy!

Crown & Galaxy Eyechips Giveaway!

Katie is graciously offering up a handcrafted wire Blythe crown and a set of her Galaxy eyechips (not exactly as pictured!) to one very lucky reader here at BlytheLife.com!

You can get up to eight (8) entries for this giveaway draw and you can enter until Saturday February 16th 2013 at 11:59pm Pacific. The draw will be held on Sunday February 17th 2013 and the winner will be announced on BlytheLife.com. Remember to use a valid email address for all comments. If you win, your email will be forwarded to Katie so she will be in contact with you about your prize.

Please only use one email address per person, those using multiple email addresses for more entries will be disqualified.

Mandatory Entry: Comment below about the interview with Katie of 222am.org! This is worth 1 entry into the giveaway.

Bonus Entry #1: Tweet about the contest! Please retweet the following once per day from your public Twitter account! (If you look below, there is a box for you to include your Twitter username, if you do, I can easily verify your bonus entry!) Each tweet is 1 entry into the giveaway for a maximum of 2 entries into the giveaway. Please comment below to tell me that you’ve been tweeting (1 comment per tweet!)

Check out the @blythelifecom interview with Katie of 222am! #giveaway http://bit.ly/Xe2Mgm

Bonus Entry #2: Blog about the contest! Be sure to include some details about the contest and include links to BlytheLife.com, this interview/giveaway page, the 222am Etsy shop and to the 222am.org website! For 1 blog entry, this is worth 5 entries into the giveaway! You must comment below with the URL to your blog post.

Pablita is someone that I’ve talked to quite a bit on Twitter and on Flickr. She has amazing sewing skills and I’ve watched her progress on Flickr as she creates small dolly frocks in gorgeous fabrics and styles. I was very happy when she mentioned that she’d like to be featured on BlytheLife as it gave me the opportunity to get to know her better!

Hi Pablita! What can you tell us about yourself?
What a hard question! Well, I am in my late twenties and work as an museum administrator and educator in NYC. I moved here about 6 years ago to pursue a career in the arts and I’ve never been more comfortable. My life is pretty normal with the daily 9-5 gig, spending time with friends, and of course, becoming better at all things related to Blythe.

How did you discover Blythe? What does your doll family look like?
I first saw Blythe a few years ago on an internet message board unrelated to dolls. I thought they were quite strange, yet striking. The more I looked at photos from people I knew the more I felt like I needed one, like a Blythe doll would suit my lifestyle so perfectly. Fortunately I received one as a gift two years ago and here we are. I would say I love customs and stock girls equally. My family is small- only three dolls right now- and my two customs were made to my taste. I’d describe the family as pretty and girly, to be honest.

What made you decide to start sewing doll clothes?
Definitely seeing other people’s amazing designs. I’ve always been surrounded by art and artists, though have never particularly felt like much of a “maker.” Learning to sew, stumbling through tiny stitches, choosing fabric and notions, and continuing to have faith in myself and my abilities have been the biggest accomplishments of this past year. Finally, after not knowing that I was a maker of things, I am lucky to create a personal creative process to engage with has been fun and challenging in all the right ways. I guess the desire came from, “hey, I bet I could be good at that!”

What has been the most challenging thing for you in learning to sew?
To be honest, the hardest thing has been to let myself make mistakes and be kind to myself when things don’t go the way I planned them out in my mind. I still go through moment where I try to fix every mistake I see instead of starting over and cutting myself some slack. I’ve never liked making mistakes, but becoming better at sewing means that mistakes are part of the process. So while the technical sewing stuff has been challenging, it does not compare to the personal struggle I have to continue to be motivated to become better at something I’ve come to love.

How has your background in arts aided you in your creative process?
Yes, a lot, actually. One of my close friends is a painter and he sometimes talks to me about his process and sends me pictures of his work as it goes along. Sometimes he is frustrated. Other times he feels he got something accomplished in the studio. The trajectory from idea to finished product isn’t neat or clean or somehow devoid of missteps along the way. Also, I really like fabric! I love seeing it for what it is. A textile with prints that has an artistry of its own. Maybe I got into this whole sewing thing because fabric in and of itself is exciting. I think I find myself the happiest when I am at a fabric store trying to envision working with the materials there.

What have you found to be your greatest sources of inspiration when you’re coming up with a design or concept?
My greatest sources of inspiration have been my my dolls. I initially became attracted to sewing because I wanted to make things my dolls would enjoy wearing and look good doing so. Whenever I make something the best feeling is not wanting anyone else to have what I just made because it looks so great on my girls. Kind of silly and funny, right? I also have to give a lot of credit to a few of my friends in the doll community who are so forthcoming with their knowledge of sewing and encouraging in my own process. That’s really it. I love how fun it is to create tiny dresses. I wanted to take part in the fun instead of continuing to be a bystander.

What’s your favourite tool to use when sewing that you can’t live without?
I love having a good pair of scissors when I sew. There’s nothing more frustrating than grabbing the wrong pair and realizing they do a sloppy job!

How has the process been like for you from opening an Etsy shop to crafting things for sale?
The process of opening up a shop has been nerve wrecking. For me, it feels hard to put my stuff out and there and think that someone might covet it enough to buy it. In fact, I don’t think most of my sewing is perfect enough to sell. I have to work up enough courage to list something. I’ve also realized that sewing is a lot less fun if I think about making sales. That’s not why I push myself to become better. Sewing is out of genuine affection for Blythe. I could never earn enough selling doll clothes to compare to my job now. So why sweat it so much? Unless I get sewing elves!

What was it like seeing your work photographed on another person’s doll for the first time?
The first person to do it was Zenzile (Zanalee on flickr) and it was really exciting. She had fallen in love with a fabric I used and next time I worked with it I gave her the dress I made. She is someone whose pictures always inspire me so to see her city girls exploring out there with my dress was incredibly fun. That’s one of the big reasons why I can’t obsess about the Etsy side of sewing. My biggest joys come from people enjoying my tiny dresses, regardless on whether it was a sale or not.

What kind of things might we expect from you in the doll fashion world in the near future
I’d love to get to a point in my sewing where I get more adventurous with fabric choices and trims! I’ve been concentrating a lot on fit that the other bits kind of fall by the wayside. Plus, to a certain extent, I haven’t found my voice in it all.

Thank you so much for doing this interview with me, Pablita! What kind of advice do you have for those who are new to Blythe?
My biggest piece of advice is to enjoy your dolls in whatever way makes you happy. Sometimes the hobby can feel like this pressure filled bubble we all interact in and getting perspective can be hard. When that starts to happen, step away and pick up your doll. Your interaction with her is the only thing that matters, you know?

You can find more about Made by Pablita on Flickr and on Etsy!

Dress Giveaway!

Pablita is offering up a Blythe-sized dress in this style and fabric (but not specifically this dress) in a giveaway here on BlytheLife! Continue reading for more information!

You can get up to eight (8) entries for this giveaway draw and you can enter until Saturday January  26th 2013 at 11:59pm PDT. The draw will be held on Sunday January 27th 2013 and the winner will be announced on BlytheLife.com. Remember to use a valid email address for all comments. If you win, your email will be forwarded to Pablita so you can get in contact about your doll dress!

Please only use one email address per person, those using multiple email addresses for more entries will be disqualified.

Mandatory Entry: Comment below about the interview with Made by Pablita! This is worth 1 entry into the giveaway.

Bonus Entry #1: Tweet about the contest! Please retweet the following once per day from your public Twitter account! (If you look below, there is a box for you to include your Twitter username, if you do, I can easily verify your bonus entry!) Each tweet is 1 entry into the giveaway for a maximum of 2 entries into the giveaway. Please comment below to tell me that you’ve been tweeting (1 comment per tweet!)

Check out the @blythelifecom interview with Made by Pablita! #giveaway http://bit.ly/WgRTu0

Bonus Entry #2: Blog about the contest! Be sure to include some details about the contest and include links to BlytheLife.com, this interview/giveaway page and to the Made by Pablita Etsy shop! For 1 blog entry, this is worth 5 entries into the giveaway! You must comment below with the URL to your blog post.

One of the new features on BlytheLife for 2013 is Blog Blurb Wednesday where I’ll be introducing to you all to Blythe related blogs here on the blog. It won’t be happening every week – I have a lot of fun things that I want to get out onto the internet in 2013 and this is definitely one of them!

If you’re a fellow doll blogger and you’re interested in being featured in Blog Blurb Wednesday, I have a handy dandy little questionnaire form for you all to fill out. I will email interested people with the date of when they will be featured here so they know when to anticipate it. There are some requirements to being featured on Blog Blurb Wednesday, which you can find here.

I hope you’re all looking forward to the new content for 2013 as much as I am!

For every sleepy-eyed Blythe, a good bed is a great addition to any doll house or room box. I was introduced to Atlanta’s work before she approached me , but I didn’t realize it! I had seen the beautiful vintage-esque beds before on Flickr in photos but I didn’t realize that the beds were something that I could actually find and get for myself. Here’s a look at the world of Dream Come True.

Hi Atlanta! What can you tell us about yourself?
I live with my big family on a ranch in Texas, and normally I am a historical clothing seamstress, though just now I am having lots of fun with mini bedding sets! Next year I’m getting married and moving into a log house deep in the hills of Tennessee. My fiancé is currently working with me in the shop, doing the welding of the beds.

How did you discover Blythe? What does your Blythe family look like?
I actually don’t own any of my own Blythes. Its very tempting, though, they get cuter every time I look at them. We discovered Blythe after so many of our doll bed customers wrote back to share pictures of their beds in their Blythe houses and photo-shoots. They were so cute! I am amazed at the creativity and photography skills that seem to go with the Blythe hobby! It’s great, and I love looking at photos, I’ve always been a big fan of miniature worlds!

You have an Etsy shop called Dream Come True – where did the name come from?
Our customers kept using phrases about how the bed they ordered was just like ‘a dream come true’ for their Blythe collections, so we named our shop after it. We love making the beds sturdy and detailed- hopefully looking just like a mini real-life version!

What kind of routine do you have when you’re crafting for your shop?
My fiancé works much of the day out in the shop creating and welding together the doll beds. I paint and antique the beds, make the bedding, and take care of customer service and shipping! My routine is pretty varied, sometimes I sew first thing in the morning, sometimes I’m kept busy just packaging up ready to go orders.

Where do you get your inspiration for new designs?
Oh lots of things! – vintage pictures, antiques, Blythe photoshoots…I love getting color combination ideas from Pinterest. We’d eventually like to expand to have more style of ‘iron’ beds, copied from 19th and 20th century antique examples.

How does it make you feel when you see your work being used in photos?
It really gets a little mind boggling when I think about our little beds going to so many different places around the world! But I love seeing the photos come back, it makes me feel wonderful when I see the works of our customers – because I know that the beds are being enjoyed and inspiring new creativity! It’s always fun too when I happen to stumble upon a new picture of one of our beds on Flickr or such!

For those who are unfamiliar with your work, how would you describe it?
I think people are surprised when they first see one of our doll beds in person, and pick it up and feel for themselves. Words to describe? Heirloom, quality, sturdy, unique, realistic.

I am always amazed by people who can craft on the small scale – what is one of the challenging aspects of your work?
Crafting in miniature has a whole new set of challenges – you constantly have to keep in perspective the scale of the piece, because if you use materials that look too big or bulky, it won’t look life-like when finished.

What kinds of plans do you currently have for expanding what you sell at Dream Come True?
We plan to very soon also include American Girl size beds, Photo Prop beds, and lots of new designs of Blythe beds, which are all in the works, and I am very excited about. If any of your readers have style suggestions, we would love to hear about it!

What has been the most rewarding part of having Dream Come True so far?
For me, either the fun of photographing the beds, and also ‘meeting’ people from all over the world!

Thank you so much for doing this interview with me, Atlanta! What kind of advice do you have for people who are learning to sew on the small scale?
Patience! Sewing for dolls or miniature items I often find just as hard as making full-sized clothes because all the spaces for the seams are so much tighter. Sometimes hand-sewing is easier when you are dealing with a really small seam (such as a doll dress sleeve!), so cultivating good hand-sewing skills is a must! But sewing for small worlds is fun too, because projects are usually much quicker in timescale, and that’s always fun

You can find Atlanta and more information about Dream Come True at her Etsy shop, on Facebook, over at Big Cartel and on Flickr.  If you don’t want to wait and see if you’re the big winner, you can go and buy a darling vintage-style bed now!

Custom Bed Giveaway!

Atlanta has generously offered a custom doll bed for the giveaway! The winner will be able to decide how the bed is painted and styled to their liking, the above image is just an example of what one of her beautiful doll beds looks like!

You can get up to twenty (20) entries for this giveaway draw and you can enter until Friday November 23rd, 2012 11:59pm PST. The draw will be held on Saturday November 24th and the winner will be announced here on BlytheLife.com. Remember to use a valid email address for all comments. If you win, your email will be forwarded to Atlanta so she can be in contact with you about your custom bed!

Please only use one email address per person, those using multiple email addresses for more entries will be disqualified.

Mandatory Entry: Comment below with which shop item is your favourite. This is worth 1 entry into the giveaway.

Bonus Entry #1: Tweet about the contest! Please retweet the following from your public Twitter account! (If you look below, there is a box for you to include your Twitter username, if you do, I can easily verify your bonus entry!) One tweet entry per person. This is worth 1 entry into the giveaway. Please comment below to tell me that you’ve been tweeting (1 comment per tweet!)

Check out the @blythelifecom interview with Atlanta from Dream Come True! Custom bed giveaway! http://bit.ly/UHFi7K

Bonus Entry #2: Heart the Dream Come True shop on Etsy! Comment below with a link to your Favorite Shops. This is worth 1 entry into the giveaway.

Bonus Entry #3: Blog about the contest! Be sure to include some details about the contest and include links to BlytheLife.com, this interview/giveaway page and to Atlanta’s shop, Dream Come True. For 1 blog entry, this is worth 5 entries into the giveaway! You must comment below with the URL to your blog post.

Bonus Entry #4: Post on Facebook about the giveaway, include a link to this interview/giveaway. For 1 Facebook post, this is worth 5 entries into the giveaway. You must comment below with the  URL to your post.

Bonus Entry #5: “Like” Dream Come True on Facebook. This is worth 3 entries into the giveaway.

Bonus Entry #6: Follow Dream Come True on Flickr. This is worth 2 entries into the giveaway. You must comment below with your Flickr screenname stating that you’ve followed the account.

Bonus Entry #7: Pin photos from Dream Come True to Pinterest. This is worth 1 entry per pin for a maximum of 2 entries (2 pins). You must comment below with URL(s) to your pins.