4 years? my take on growing your blog

4 years ago in July of 2008 I started my little old blog.
I really had no idea where it would go. I just wanted a place to catalog the things I’d made.

Now many tutorials and photo shoots later, we’ve gone from Market Skirt to Reversible Tote (got a thing for orange).
Today I can truly say that I love what I do. Dorky to be passionate about blogging?
I am!
a dork.
And I love blogging.

Over the years some of you have emailed asking about tips and ideas for starting a blog, growing a blog, turning it into a business. I don’t have all the answers, or even many. If you really want to know….I’m making a lot of it up as I go. But there is a bit of rhythm to it.
And today I’m sharing some tips and ideas in an interview on the Alt Design blog.

I’ll answer some of these:
• What is your idea of blogging success?
• What has been the single best decision you have made regarding your blog and business to this point?
• What is it about blogging that you love?

Come check it out!
And seriously, thanks for stopping by MADE.
I’ve said it before but my blog is only successful because of you.
Have a great Thursday!
(and watch Project Runway tonight)

  1. Dana congratulations on 4 years and on your success. You do a beautiful job on your blog. Every post is well crafted, well written, and super engaging. I love how you share yourself and your family with us and most of all your amazing talent. Here is to lots and lots of more years of blogging!

  2. 2) Julie H.

    Congratulations! I’ve been following your blog for about a year now and it quickly became my favorite. I have a 2 1/2 year old little girl that I make your simple skirt pattern for all the time. She will only wear skirts so I made her about 6 to rotate through for the summer. I love how simple and straight forward your tutorials are, but I mostly love that you use fabric from Joann’s and Hobby Lobby. I don’t have access to designer fabrics like some other blogs use unless I order it from etsy. I love how cute your designs are with fabrics that are accessible to everyone. Keep up the great work!

  3. Congrats!!! I’ve been following your blog and I love it!
    A big hug from Buenos Aires, Argentina 🙂

  4. 4) Leigh Anne

    Congrats on 4 years! Your blog is always a must read! Love your style and your photography…..simple & chic ……and most of all do-able 🙂

  5. 5) Florence

    I’ve started to follow your blog a year ago, after a few stops here and there before. It’s extremely nice to follow, without mentioning amazingly good Tutorials…. helped me to pass the cap and try to sew clothes .
    I started to sew almost 2 1/2 years ago, when landed in Baltimore as a “stay-at-home mom” following my husband for his post-doc in Hopkins…. huge change after a year of full time teacher training, and an ocean away from home ! I just had to “do” something to fill the days… and it happened to be sewing the most useful thing on earth…bags, of course ! But then, “sewing for kids” (one girl 9and 1/2,and 3 boys 6, 3 and1/2, and 10 months )which is so fun, is mainly thanks to you !
    Thanks a lot for your blog. so well done, fun, full of colors, inspiring…. without mentioning the photography. I just love it !
    Congrats ! et chapeau bas.

  6. Congratulations Dana – happy 4 years!!

    I’m off to read your interview…

  7. Visiting from your Alt interview! I really loved reading your answers to the questions and look forward to digging into your blog. Looks like you’ve got a ton of great content. 🙂

  8. 8) Aurélie

    I really love your blog and am really looking forward to discovering your next book! Thank your for the good advice!

  9. 9) kitty

    Congratulations Dana!! I love reading your blog, because it is always interesting, full of practical, stylish and fun ideas. Your tutorials are excellent and your photographs are very beautiful! I also like reading the things you share about yourself and your lovely family ( your children are so cute!!).
    Hugs from The Hague, Holland

  10. Dana…I loved reading your interview. I really love that you have a quiet confidence about you. You know who you are, what you want to accomplish and it shines through in how you share your talents. I so needed this right now. I have been struggling with keeping up with my blog, do I still want to continue it or scrap it all together? I struggle with that daily at the moment. The move from two kids to three has been life altering. Maybe I’ll blog about this tomorrow if I can get my thoughts together! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your talents, all of them, not just your creative ones.

    • I hope that you will continue with your blog. When Dana mentioned you in one of her posts I checked out your blog and have really enjoyed it. While it can be time consuming to get everything together for a post, once it is complete it is so much fun to look at what you have chronicled with photos, tips, struggles and triumphs, and a little dose of daily life.

  11. Oh and your first tutorial…not embarrassing at all. Some of our posts still look like that! 🙂

  12. When I started looking for sewing tips and ideas the internet led me to your blog and I have loved all of it. Through your posts I feel like I have been following you the entire four years, even though it has only been a little over a year now. I love your projects!

  13. 14) Sarah K.

    I found your blog a couple of years ago – right after my second was born (a boy!). Well, he’ll be 2.5 on Saturday, and I’ve been a faithful reader ever since. Thanks for all the inspiration and instruction! Congrats on four years!

  14. Thank you for all the inspiration, colors and smile you give us via your blog!
    Thank you also for being so ‘available’ (I’m not sure it’s the right word but it means what I want ;-))

  15. 17) Lyndal

    Congratulations Dana on 4 years! i have been reading your blog for nearly that long after you somehow must of found mine and left a comment we had just moved to the USA from Australia and it was lovely to read your blog that gave me insight into life in the USA plus fantastic sewing ideas (i still have the sugar city frock to make after seeing it on Lucy) we have since returned to Australia I no longer blog and only follow a couple yours is one of them and its because its enjoyable to read.
    I have loved watching your blog transform and how you make everything achievable to recreate and everything is always interesting and beautiful. Continue to enjoy what you do…

  16. You gave a great interview and I enjoyed hearing your perspective! I remember being wowed by the shirt dress and market skirt. Good times, good times. Congratulations on four years! And I’m really intrigued about your years in the film industry. So curious what you did! “Film industry” sounds so glamorous.

  17. You inspire me. Thank you. : )

  18. Yours is definitely one of my favorite blogs. And apparently I’ve been reading since nearly the beginning! Crazy pants that it’s been 4 years.

  19. 21) Mirabelle

    Happy blog-day to you !
    From France I enjoy what you make, do, share…

  20. 22) susana

    .Gracias por tu increíble trabajo.Gracias por tu generosidad de enseñarnos.Desde Sudamérica,Buenos Aires.Cariños.

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