Even though I haven’t written a blog post since late October, yesterday My Doll’s Trousseau got 72 views. Some days it’s 2 or 5, and some days it’s 40 to 60.

Earlier this month I had to decide whether or not to renew my website address. I even confirmed with my web host that all my content would go away if I didn’t renew.

I decided that I’m not ready to let go of it yet. I like knowing that a few people are still reading my stuff.

Almost all of these views are doll posts. What else would you expect from a blog called My Doll’s Trousseau? When I started all this, I was very involved with doll collecting and costuming, but also starting an exploration of 17th-century embroidery. Then last fall DH and I bought a second home in the mountains.

To find time for every-day life AND embroidery AND new home/mountain/small-town life, something had to give. Right now dolls just aren’t a priority for me.

I’ve addressed in the past how my embroidery fulfills my creative needs so much more than doll costuming. And we are falling in love with our new home town and dreaming of finding a way to live there all the time.

DH and I just celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary. Before the new home, we’d both admit that we were in a rut. Collecting and costuming dolls filled a void and has helped me to find some new, lifelong friends. I just need to decide if it is something that has a place in our new lifestyle (the dolls that is, the friends are here to stay).

I’ve thought about using my blog as a platform to sell some of my dolls. I’ve thought about taking the info I’ve provided here and consolidating it into a book. I’ve though about just letting it go.

What I haven’t figured out yet is if I’m ready to move on from the doll world or if some day I’ll come back to it. I know I’m not the only one working through these decisions. If you’re at a similar place I’d love to hear from you.

Writing a blog is a time-consuming brain exercise that sometimes helps me to clarify my thoughts. But it is also a form of exhibitionism that exposes my inner thoughts and feelings, at least those I choose to share. And that can be scary and leave me feeling exposed.

Last fall I attended the Embroiderer’s Guild of America national seminar. I enjoyed myself, met some nice people and learned a few things, but I probably won’t go again.

It couldn’t have been more different than a doll convention. Doll people are mostly exuberant extroverts and kinda quirky, so in big groups it’s loud with a hint of excitement bubbling in the air. Embroiderers seem to be more introspective, which allows the often tedious and repetitive work to get done. This made for a quieter, more contemplative environment which I found to be rather dull.

So, in choosing embroidery over dolls, I’m choosing a more solitary pursuit. I don’t think there’s anyone out there who is just dying to see me sit and stitch. While the results can be beautiful, it takes many, many tedious hours to achieve them.

When I started this doll blog, I felt that I was filling a void (that still exists to a certain extent). But there are plenty of instructional embroidery sites out there already and at this time I don’t feel a need to add to them.

I don’t know what’s next, but I’ll share some of my stitching progress with you soon and try to decide what to do about the dolls.