New Shop Special Part 1: La Petite Pamplemousse

Welcome to my very first New Shop Special featuring La Petite Pamplemousse. To celebrate we're going to be doing a giveaway for the first three new shops I cover and you can find details at the end of the post. Onto the interview!


Hello Tracy, please could you tell us about yourself and how you got into the wonderful world of Blythe!

First a little about me:  My "real" job (the one that pays the bills) is as an 8th grade teacher.  I teach sewing, English, and U.S. History and am blessed with a wonderful group of students.  My husband and I have one son who is in the 5th grade.  In my free time I like to sew, read, and cook.

I kind of got into the wonderful world of Blythe on accident.  One of my other hobbies is scrapbooking, and prior to my first encounter with Blythe I used to visit the blogs of various scrapbookers.  Anyhow, one lady had a post about buying a Simply Guava doll for her daughter, and that piqued my interest.  I had never seen such an unusual looking doll, and to be honest, I wasn't too sure about what I thought about her enormous head.  But, over time, the whole big head thing kind-of grew on me.  My son dared me to bid on a Blythe doll on e-bay.  When I lost my first auction, I felt strangely angry . . . so I bid on another doll and made sure that I won that one!  Waiting for her to arrive was like waiting for Christmas.  And when I finally opened that box, well, it was love at first sight!

How did you get into crafting things for Blythe?

Well, while I was waiting for my first doll to arrive, I started to research more about Blythe on the internet.  It didn't take too long before I found some sewing patterns.  I've known how to sew for many years and have always enjoyed making things, so I decided that I could whip up some tiny clothes.  My first doll had a dozen dresses before she even arrived in my mailbox!  One thing I like about sewing on such a small scale is that I can whip up an entire outfit in a few hours which is extremely satisfying.  Making clothes for real people takes forever!

What made you decide to open a shop and how did you choose a name?

My husband actually was the one who encouraged me to open my shop.  I think he saw a way for me to pay for my new-found (and often expensive) obsession with Blythe.  He also was the inspiration for my odd name.  When he first saw a Blythe doll he said, "She looks like a Barbie with a grapefruit for a head."  Not exactly a flattering observation, but from that comment came the name "La Petite Pamplemousse" which means "The Little Grapefruit".

What or who inspires you to make things for Blythe and your shop?

My mom is a huge inspiration for my sewing.  She is the one who first taught me to sew when I was nine years old.  We used to make clothes because we were dirt poor.  My mom is a fabric collector and a quilter, so she has TONS of tiny scraps of fabric.  She is always bringing me little bags full of scraps she thinks I should make into Blythe clothes.  I love to "shop" in her sewing room because she has so many unique and vintage fabrics.  I also get inspired by looking at other people's creations for Blythe.  People are so creative!

Do you have anything planned for your shop?

Toward the end of November, I'm going to have a "Black Friday" sale.  Here in the U.S., the Friday after our Thanksgiving Holiday (November 25) is called "Black Friday" because everyone traditionally starts their Christmas shopping on that day, and it's the first day that many stores show a profit.  Stores open super early (like 1 in the morning) and have huge sales.  So in the time-honored tradition of "Black Friday"  I'm offering a coupon good for 30% off any purchase starting Friday, November 25, and running through Sunday afternoon (November 27).  Here's the code:  EATTURKEY

Lastly what tips would you give to people thinking of opening their own shop?

Don't be afraid!  I know that sounds strange, but I was so afraid that I wouldn't sell anything when I first opened up. :)

Don't let your shop become a "job".  I know that sounds strange too, but I think it's important to still LOVE whatever it is that you do as a hobby, and when it starts to feel like work, there goes the fun!

Only charge what you'd be willing to pay for a similar item of similar quality.

Be friendly!  Blythe owners are some of the nicest people around - you never know which one of your customers is going to become your new cyber-friend!

To enter the La Petit Pamplemousse giveaway and win this lovely dress and matching hairclip you need to do one or both of the following things. First off comment on here and leave some way of getting back in touch with you. Secondly you can retweet the Giveaway tweet that can be found on our twitter.
A comment here and a retweet are counted as seperate entries so that means you get 2! However I won't be counting multiple retweets as multiple entries.

The winner will be announced on wednesday the 30th of november so you have until the 29th of november to enter.