Ruby's Button Tin

Marina and fashion and a knitting sensation

Browsing through yesterday's newspaper was an illuminating business.  Firstly there was an interview with Marina of Marina and the Diamonds fame.  If you haven't heard of her yet, you will.  I can't get 'I am not a robot' out of my head.  It's a beautiful song and she has a fantastic voice.  Plus, what a great outfit ...

I love the cardie with the heart brooch and the sequin on the waistband.  Teaming it with a pale blue skirt shouldn't work ... but does. 

Elsewhere, a lovely article about a knitter who's struck gold.  Self taught 24yr old Ysolda Teague is making a good living from selling her knitting patterns and self published books.  She's a real success story, and stories like hers bring to wider attention the fact there's a lot of money being spent by crafty consumers.  Knitters buy wool, magazines, patterns.  Patchworkers buy fabric and soon will be descending in their hoardes on the V&A in London for a big quilt exhibition.  There's a whole economy which is - I'm sure - overwhelmingly female in terms of buyers, and ought to be an area where female businesses flourish.  A good thing about the development of the web is the number of female indie crafters that sell their wares.  It's not a 'black' economy, but it's a kind of 'alternative' economy, don't you think?

While still on the subject of women in business, there's been a lot of coverage of London Fashion Week recently.  A lot of it revolves around the elite fashion shows, the glossy 'Absolutely Fabulous' mwah-mwah side of things with outlandish clothes or elegant drapery and - horribly - a lot of real fur.  So I was interested to read an article about the less glitzy side of LFW.  Rachel Jones of raejones.co.uk makes and sells shoes, and had a stand in an unglamorous exhibition space where she networked and hoped to interest boutique owners and retailers in stocking her shoes.  With all the interest in catwalk shows it's easy to forget that fashion is a big business that employs a massive number of people.  They design, stitch seams, package up clothes, publicize them, etc.  It's clearly not all champagne and hob-nobbing with celebrities. 

 
 

Ideas for future embroidery projects

Maybe when summer comes (hurry up, warm weather!) I'll get out the embroidery hoop and silks and while away a balmy evening conjuring up some floral creations.  How about these for inspiration?

Gorgeous, huh?  Or these?

 

Two little houses, a Bourbon biscuit and a soap box ...

Just some nice images (well, hopefully you'll think they're nice too!) ... firstly, a little knitted house. 

Now, here's a little felt house ...

Okay, here's a felty Bourbon biscuit.  Not many calories in this. 

Finally, I love coming across images that would translate well into needlepoint patterns.  The design on this soap box would be great stitched on canvas.

 

Buying, not selling ... not sure that's the idea!

Hmm, not sure I've entirely got the hang of this ebay lark yet.  I seem to be buying more than I'm selling.  But on the plus side I've acquired a gorgeous black 1940s handbag, some diamante brooches, a fat quarter of Kaffe Fassett's mosaic fabric and three beautiful Emma Bridgewater mugs.  So overall I'm poor but happy!

Just good looking images ...

One of the great things about having a scanner is you can share images you like for - well - no other reason than you like 'em!  

   
Take this gorgeous picture.  It's from a card I was sent, and is a detail from 'Angels Dancing' by Giovanni di Paolo di Grazia.  How sumptuous are those glowing colours.  Here's another glorious shot of colour:

You could buy this book for the cover alone, couldn't you?  Let alone the gripping, beautifully written story that's a complete page turner.  Finally, another great image - I just love this bird and feathers design. 

There's something rather menacing about this book cover, don't you think? 
 
 

ebay, here I come!

I've started selling stuff on ebay.  Okay, I'm about a million years behind the rest of the world who's been selling for ages but I'm more tortoise than hare!  I've always wanted my own craft shop, and if I can't have the real thing then I'll try the virtual equivalent.  I'm going to start off with everyday clutter I need to shift, and in the meantime get my crafty stuff together.   

This apron is one of my first listings, and given the number of items listed it's difficult to see how anyone sells anything unless they specialize and aim their product at a particular market.  

 I love this bold design but just wouldn't wear the pinnie.  I'll let you know how my selling goes.  Fingers crossed. 
 
 
  

Bargains galore

I've had some great luck lately with charity shop finds.  My most amazing buy today was something I haven't taken a photo of, a gorgeous fake fur coat (or should I be fashionable and say faux fur?).  It was a bargain at £9.00 and is good as new, looks never worn.  The coat's a size 8 so I thought it might be tight on my size 12 self, but it's so roomy, I love it!  The fur (I could never wear the real thing - too gory!) is dark chocolate brown and it's by Alexon, a very classy label.  So I'm a happy bunny.  There were other good finds too. 

This white handbag was a fiver, and apart from a few little scratches and a bit of glue needed on the handle it's in good condition for a vintage bag.  I think it's probably 1950s or '60s.  The tiny evening bag is vintage looking but actually is a modern purse from Next.  It's sparkly and pristine clean, just £2.50.   Propped up behind is a virtually new copy of A S Byatt's new novel 'The Children's Book' which I had on a two for the price of one offer, just £2.50 along with Agatha Christie's 'Five Little Pigs'.  As if that wasn't enough thrifty goodness, I also picked up a couple of unused tea towels for just 79 pence each.  

The one with the funky '70s style colour scheme features jars of herbs, while the other blue and white one has a map of the British Isles and emblazoned with Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fisherman around the outside.  Finally, I picked up a kitsch Queen's Silver Jubilee mug, £2.99 which is probably more than it cost new! But the money went to the PDSA so goes to help animals in need, a worthy cause. Second hand shopping is so much more fun than buying new, isn't it?

 

Books and quilts and my new fridge freezer

Honestly, you can tell you're getting old when you get excited by a new fridge freezer being delivered, but it's here and new and shiny and ... okay, enough already.  Apart from buying too much vintage china lately - plus a lovely 1930s/40s black handbag from ebay - I've bought yet more books to add to my pile of 'things to read'.  Isabel Colegate 'The Shooting Party', Susan Hill 'A Change for the Better', a lovely bottle green Virago 'My Brilliant Career' by Miles Franklin.  Plus this great childrens book.

I had to buy it because the cover's so lovely.  It's sitting on one of my favourite pieces of patchwork, a lap quilt I made and actually got around to quilting, as opposed to it lying around half finished for months on end.  I don't know how some crafty types get to complete as much as they do.  Where do the hours come from?  There are never enough in my day ...

 

Too much china, too little shelf space

I bought yet more china the other day.  I know!  I really don't need another coffee set but this Johnson Bros china was too nice to ignore.  It was £6.00 in a charity shop - a slender coffee pot in a beautiful taupe colour, four cups and saucers, a little sugar bowl and milk jug.  Two of the cups have chips on the rims, but apart from that they're fine. 

As a lot of the stuff I've bought is tucked away in cupboards I've been trying to sort out some display space.  I can't afford to buy any shelves or cabinet at the moment, so I've been 'customizing' the kitchen.  The built-in cupboards I've got in the kitchen are incredibly old and not very interesting, so I've taken off the doors and got as far as painting one of the insides in off-white.  Add a few cup hooks and it's starting to take shape.  I wouldn't mind buying a roll of floral wallpaper and papering the back of the cupboard to give it further interest.  

At least this way I can see and appreciate what I've bought.  There's no point in hiding things away, is there? 

This picture shows the cupboard on the far right still waiting to be painted.  So, that's something to occupy me on a rainy afternoon. 
  

 

Pretty pictures and a doll WIP

I don't know about you, but the novelty of this snowy weather has worn off with me.  It was great for the first day, but after that - well, I don't like to moan, but trudging along icy pavements to and from work isn't much fun.  So here's a couple of pretty pictures for no other reason than I like 'em and they might bring a smile to your face too.  Plus a doll I'm in the middle of making. 

How gorgeous are these greens and blues?.  If I ever get to visit Loop I'll be taking an extra big shopping bag and my flexible plastic friend, Mr Credit Card.  

Now ... want to see some sheep wearing jumpers?

They were featured in Nov/Dec 07's edition of Selvedge.  Don't they look ridiculously cute?!  I want to be Bo Peep and play shepherdess to my own flock.  

Okay, what's next?  

This is a doll I'm making.  Having seen Mimi K's photos on Flickr and having had the urge for ages to make a doll but struggling to figure out what kind of doll I could sew, this is a felt one I'm halfway through.  It's gradually coming together, and is sitting on a piece of patchwork that's another WIP.  So many unfinished projects, must work harder!!