Christening Gowns

During my search for Christening and Baptism Gown sites for my website I have found many good ones that do no affiliate marketing - which is what my site is trying to live off of - and most I have found through dumb luck while actually looking for something else in the sewing world. Evidently, people don't use keywords much in there sites to increase their search engine optimization (ie: getting their site as close to a first page hit as possible), which makes me feel a little better that I can never find what I'm looking for when I put the keywords into the search engine! Maybe it's not JUST me! The same goes with Heirloom sewing sites which are mainly online versions of physical stores that sell the hard to find heirloom sewing supplies such as lace, buttons, fabrics and patterns. I am trying to figure out a way to work them into the Christening Gown site and still support it financially without a ton of annoying ads. Maybe a links page or two with each link page geared towards a specific subject for ease of use. In my spare time...just thinking out loud here! What a great find, this "blogging" thing. It's like an online diary and I'm finding it rather soothing and helpful in keeping my thoughts in line (and not losing them in my brain as they are written down here) as I've never been one to sit and write. I'm beginning to understand the therapeutic benefits of it!

First Birthday

It's the babies first birthday today. I can't believe it's been a year. Plan to finish her smocked bishop easter dress in the next day or so (this dress was not the original plan but the pattern for the one I wanted did not come in so that one will have to get done later) along with a "play outfit" that will be a smocked bishop shirt with diaper cover panties underneath. Then on to an outfit or two for my big girl so she doesn't feel left out! Which one to do first is the question - the trunk out here in my "office/living room/dining room/sewing room" area is full of fabric for childrens clothes labeled as to what pattern I bought the fabric for, the size, the child, etc. but I keep finding new ones that I want to do as well! Decisions, decisions...

So much to do, so little time!

Recently I have embarked on a journey that terrifies me and excites me at the same time. I have launched a business creating a website aimed at finding Christening Gowns and other related accessories using affiliate marketing as my main means of income from it to pay myself back for everything I've dished out to start this thing. While there are endless opportunities with the way I've set up this business to branch out and do may other things, selling my own handmade childrens clothes, bags, etc. could be one, the whole "being in debt" until money starts "rolling" in is a tad bit stressful for me, considering this week I struggled to come up with grocery money! But I am assured every time I take my 4 year old to the gym or see some of the "brand name" outfits on the preschoolers at my daughters preschool that there are still those parents out there that have the means and the will to pay for nice clothes for the children, not just the Walmart specials. Specifically for special occasions and of course the cuter they are, with monograms, appliques and embroidery, the harder they are to resist. And yes, my children do wear the Walmart specials to play in - there is NOTHING wrong with that! Especially considering I do not want them tearing up what I've put the very little bit of time I find to sew them out on the playground or in the backyard.

Now, if I can figure out this blog thing, keep finding things to "Tweet" about that are interesting enough for people to want to follow, and at some point start sewing some cute dresses, outfits and bags to sell on Etsy (ok, so the 12 month old might need to be in Preschool for this to happen), maybe I can help make a little money to pay the bills without relying on the non-existent engineering career that I went to school for! Sure which I had found my love for sewing sooner and gotten a degree in that but as they say hind sight is 20/20.

If anyone happens to cross the path of this blog and I manage to get some of my projects posted on flicker and figure out how to link it here please give me your honest opinion on what, if anything, would be "sellable"! I have done a lot of smocking as this is something I have recently discovered and do love but it is very time consuming when it comes to sales and I have the capability to machine embroider, monogram and machine applique virtually anything - except, at the moment, the time to do it so it seems! As the summer moves on I am hoping to add more projects as I complete them for my daughters, their teachers and our friends and would love any input anyone can give for what you'd like to see or would be interested in purchasing so I can get an idea of what, if anything, people would be interested in!