tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42980061692713107772024-03-14T08:00:30.982+00:00Ruby PatchHi, my name is Sue Gray I live with my husband and children near the coast in North East England.
I've loved sewing since I was a little girl and running Ruby Patch allows me to share my makes with others. I am a management accountant by day but in the evenings and at weekends my alter ego takes over and I'm to be found hunched over one of my sewing machines creating things.
I hope you like what you see here and would love to hear your views so get in touch. x Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-7832848886411693582016-08-26T11:43:00.000+01:002017-02-21T21:09:13.299+00:00Bespoke Visitors Book - Avon Beach B&BFollowing my last post describing my process for designing and making bespoke visitors books, I thought I would start to post information on some of the covers I have made. Partly, to show the designs off, of course, but also to promote the fabulous and beautiful houses, bed and breakfasts and hotels that I have had the pleasure of working with.<br />
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First up is <a href="http://avonbeachbandb.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Avon Beach B&B</span></a> in Chichester, Dorset. This gorgeous B&B has two double ensuite rooms with prices from £70 per night.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRdahzT6QFcrg0eVb6bkNJQoAbMTWRUjkFVM4i3iaGtHyZ-Ns9Cgtb9S8_0eJUg5WXgzZVSDk3jQfvt5Jkui39pIvRC4Uf-HBUpP7z2zNIgdG6pskuZrX5MFCOVKIHn1eVer4dJWbTO0l/s1600/Avon+Beach+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Avon Beach B&B" border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRdahzT6QFcrg0eVb6bkNJQoAbMTWRUjkFVM4i3iaGtHyZ-Ns9Cgtb9S8_0eJUg5WXgzZVSDk3jQfvt5Jkui39pIvRC4Uf-HBUpP7z2zNIgdG6pskuZrX5MFCOVKIHn1eVer4dJWbTO0l/s320/Avon+Beach+3.JPG" title="Avon Beach B&B" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbZhR3Lu43wpOfIAMgeGVfz5atfn7jgOXezAhXdtzmEegtJ3zA1-w9Hz2L7-8rL_TT1z3js4urLWl9si2jijqdD4zE7iejb9LtRkWj7ITfst3WYK0j1FbGpjn0DsQij2KZK2ela1UUChB/s1600/blue-room-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbZhR3Lu43wpOfIAMgeGVfz5atfn7jgOXezAhXdtzmEegtJ3zA1-w9Hz2L7-8rL_TT1z3js4urLWl9si2jijqdD4zE7iejb9LtRkWj7ITfst3WYK0j1FbGpjn0DsQij2KZK2ela1UUChB/s320/blue-room-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Rather than show the front of the house, the owners decided that they wanted their guest book to show the front door and their logo. <br />
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By combining these two images, they received a book which showed the warm welcome that they extend to their guests and also their brand, important for all small business owners.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tPVUOreWBfCFMsS0jm8EzEwsM6AQzIL_nynSpEQxa5N8w_6X8bjy9XQooPWyzuGV6N8c-BnKu5U7dcKXpvrDa1nMyIiH_7yfj5xiw_NzZmnN8INIzwNmhrwZfNvlWZSU4Uy9-wD-hWe8/s1600/VIS001+avon+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Personalised Visitors Book showing logo and Doorway of Avon Beach B&B" border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tPVUOreWBfCFMsS0jm8EzEwsM6AQzIL_nynSpEQxa5N8w_6X8bjy9XQooPWyzuGV6N8c-BnKu5U7dcKXpvrDa1nMyIiH_7yfj5xiw_NzZmnN8INIzwNmhrwZfNvlWZSU4Uy9-wD-hWe8/s320/VIS001+avon+beach.jpg" title="Personalised Visitors Book" width="320" /></a></div>
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Trevor and Aditi, owners of Avon Beach B&B sent me a very kind message and a couple of photos of their book taking pride of place on their reception desk.<br />
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They said "<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; line-height: 16.08px;">Thank you Ruby Patch for our amazing Visitors Book. All our guests </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; line-height: 16.08px;"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">who stay at our B&B enjoy writing their reviews in it and keep complimenting it." </span></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; line-height: 16.08px;"><i class="_1gwo" title="smile emoticon"><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><i aria-hidden="true" class="_4-k1 img sp_fM-mz8spZ1b sx_5371b4" style="background-image: url("/rsrc.php/v2/yl/r/NtxfCiWWu4q.png"); background-position: 0px -340px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: auto; display: inline-block; height: 16px; vertical-align: -3px; width: 16px;"></i></span><span aria-hidden="true" class="_skr" style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 0px;">:-)</span></i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimk1SujzsWdWuhyBqud8r18xzsVCzIx3nKVwmDQuGSGC-6vz9jyXv5jRHQijVdm5PgSRHu0M3FIP7GJsmNj6KtBjKWzaJkaZORovHYH9MCG3BC9eeKiRvW6tU09ag191U3jr9PG6-3mjX2/s1600/Avon+Beach+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Avon Beach B&B Visitors Book in Reception" border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimk1SujzsWdWuhyBqud8r18xzsVCzIx3nKVwmDQuGSGC-6vz9jyXv5jRHQijVdm5PgSRHu0M3FIP7GJsmNj6KtBjKWzaJkaZORovHYH9MCG3BC9eeKiRvW6tU09ag191U3jr9PG6-3mjX2/s320/Avon+Beach+2.jpg" title="Bespoke Visitors Book in situ" width="320" /></a></div>
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So if you would like to offer that extra bit of individuality to your B&B, holiday home or guesthouse, pop over and order a bespoke visitors book of your very own.</div>
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<a href="http://www.rubypatch.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.rubypatch.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Visit Website</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/236320802/personalised-visitors-book-unique?ref=shop_home_feat_1" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Visit Etsy Shop</span></a></div>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; line-height: 16.08px;"><i class="_1gwo" title="smile emoticon"><span aria-hidden="true" class="_skr" style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 0px;"><br /></span></i></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; line-height: 16.08px;"><i class="_1gwo" title="smile emoticon"><span aria-hidden="true" class="_skr" style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 0px;"><br /></span></i></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; line-height: 16.08px;"><i class="_1gwo" title="smile emoticon"><span aria-hidden="true" class="_skr" style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 0px;"><br /></span></i></span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; line-height: 16.08px;"><i class="_1gwo" title="smile emoticon"><span aria-hidden="true" class="_skr" style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 0px;">sFinFind my</span></i></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; line-height: 16.08px;"><i class="_1gwo" title="smile emoticon"><span aria-hidden="true" class="_skr" style="font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 0px;"><br /></span></i></span>Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-32090705671285763412016-08-20T11:21:00.001+01:002017-02-21T21:49:07.022+00:00Bespoke Visitors Books Over the last year the demand for bespoke visitors books has increased and I've been able to embroider some gorgeous properties. I really enjoy the challenge of trying to capture the character of a building in fabric and give the customer a visitors book that will enhance their holiday home, bed and breakfast or hotel.<br />
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I thought I'd share a bit about the process behind the visitors books with you. <br />
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I start with as many photographs of the property as possible, preferably from different angles. From these I produce a rough sketch adding in or taking away details that the customer has requested. In the example below, the car was removed to show the log store behind it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQW-RY7r_HjknbSYf_1r-uC_Jotab8phYGnh6S1OgjaB339aKofB9pPMevVQ4p94N0Q4RtrqbDAbhpLktT7VenTvUCwmtXFxQRwClCagvvGJS5FpgnT7UK7nGCj92iZTdlXHsDqAdvzswt/s1600/Low+Hollin+Cottage1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Front view of Low Hollin Cottage, Seathwaite in Borrowdale, Cumbria." border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQW-RY7r_HjknbSYf_1r-uC_Jotab8phYGnh6S1OgjaB339aKofB9pPMevVQ4p94N0Q4RtrqbDAbhpLktT7VenTvUCwmtXFxQRwClCagvvGJS5FpgnT7UK7nGCj92iZTdlXHsDqAdvzswt/s320/Low+Hollin+Cottage1.jpg" title="Low Hollin Cottage, Seathwaite" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhy7isIWMBYAk3HoGf1hgyRQmieAZT2TTWehwS6qe3ThKfWC_ItaARwK0A3zJXFH64jqGt9ZpwcBMkOhm9Rf4X3PtRMj6ygGFcECtd7bTixCL_DBxlWpwwbVlPZT7xu8VvuKPI_m-TFV35/s1600/Low+Hollin+Cottage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="View of Low Hollin Cottage, Seathwaite, Borrowdale, Cumbria" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhy7isIWMBYAk3HoGf1hgyRQmieAZT2TTWehwS6qe3ThKfWC_ItaARwK0A3zJXFH64jqGt9ZpwcBMkOhm9Rf4X3PtRMj6ygGFcECtd7bTixCL_DBxlWpwwbVlPZT7xu8VvuKPI_m-TFV35/s320/Low+Hollin+Cottage2.jpg" title="Low Hollin Cottage, Seathwaite" width="320" /></a></div>
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The finished sketch is then sent to the customer for approval before I begin sewing. This is useful as it ensures both that the customer is happy with the design and also that they confirm the wording is correct. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge70-Qm7rtTTjcjbdUVLj2an4p-UlMZ0sKRDyQHZygJKajZvY1gtKoa9vkOrgGocv_Ie5-bkOUU_9Nt6MYGk92FlEaMf2EXPVGHnE7TBy7KQngaJ5s-kjfnFLOygJF7HsO9aWCDO4X4mUN/s1600/Low+Hollin+Cottage3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sketch of Low Hollin Cottage for Bespoke Visitors Book" border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge70-Qm7rtTTjcjbdUVLj2an4p-UlMZ0sKRDyQHZygJKajZvY1gtKoa9vkOrgGocv_Ie5-bkOUU_9Nt6MYGk92FlEaMf2EXPVGHnE7TBy7KQngaJ5s-kjfnFLOygJF7HsO9aWCDO4X4mUN/s320/Low+Hollin+Cottage3.jpg" title="Sketch of Low Hollin Cottage, Seathwaite" width="320" /></a></div>
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The cover is then made up with linen as the background fabric with the design added in a range of cottons. The design is defined and enhanced with free motion embroidery before being made up into the cover and finished off with a bit of top stitching.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOy9__sI0tx3dg1GDkuiVLXfIKUgQUzI6d7Qx9CXK089VE9OeQuRgyEdKrUGn4ZYZmJc1Z076NYkM5mc7j1njD8hpMyMS711fQqGYRXtLdtjA-GkWjFqRGqjNzWrzgQCy4ZbROHln4ODwk/s1600/Low+Hollin+Cottage4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Low Hollin Bespoke Visitors Book" border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOy9__sI0tx3dg1GDkuiVLXfIKUgQUzI6d7Qx9CXK089VE9OeQuRgyEdKrUGn4ZYZmJc1Z076NYkM5mc7j1njD8hpMyMS711fQqGYRXtLdtjA-GkWjFqRGqjNzWrzgQCy4ZbROHln4ODwk/s320/Low+Hollin+Cottage4.jpg" title="Low Hollin Bespoke Visitors Book" width="320" /></a></div>
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So if you or someone you know has a cottage, b&b or small hotel, why not order a <a href="http://www.rubypatch.co.uk/shop/4588199595/personalised-visitors-book---unique-applique-and-embroidery-design-on-linen/10846362" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">bespoke cover</span></a> that will enhance your guests' stay.<br />
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<br />Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-54478724802664415222015-08-02T20:13:00.000+01:002015-08-02T20:13:34.982+01:00Book Review: The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The Crafter's Guide to Taking Great Photos by Heidi Adnum is a fabulous reference guide which claims to provide 'foolproof techniques to make your handmade creations shine online' and I love it! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFExynmBsDaZdeUHY0bqmbyLaXWIapdi6ZwKl6eB6Oy_bXB-22Oh6hVumj60L1E5PYTls2t4WBzAS6euHbJlBeBn18OBGTHiqVMi3EkUW3IgK7UmeJMCXMIhUaoYR4Jd9sGfIo3HCX4AzK/s1600/taking+photos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFExynmBsDaZdeUHY0bqmbyLaXWIapdi6ZwKl6eB6Oy_bXB-22Oh6hVumj60L1E5PYTls2t4WBzAS6euHbJlBeBn18OBGTHiqVMi3EkUW3IgK7UmeJMCXMIhUaoYR4Jd9sGfIo3HCX4AzK/s1600/taking+photos.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> It is a wonderful read with masses of information and (obviously) fabulous photography. I don't have an SLR camera but have still found plenty of great hints and tips. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The problem I have is not with this book but with myself as I am still rubbish at photographing my work! I think I need to put regular time aside to study the book in detail. Oh and move to a gorgeous country cottage to provide a backdrop for my new professionally shot product photos. </span>Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-43120190437508550122015-07-27T09:27:00.000+01:002017-02-19T09:51:54.695+00:00Happy Holidays - Ambleside<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">We spent last week in a gorgeous cottage in Ambleside in the Lake District and had a brilliant time. Our group consisted of my husband and I, our two girls and my parents - 3 generations to keep happy, well happyish,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">For other lovers of this area, I thought I'd share a few recommendations for places we visited.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">We booked through <a href="https://www.lakelovers.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lakelovers</a> and stayed at <a href="https://www.lakelovers.co.uk/property/fell-view/" target="_blank">Fell View</a>, a 3 bed, 2 bath cottage with a little garden. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6x0V6LPZTJD_Io6Zdhu5c9JF9bmq2hVhaol9KMSiWwNKqvjHkJKvgnE28dXzArlizENDMaa4oB3S2IVYJYsXz-1FFSqDrEObiyj2KT2TZFzCScFK7Azs1l-5moVTnA2Pfr8nt5o9RAe2P/s1600/Fell+view+ambleside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6x0V6LPZTJD_Io6Zdhu5c9JF9bmq2hVhaol9KMSiWwNKqvjHkJKvgnE28dXzArlizENDMaa4oB3S2IVYJYsXz-1FFSqDrEObiyj2KT2TZFzCScFK7Azs1l-5moVTnA2Pfr8nt5o9RAe2P/s400/Fell+view+ambleside.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">It was prettily decorated with kitchen/living area as well as a separate dining room and the general consensus was that the standard of the accommodation was high and that we'd definitely stay there again. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">The only negative for some people would be that the cottage is approximately 200m up the Kirkstone Pass and therefore the walk from the village is very steep. </span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Personally, I just felt less guilty about the amount of cake I ate at the bottom of the hill as I knew I was burning at least 3 million calories a day climbing back up! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">One of our favourite places to eat was <a href="http://stilesofambleside.co.uk/" target="_blank">Stiles</a> in Compston Road.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/StilesOfAmbleside" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBHMCvwstqudPpOXabQymv3XU6kKJRjWsNKIlVKxeCtJFTh9gWRj_osgS-QPNcTS2HSLKLOUBvye-WU8ubowDQ4V63cxvCkUrwJuUsHPkjfj8ERXiBm9YEYFCSl09qe0jjsJysiDML07I/s400/Stiles+Ambleside.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This relatively new coffee shop has a very big menu with very reasonable prices. My daughter recommends the nachos with cheese, topped with pulled pork, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and jalapenos.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Our other favourite place for cake was <a href="http://www.cafetreff.co.uk/" target="_blank">Cafe Treff</a> , right in the middle of the village in Central Buildings, a few doors down from the Post Office. Here we scientifically tried a variety of more unusual delicacies including chocolate, dandelion and burdock cake and beetroot, white chocolate and strawberry cake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Their current specialty is the white chocolate and vanilla frappe which you may want to order with something savoury as, when eaten with cake, causes sugar overload!!</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/CafeTreffAmbleside" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDa8BKIZREwSZKfy9Q91e1Qo27zUqRE3kHpQBrqYdvlFBS8i8lPkAK1bx2ESwg4km2-08w_FCI7v-2kBfGSngmP7ZlMaI5RJK2vx_1oqT_8Bl60GPYy20og3GE2Fn2Xqf1JggZu6dC2LN/s320/Cafe+Treff+-+frappe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">As I was officially on holiday, no sewing took place and, by the end of the week I was suffering real withdrawal symptoms so took to the sketchpad instead. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil53abR38wjeerExDi5Wiuq11oZ-xDuJnysIAD_1gNbBiBTtijB9DG73EHn5pzxJQhfHiFQT5mWhEpzn3F5rd4V90iV_WxUvOrUiHrBvOX0nxCcsGOsFV378ZY1fPxd-zu-fg8s_vAfKsh/s1600/2015-07-26+09.29.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil53abR38wjeerExDi5Wiuq11oZ-xDuJnysIAD_1gNbBiBTtijB9DG73EHn5pzxJQhfHiFQT5mWhEpzn3F5rd4V90iV_WxUvOrUiHrBvOX0nxCcsGOsFV378ZY1fPxd-zu-fg8s_vAfKsh/s400/2015-07-26+09.29.32.jpg" width="322" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Sadly, without a lottery win in sight, the holiday had to end but I've come back relaxed and with loads of ideas for new work.</span>Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-61371583149146842962015-07-26T09:37:00.000+01:002017-02-19T09:50:35.637+00:00Embroidery Picture - Crail Village, East Neuk of Fife<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">A couple of weeks ago I finished another landscape. This time the subject was one of the loveliest villages in Scotland - Crail in the East Neuk of Fife.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This historic fishing village is on the Fife Coastal path and hosts a wonderful food festival every summer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">If you had to name the most picturesque place in Britain, where would it be? Maybe your favourite will become my next project.</span></div>
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Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-27116391447380611722015-07-19T08:46:00.000+01:002017-02-19T09:53:08.603+00:00Summer has arrived (hopefully)<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Where has the first half of the year gone? I can't believe it's July already. At least summer seems to have finally arrived though. I just hope that we get good weather for the school holidays.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">We live on the north east coast of England and our town's main beach, Sandhaven, was recently awarded with a Blue Flag award. As we live here, I don't think we always appreciate how scenic our area is. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUDG8dm4C6hedjOQkg0V8c-WZBHA6T6bjRC8lEbhjWHBUikF_z1GNAsIiv4SH36OdX0IMIWaJI-MjNzTW9GJe4EWn844BDupushrcEIrWCBxy50AZX4xcLYF0eTZjDpctV6Fsqili-j3b/s1600/2015-05-28+14.04.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGUDG8dm4C6hedjOQkg0V8c-WZBHA6T6bjRC8lEbhjWHBUikF_z1GNAsIiv4SH36OdX0IMIWaJI-MjNzTW9GJe4EWn844BDupushrcEIrWCBxy50AZX4xcLYF0eTZjDpctV6Fsqili-j3b/s400/2015-05-28+14.04.45.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Although, at times, the sky looked a bit ominous, the sea was almost totally calm. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdrNgEbfEVzBAs5BqCkyIk2LC4E049Hslk1YlXyzQaXo8dvczvh9WXWAn22EPWA9dg_lU3DVb16tGJY44uBCxLKxphKYa06m-Y_IS4vVOfzlCZhY2lFAY3UTVOUZPU6ussTx31GYiKY-L/s1600/2015-05-28+14.04.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdrNgEbfEVzBAs5BqCkyIk2LC4E049Hslk1YlXyzQaXo8dvczvh9WXWAn22EPWA9dg_lU3DVb16tGJY44uBCxLKxphKYa06m-Y_IS4vVOfzlCZhY2lFAY3UTVOUZPU6ussTx31GYiKY-L/s400/2015-05-28+14.04.26.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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There are a number of artists and photographers who have produced some great pieces based on this beach and its surrounding area. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">One of my first landscapes was based on a scene from Sandhaven's neighbouring beach, Littlehaven and shows a view across the River Tyne with the Groyne Lighthouse in the foreground. This little lighthouse was built in 1882 and is situated at the end of a small pier that was built to prevent sand from Littlehaven Beach being swept into the river by the incoming tide.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFWTkJ_bqyPXPFD6XDfr57XI05W8jtT47I3ouTHFhqTo3FBomztxdyOjz42zgY0YlOL9UaIrNdQojYxdPMgBsoepobdMzGEVrKRdtugcunJFfI2auOA_CRvOKrRqiVNUAtGvCOuVXSjjN/s1600/wip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFWTkJ_bqyPXPFD6XDfr57XI05W8jtT47I3ouTHFhqTo3FBomztxdyOjz42zgY0YlOL9UaIrNdQojYxdPMgBsoepobdMzGEVrKRdtugcunJFfI2auOA_CRvOKrRqiVNUAtGvCOuVXSjjN/s400/wip.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">This design is available on greetings cards in my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/161205393/blank-greetings-card-showing-the-groyne?ref=shop_home_active_4" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a>. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">Keep everything crossed that the good weather continues throughout the school holidays. x</span>Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-82213824014714764312015-07-12T08:40:00.000+01:002017-02-19T09:53:57.372+00:00Embroidered Tea Cosy - St Ives House, Cornwall<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">A couple of weeks ago I received a commission from Julia, the owner of one of the most beautiful holiday cottages I've seen in a very long time.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.stiveshousestives.com/" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;" target="_blank">St Ives House</a><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"> has a spectacular harbour front position in the heart of, you've guessed it, St Ives in Cornwall. It is a boutique art house with an impressive contemporary art collection which showcases the town's local heritage.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LbnIoUosNsVyt3BLeEmybGjlORwmoXXDTTyOxnLLwczHB9fxlcRcsP7oU-udehEUPciAr7zSZs_o1PyuwhmQx8lR0K2zHTfM3URJlB236z0NisjrLuTQLzTSW13TcJBMeRiRoa31frNJ/s1600/St+Ives+House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LbnIoUosNsVyt3BLeEmybGjlORwmoXXDTTyOxnLLwczHB9fxlcRcsP7oU-udehEUPciAr7zSZs_o1PyuwhmQx8lR0K2zHTfM3URJlB236z0NisjrLuTQLzTSW13TcJBMeRiRoa31frNJ/s400/St+Ives+House.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I was extremely happy to accept Julia's request for a tea cosy to complement the decor in this stunning property. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">With her colour palette of orange, grey and teal, we came up with a design that incorporated not only the magnificent views from the house but also the signature porthole which can be seen on the front door and is the official logo for the property.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">You may be able to see that the tea cosy has a 'turn up' at the bottom. This is to allow it to fit not only a large tea pot, but also a cafetiere when it is turned down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">I would heartily recommend that you have a look at this gorgeous house if you are considering a trip to Cornwall. From the customer's point of view, there is a lovely article on <a href="http://littlegreenshedblog.co.uk/2015/05/st-ives-house/#more-8223" target="_blank">Little Green Shed Blog</a> about the blogger's family holiday at St Ives House in May 2015.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;">If you are interested in having a bespoke item designed especially for you, contact me at <a href="mailto:sue@rubypatch.co.uk">sue@rubypatch.co.uk</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><br /></span>Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-65727350803811661992015-03-28T13:55:00.000+00:002015-03-28T13:55:30.174+00:00Book Review: Applique Art by Abigail Mill<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Here's another of my favourite sewing books: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Applique-Art-Freehand-Machine-Embroidered-Pictures/dp/1844488683/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426361957&sr=8-1&keywords=abigail+mill" target="_blank">Applique Art by Abigail Mill</a>. I have admired Abigail's work for a while so, when I found out she was writing a book, I pre-ordered it. When it arrived, I was not disappointed </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It is a really beautiful book with gorgeous photographs and gives an insight into how Abigail uses colour, texture, pattern and stitching to create her unique style. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It also features step by step instructions on how to create 5 of Abigail's lovely artworks:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Shop Fronts</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Teatime Treats</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Country Gardens</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Animals</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I really enjoyed reading the section on how Abigail over-dyes fabrics, something I have never tried - yet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I would definitely recommend this book for both beginners and also more experienced Applique-ists. Even if it has nothing to teach you, it is still a charming book to read.</span><br />
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Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-2496116390046877642015-03-20T16:33:00.000+00:002015-03-20T16:33:00.085+00:00Coffee Pot Wraps vs Cosies<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It's time to deal with that old argument of Coffee pot wraps versus cosies :) . Should your weekend morning coffee be wrapped snugly in the embrace of a well fitted body warmer........</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">.......... or blanketed from top to bottom in an all encompassing cosy?</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/186096657/cafetiere-cosy-coffee-pot-cosy-cafetiere?ref=shop_home_active_14" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIVFvKi0_yhgJjgJ0OLiTFQmNYC89tunTowQ2dlyD2oQ5-s7TieWcZyZFCQzgDLRkdEWwuCjh8TpwvzLsJueJhwVQ6AvxoKmkSa-_07Hg4lR0SjIzkJo2t6KlHjB_8iSPz31bWD3P-YZr_/s1600/2014-05-03+11.53.45.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Personally, I drink instant Alta Rica in a morning but if I was brewing a big pot of 'Joe' that I wanted to last a good while, I'd go for the cosy. </span>Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-35712378583020836082015-03-15T15:23:00.000+00:002015-03-15T15:23:00.631+00:00Book Review: The Cloth, Paper, Scissors Book<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As an avid reader, I love to read all sorts of books but I have a special weakness for sewing/craft/cookery books. Although I love my Kindle and will happily read novels on it, you can't beat the feeling when you have a new illustrated book in that old fashioned medium - paper!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I thought I would start to share my thoughts on my favourite crafty books starting with <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cloth-Paper-Scissors-Book/dp/159668397X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426263064&sr=8-1&keywords=The+cloth+paper+scissors+book" target="_blank">The Cloth Paper Scissors Book by Barbara Delaney</a>. </span><br />
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Although the book is available on Amazon for £16.54, it is currently available on Stitch Craft Create for only £5.49</div>
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It is a collection of the best articles and projects from Cloth Paper Scissors magazine and features chapters on:</div>
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Although my interest is towards the fabric and stitching sections of the book, I loved all of the photography and am tempted to try some other techniques. The instructions in the projects are very well written and easy to follow. </div>
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So if you are looking for something a bit different and which also gives you the opportunity to those bits and bobs that we all save 'just in case' we can think of something to do with them, then have a look at this book.</div>
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Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-47080669284274963432015-03-13T16:03:00.001+00:002015-07-12T22:38:46.350+01:00Catch Up<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Once again, it's been a while since I last posted to this blog. The last few months have been lovely and busy for me and I have had some great orders. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">My recipe notebooks are really popular at the minute but I have to admit, I am itching to develop some new designs. Although I love making my standard designs, it does tend to get a bit tedious when I have to make a lot of the same thing in a short space of time. I do try to put a little variation in each so that each customer gets a truly individual piece but I need to start doing something different.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Today I have a day off from my day job so, after my orders are complete, I think I'll start thinking about new designs and will hopefully have something to show you soon. </span></div>
Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-60589427781245776672014-06-22T18:09:00.001+01:002015-07-12T22:38:02.110+01:00Embroidery Picture - Neals Yard, Covent Garden<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Over the past couple of years I have completed at least fifteen framed projects featuring buildings, landmarks or landscapes. So far my subjects have either been commissions such as the portrait of Yethouse in Newcastleton,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">or portraits of famous landmarks that I think will sell well as greetings cards or prints such as the North East Landmarks piece.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">A couple of weeks ago I was looking for a new subject and, as I had no commissions waiting, I decided to choose something that appealed to me just for its beauty and not just for its saleability (is that a real word?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">After a good few days on Google, I came across this blog post by <a href="http://www.thelostlondoner.com/the-lost-londoners-top-10-london-attractions/" target="_blank">The Lost Londoner</a>. In it I found Neals Yard in Covent Garden. Although I have heard of <a href="http://www.nealsyardremedies.com/" target="_blank">Neal's Yard Remedies</a> and their organic health and beauty products , I had never realised that Neal's Yard was a real place and that it was so stunningly gorgeous!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As it made me happy just to look at the vibrant colours in the photos on Google, I decided it was to be my next project. This has been my most ambitious picture to date, and it is still not completely finished, but here is my progress so far. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I'm still undecided as to what I will add in the foreground, perhaps people or more foliage but it has been a joy to do and makes me smile whenever I look at it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It's definitely on my list of places to visit next time I'm in London.</span></div>
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Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-18178780457679372862014-04-13T18:35:00.001+01:002015-07-12T22:36:56.200+01:00Applique Flower Cushion in Blues<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Today I decided to make something for myself. It's been a while since I had the time (or energy) to just make something for fun. So I thought I'd make a cushion. Here's the cushion pad, not really what you need to see but better for the big reveal photo at the end of the finished cushion !!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBnBOCMi3I9HVz0tprl0FjYcChjUOLMb03feKVZsNQQ_rNbxhHvUjRtDOYCDEAnpaTY0nSd2sgwI6kQcaz2bsgxPCtNikom6PoLd34qc3vjW5llFAHhfh0GpFKFeUREZmGDvvyFSwIlMD/s1600/2014-04-13+08.36.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBnBOCMi3I9HVz0tprl0FjYcChjUOLMb03feKVZsNQQ_rNbxhHvUjRtDOYCDEAnpaTY0nSd2sgwI6kQcaz2bsgxPCtNikom6PoLd34qc3vjW5llFAHhfh0GpFKFeUREZmGDvvyFSwIlMD/s400/2014-04-13+08.36.04.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I thought I'd share with you the thought process that goes into designing and making a Ruby Patch cushion. The first step for this particular project was my new fabric from Ikea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Their fabric sells at such good prices it is a shame not to buy some when you visit. They tend to specialise in bold, colourful prints which are great for adding interest to the back of my cushions. Today I chose the left fabric which is a botanical print in a very dark navy blue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So now I had the back of the cushion sorted, I wanted to choose a design for the front that complemented it. As a fully qualified list maker, I always find that my ideas work better if I write them down. This was the result.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Birds and butterflies were my initial idea but they were swiftly replaced by flowers. I don't usually do flowers so it was a nice change. Before finalising the design I got the fabrics out to decide which ones to use.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Although the yellows really appealed, I decided to go with blues and stay monochrome. The flowers were cut out of different blue cottons (including some denim from an old pair of jeans) and attached using bondaweb. The design was then outlined and highlighted using free motion embroidery and here is the result.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2mbsMzB2jYPHHLwTtwkP-_PPaXvX1EzcZCa68ljjdud34lNiQmfAp1Rqzs6Mwukrr_Ni54LaNMjcvpMeX39Qlr8o96JxrsAVenwjd_dTzhDRECowHqeZYgbvyenbPtRcEbP8VKkQhzTx/s1600/2014-04-13+17.58.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2mbsMzB2jYPHHLwTtwkP-_PPaXvX1EzcZCa68ljjdud34lNiQmfAp1Rqzs6Mwukrr_Ni54LaNMjcvpMeX39Qlr8o96JxrsAVenwjd_dTzhDRECowHqeZYgbvyenbPtRcEbP8VKkQhzTx/s640/2014-04-13+17.58.35.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfB_3z0tkFFGNOhTGPhbdgLrJzp1RuXeVsaSewZ-Sth8jiYEhvFVzhJoQd-UD1H1Xcsc0YjyF08zkVHBwgkKdWhNqPwFjg0-z4o5Nesvt22_vhAKCegsXDmPhk7l3SzYzbWz8KHNX5t54u/s1600/2014-04-13+17.59.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfB_3z0tkFFGNOhTGPhbdgLrJzp1RuXeVsaSewZ-Sth8jiYEhvFVzhJoQd-UD1H1Xcsc0YjyF08zkVHBwgkKdWhNqPwFjg0-z4o5Nesvt22_vhAKCegsXDmPhk7l3SzYzbWz8KHNX5t54u/s400/2014-04-13+17.59.03.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Job done. x</span></div>
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<br />Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-156163505007069072014-03-16T00:00:00.000+00:002015-07-12T22:35:57.369+01:00Embroidered Portrait - Edinburgh Castle<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Last month I completed a small portrait of Edinburgh Castle. I am determined that I will start to produce portraits of my favourite buildings and landmarks whether they have been commissioned or not. I think that there is a market for greetings cards and prints for this kind of portrait and will be investigating ways to get my artwork to develop away from just originals which are both time consuming and expensive. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">If I can supplement each piece with additional sales of other products I will be a happy bunny.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Here's the Edinburgh Castle pic.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOl7hNyirxKyqV2W1ro32kpF0x_PORmFg7kwUjX1RngUnT0kAZoVlj5vs7id4LR2FfKenQL8CvY-3zWgijAtXdeEf48zz3i5BR9eci-bN45bJ9JjfxT_8LzvcYlZGBkC6RPBqI59dIlHP7/s1600/2014-01-21+19.47.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOl7hNyirxKyqV2W1ro32kpF0x_PORmFg7kwUjX1RngUnT0kAZoVlj5vs7id4LR2FfKenQL8CvY-3zWgijAtXdeEf48zz3i5BR9eci-bN45bJ9JjfxT_8LzvcYlZGBkC6RPBqI59dIlHP7/s1600/2014-01-21+19.47.57.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">If you are interested in commissioning a picture, you can contact me at <a href="mailto:sue@rubypatch.co.uk">sue@rubypatch.co.uk</a> .</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Alternatively, I'd love some suggestions of what you think would be good future portraits. Please comment on this blog with any suggestions.</span></div>
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<br />Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-58965812908473845722014-03-09T01:00:00.000+00:002015-07-12T22:35:18.765+01:00Personalised Wedding Notebooks - Commissions for Jayne<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I was recently commissioned to make two wedding notebooks for two couples who are getting married abroad this year. One wedding was to be in Cyprus and one in Crete.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The lady who commissioned them, Jayne, is attending both and wanted to give the couples a reminder, not just of their weddings, but also of the enormous amount of planning and organisation that goes into that happy day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">My wedding notebook standard design features bride and groom outfits on the front with personalised details of the wedding eg names and dates.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOiQIqsAIL7uoBl4qvkZ8H3A_E8SMgMrxZPscK2PfAZxSoRuPw_OJiRR9ZfusQI564cn0jvQ7YnEeATA4wjXdqw3iDalktsAjPxnHmpdpkWLl6TvQJfZiyA2wqiyL18HLs-SmAOSrfyeRi/s1600/2014-01-21+19.57.36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOiQIqsAIL7uoBl4qvkZ8H3A_E8SMgMrxZPscK2PfAZxSoRuPw_OJiRR9ZfusQI564cn0jvQ7YnEeATA4wjXdqw3iDalktsAjPxnHmpdpkWLl6TvQJfZiyA2wqiyL18HLs-SmAOSrfyeRi/s640/2014-01-21+19.57.36.jpg" width="476" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> The back is a design personal to the couple. Jayne asked for maps of the islands on which the weddings will take place..</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VZyOQGjLfAA5EJ7Ga5xckNG4UJ9McdRQrfCUnqPFRG9p3DvP6XIF_jFEruIdt9xVPuAX-yUOxrFh0_r-fg-O7QWPXn8KyeGG-pe2DIb_M9cZkDSBIwS2vxl8XLGyryHq4mGHE1meqtVu/s1600/Wedding+Journal+reverse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VZyOQGjLfAA5EJ7Ga5xckNG4UJ9McdRQrfCUnqPFRG9p3DvP6XIF_jFEruIdt9xVPuAX-yUOxrFh0_r-fg-O7QWPXn8KyeGG-pe2DIb_M9cZkDSBIwS2vxl8XLGyryHq4mGHE1meqtVu/s640/Wedding+Journal+reverse.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">If you are looking for an engagement present with a difference, contact me at <a href="mailto:sue@rubypatch.co.uk">sue@rubypatch.co.uk</a> to commission your personalised wedding notebook.</span></div>
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<br />Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-18215658064125138922014-03-08T16:52:00.001+00:002015-07-12T22:34:09.847+01:00VW Beetle Ipad Mini Cosy with Personalised Design<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Recently I had a message on my Etsy shop from a lady in Columbus, Ohio who is beetle mad. Not the creepy crawly kind of beetles but the VW car type. She </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">asked if I could customise my normal VW Beetle Ipad mini cosy design to make it look like her car, Sunshine</span>.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Sunshine the VW Beetle </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">is bright yellow with a smiley face on the front and daisies scattered all over the body work.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdMtnMvQu2W-Wmmy5OYQt4tuay1BLVAI4S0YAdd-64Fx8wXk8OSN1EbXEiFbPQ-Ih8Uluniom42xPkO9keNcr7-iM0EqgXQodkxXLof3MqpQVfIGb6gihcdqzxkJ5v1l7pT7lHrfu4oee/s1600/Sunshine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOdMtnMvQu2W-Wmmy5OYQt4tuay1BLVAI4S0YAdd-64Fx8wXk8OSN1EbXEiFbPQ-Ih8Uluniom42xPkO9keNcr7-iM0EqgXQodkxXLof3MqpQVfIGb6gihcdqzxkJ5v1l7pT7lHrfu4oee/s400/Sunshine.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As my design is a front view, there was nowhere for me to feature the daisies that are all over the sides of the car. To make sure the case featured these, I covered the plain brown linen background fabric with little daisies and lined the case with a daisy design fabric too.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWW_DD7QDL7ZWjs6JitesERY1qDwlSw0N9Q9WKkelf3rtu5o-NTRjukm9f5NmnulE8ZVmEKtCdEJTWzXqjfSNIYNnWJSWE2ZvUZ0k7zMg0P23V3vMbLLZUmyTEEHRbDKpm-hklVYGaqQ6R/s1600/2014-02-23+16.20.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWW_DD7QDL7ZWjs6JitesERY1qDwlSw0N9Q9WKkelf3rtu5o-NTRjukm9f5NmnulE8ZVmEKtCdEJTWzXqjfSNIYNnWJSWE2ZvUZ0k7zMg0P23V3vMbLLZUmyTEEHRbDKpm-hklVYGaqQ6R/s400/2014-02-23+16.20.34.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazz3ePCt0jJI1N7p0kuefH33NnBVORqxTw_fKXhjzdgdPpTNQOUR2Ox8FoBh_U9HS6MAY6087Ya_5R5Aj-buGTmGaLUT6ErMWuHCWekAa_ZeoB59YhI3DD8dbPXlQ9UMAa_tSz-ySxbg_/s1600/2014-02-23+16.22.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazz3ePCt0jJI1N7p0kuefH33NnBVORqxTw_fKXhjzdgdPpTNQOUR2Ox8FoBh_U9HS6MAY6087Ya_5R5Aj-buGTmGaLUT6ErMWuHCWekAa_ZeoB59YhI3DD8dbPXlQ9UMAa_tSz-ySxbg_/s400/2014-02-23+16.22.15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">It was lovely to be able to customise my design. If you are interested in ordering a bespoke Ipad mini or Kindle cosy, contact me at <a href="mailto:sue@rubypatch.co.uk">sue@rubypatch.co.uk</a> </span></div>
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<br />Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-16666196941474456512014-03-02T01:00:00.000+00:002015-07-12T22:33:12.245+01:00Embroidered Portrait - Dalkeith House, Newcastleton<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Last week I posted a blog on the commission I completed for the owner of <a href="http://www.yethouse.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Yethouse</a> in Newcastleton. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I also completed a smaller picture of Barbara's other holiday property, <a href="http://www.dalkeith-house.com/" target="_blank">Dalkeith House</a>. This is a much bigger house, licensed for wedding ceremonies and is situated right in the middle of the village. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Here's my interpretation from a slightly different angle (and without the car in front)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfvm100XKxbCTnqvIX98YNoZ1DfDLz3qje5-GIDiwCQhIVwTzL6werILbbDObFoqIfB784wdqwcEerqq7lJUXAvGvJ8q251mcoexfZhjPa0GvBuayOrS5YhxvTg9E30B_tifiHUzCI1m3/s1600/2014-01-19+20.04.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfvm100XKxbCTnqvIX98YNoZ1DfDLz3qje5-GIDiwCQhIVwTzL6werILbbDObFoqIfB784wdqwcEerqq7lJUXAvGvJ8q251mcoexfZhjPa0GvBuayOrS5YhxvTg9E30B_tifiHUzCI1m3/s1600/2014-01-19+20.04.41.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">And here's the final framed picture</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrxs3hVnWtEAwweayHdZRk8MaWbjg_90pWaNiFz6JkHL9kld1HG1PE3FV6-_aVX1uDJf0yeERA2tKn4HWYN2Kul8o4ZX2MtH15FRWfSklIbeCiqBznMLh381KwU6LzknvIWscnStc40g3/s1600/2014-01-21+19.39.33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrxs3hVnWtEAwweayHdZRk8MaWbjg_90pWaNiFz6JkHL9kld1HG1PE3FV6-_aVX1uDJf0yeERA2tKn4HWYN2Kul8o4ZX2MtH15FRWfSklIbeCiqBznMLh381KwU6LzknvIWscnStc40g3/s1600/2014-01-21+19.39.33.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">If you would like to commission a portrait of a building, landmark or favourite scene, contact me at <a href="mailto:sue@rubypatch.co.uk">sue@rubypatch.co.uk</a> . They are perfect as a housewarming or birthday gift and are also popular for weddings or christenings, creating a family heirloom of the future. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Commissioned pictures can be personalised to show the name of the building or special names and dates.</span></div>
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<br />Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-52816611048179512092014-02-23T01:00:00.000+00:002015-07-12T22:32:13.584+01:00Embroidered Portrait - The Yethouse, Newcastleton<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Last summer we went on holiday to the Scottish Borders and stayed in a gorgeous farmhouse called <a href="http://www.yethouse.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Yethouse</a>. Owned by a lovely lady called Barbara who lives next door it had the best standard of accommodation and furnishings we have experienced in a long, long time. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgb-fJMU1u94gDjNaRur_BuV61fu42gQOVnhmFMWtMdn_ObvyyUwWNJHU66xndivwtXaxVmebWQswSi9JrC7byvMYIKlOLYcN1o1yIRNLrk0XMqBUxZovVAMdVJFuihyXBDbb4HY_Q85l/s1600/Yethouse+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgb-fJMU1u94gDjNaRur_BuV61fu42gQOVnhmFMWtMdn_ObvyyUwWNJHU66xndivwtXaxVmebWQswSi9JrC7byvMYIKlOLYcN1o1yIRNLrk0XMqBUxZovVAMdVJFuihyXBDbb4HY_Q85l/s1600/Yethouse+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Remotely set but within walking distance of the village, the house is right next to the<a href="http://www.7stanesmountainbiking.com/" target="_blank"> Seven Stanes mountain bike trails</a> and also a <a href="http://adventures.rockuk.org/centres/whithaugh-park" target="_blank">Rock UK centre</a> offering a wide range of outdoor activities for all members of the family.</span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">On returning from our lovely holiday, I completed a commissioned picture of the photo above and this was the result:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4pWjQ_RmQDW1jVfnrzWB75cdYT_8SknNkN-dcSDdRTx7Pa6yghoS6XAo25exLKPmMKjsSpfe2j_Mk1NiX5vGAw0F0oJixZtmfkcbI_Qy_eBAbyGPdW2tMxcoX3AGTR7AhoQQD3WWnVUb/s1600/Yethouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4pWjQ_RmQDW1jVfnrzWB75cdYT_8SknNkN-dcSDdRTx7Pa6yghoS6XAo25exLKPmMKjsSpfe2j_Mk1NiX5vGAw0F0oJixZtmfkcbI_Qy_eBAbyGPdW2tMxcoX3AGTR7AhoQQD3WWnVUb/s1600/Yethouse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Barbara's was delighted with the picture and it is now hanging in the Yethouse for visitors to see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">If you are interested in commissioning a portrait of your home, favourite building or landmark, please contact me at <a href="mailto:sue@rubypatch.co.uk">sue@rubypatch.co.uk</a> .</span><br />
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Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-83389242108198318482014-02-15T12:12:00.003+00:002015-07-12T22:31:01.821+01:00Embroidered Notebooks - Lots of stuff posted very late!<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Once again I have been guilty of neglecting my blog. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">No excuses, straight onto news!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In the last few months I have been changing my products, introducing new ones and removing some old ones. Over the last year it has become obvious that my most popular ranges are the notebooks and framed pictures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I have therefore been concentrating on these and phasing out some of the less popular (and smaller) items. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Here's a little collage of my most recent notebooks. I'll post more about them and in more detail later.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YcYAQIDZc4Gcr7qq9Wv9Yi6eqtKhda8BnDPd7mgNxUtz3UZksvabyWa8f6d6r74cPrJIOk-WSheXPkuZdGHg3HaYahxDnWUGmn661UwD-HBWdrf0qoVmyhYG5UnERxmH_bLqVcxO5DBf/s1600/Fotor0104133448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2YcYAQIDZc4Gcr7qq9Wv9Yi6eqtKhda8BnDPd7mgNxUtz3UZksvabyWa8f6d6r74cPrJIOk-WSheXPkuZdGHg3HaYahxDnWUGmn661UwD-HBWdrf0qoVmyhYG5UnERxmH_bLqVcxO5DBf/s1600/Fotor0104133448.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Many of my notebook designs are bespoke. They allow me to product new original designs and this keeps me interested and also gives me the patience to produce my standard lines (gardening, recipes, sewing and travel) without getting too bored!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">You can find my notebooks and artwork for sale via my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RubyPatch" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a> , <a href="http://www.rubypatch.co.uk/" target="_blank">my website</a> or on <a href="http://makethemostof.co.uk/sellers/shop-by-seller/sue-gray" target="_blank">Make the Most of</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Alternatively, if you would like to discuss a bespoke design or would just like to order direct, please email me at <a href="mailto:sue@rubypatch.co.uk">sue@rubypatch.co.uk</a> </span></div>
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Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-90059888420805255572013-09-12T20:24:00.002+01:002015-07-12T22:30:11.303+01:00New Textile Art Pictures - Tobermory and Saltburn Pier<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Since my last post, I have been concentrating on producing embroidered landscapes. After a holiday in the Lakes and Scotland, I was inspired by the fantastic scenery and my first picture, on my return, was the harbour at Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. For those with kids, you will recognise it as Balamory!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAL88A2SXIhrcV62Ql3XOhmRIspKexav6JUUekJ-P0C_RmYQ0xi4PdHGDI1ssKyq4CyXsZdIZZgzD___iAa_lyj1oKnilRIM-7OZNLinZtOzD1RK-dXGLavyWhgjOVK5pNTyXTHlj5jauM/s1600/Tobermory+square+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAL88A2SXIhrcV62Ql3XOhmRIspKexav6JUUekJ-P0C_RmYQ0xi4PdHGDI1ssKyq4CyXsZdIZZgzD___iAa_lyj1oKnilRIM-7OZNLinZtOzD1RK-dXGLavyWhgjOVK5pNTyXTHlj5jauM/s400/Tobermory+square+crop.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This one was fun to do but the windows took ages. I thought the reflections worked well and will use this again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">After Tobermory I received a commission to do a view of Saltburn pier, Huntscliff and the funicular railway.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This was to remind the customer of happy days in childhood so the responsibility was huge. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKt2BkqOgIVTGaUyndzyxGNgU0ekb_UscQ2tu5TbiNzx1p5yOoAQGr0AJcSSByYj0IjDxcF92jzTgXrHAzIVH0-qREcwOxksxQcvqtAzAx3aN19k27beNOA6-NHO31MnNpAnuUaucm8jNb/s1600/2012-12-12+02.46.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKt2BkqOgIVTGaUyndzyxGNgU0ekb_UscQ2tu5TbiNzx1p5yOoAQGr0AJcSSByYj0IjDxcF92jzTgXrHAzIVH0-qREcwOxksxQcvqtAzAx3aN19k27beNOA6-NHO31MnNpAnuUaucm8jNb/s400/2012-12-12+02.46.20.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I have so many ideas for other scenes and I'm really looking forward to creating more.</span></div>
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<br />Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-4160183763674759072013-08-02T16:00:00.000+01:002015-07-12T22:29:29.393+01:00Animal Brooches <span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This week I had some great news. A fabulous shop in the Lake District has agreed to stock some of my brooches. As I started to produce their order, I thought it would be a good idea to document the brooch making process for this blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The first step is to produce a pencil drawing to scale of the design. The owl is really a very simple outline.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Each piece of the design is then traced onto bondaweb. This is basically tracing paper with a fine layer of adhesive on one side. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzPUmD3TV_GcnZGbG736qTz1rJBiZUUUv-pmgLRIIE1JNjm8VT7AKCEIrCrxYdVk9M9I15Nk9MTTP7oKXWX6kgXE4XDkKqxO5RuZjvfILv558_mtotLQePV6n2BWE4JgnV7KiRb2fSgUW/s1600/2013-06-27+18.30.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzPUmD3TV_GcnZGbG736qTz1rJBiZUUUv-pmgLRIIE1JNjm8VT7AKCEIrCrxYdVk9M9I15Nk9MTTP7oKXWX6kgXE4XDkKqxO5RuZjvfILv558_mtotLQePV6n2BWE4JgnV7KiRb2fSgUW/s400/2013-06-27+18.30.48.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As you can see, the body of the owl is one piece, the eyes another and the beak a third. The final piece (not shown here) is the feet. The adhesive on the bondaweb is activated once the tracing paper has heat applied to it by ironing it onto the wrong side of the fabric that is to make up the design.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">After selecting the fabric to be used for each element of the brooch, the bondaweb is ironed onto the wrong side.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmba09ufLXTfSsBP4S9ZkY3MQnl7yQH40FcyrgSzu0v6TrvkAA8AvpCzm37HMz3YdC1iDJe-gxt-CD9nSPUkAs0f3ban-w6cQVMTIN3XWjfyakOpnD-iIjUgk_ZIwmD-6hBjv4pHp8kJ7l/s1600/2013-06-27+18.33.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmba09ufLXTfSsBP4S9ZkY3MQnl7yQH40FcyrgSzu0v6TrvkAA8AvpCzm37HMz3YdC1iDJe-gxt-CD9nSPUkAs0f3ban-w6cQVMTIN3XWjfyakOpnD-iIjUgk_ZIwmD-6hBjv4pHp8kJ7l/s400/2013-06-27+18.33.50.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The shapes are then carefully cut out to leave a pile of bits of owl!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The tracing paper is peeled away to leave the elements of the owl design which now have an adhesive layer on the back. These are arranged on a thick canvas fabric and ironed into place, slowly building up the layers of the design.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-CHl4MGO3eIvVGrR_PiV5Xx5LXskwVEdbC_cBYAPY0KzYTgJzOat3s04Ib0mLqmheBtagVB5aDircY4_pLlwvY1HXCCxU8nFkOQuWGmrmma0MhdW8fSk5TUgnWR_JZVWPZ2KkhipVQT-/s1600/2013-06-27+19.01.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-CHl4MGO3eIvVGrR_PiV5Xx5LXskwVEdbC_cBYAPY0KzYTgJzOat3s04Ib0mLqmheBtagVB5aDircY4_pLlwvY1HXCCxU8nFkOQuWGmrmma0MhdW8fSk5TUgnWR_JZVWPZ2KkhipVQT-/s320/2013-06-27+19.01.09.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzSARuCgob84tA9Q_CX5mHtUhhVv_ZR9EmV_Mukrpvf-VpAAgl69oJyIVjahrs0Jd_zv3H_tG-xpE7n1B_Y_eMcr7abh0QA08bQXZ7kigJjcmMsoG6Zm4vTbCeXRKRL6wR3soy1gjyTjA/s1600/2013-06-27+19.05.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQzSARuCgob84tA9Q_CX5mHtUhhVv_ZR9EmV_Mukrpvf-VpAAgl69oJyIVjahrs0Jd_zv3H_tG-xpE7n1B_Y_eMcr7abh0QA08bQXZ7kigJjcmMsoG6Zm4vTbCeXRKRL6wR3soy1gjyTjA/s320/2013-06-27+19.05.01.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiygRTiGn_AYEjJCLIN0XFKA_JXj9BZna5nGmdfMW2OgjXjzIC9ZXKSua0QMiH3mITb-opojZmMHfUZCR5ezdVsRnhmOGTV82qSfZKti8NbaW26F5yR74lIYGjiGx7SsW9xUua4gJQdsrq/s1600/2013-06-27+19.15.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiygRTiGn_AYEjJCLIN0XFKA_JXj9BZna5nGmdfMW2OgjXjzIC9ZXKSua0QMiH3mITb-opojZmMHfUZCR5ezdVsRnhmOGTV82qSfZKti8NbaW26F5yR74lIYGjiGx7SsW9xUua4gJQdsrq/s320/2013-06-27+19.15.08.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Now is the best part. Time to embroider. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The embroidery is done on a sewing machine using a darning foot and with the feed dogs dropped. I usually use black thread to make the design stand out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Once the embroidery is complete, the brooches are cut out, backed with felt and have a brooch pin added. The finished product is quite cute if I say so myself!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZIgbNUUDy1zrIqHXHDshUTs-BoLfqjFDuZ0yPUeArzpIr-Pjos3Zk9R0Z-3DDMCiEBJjRz-297BkHwxu1H7eqJDYXUOWfCRHGJhRL1MwLDA0qz4SBW9Nn3VTuhgLEa_e_wkI_aeRqdLQ/s1600/Owl+brooch+closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZIgbNUUDy1zrIqHXHDshUTs-BoLfqjFDuZ0yPUeArzpIr-Pjos3Zk9R0Z-3DDMCiEBJjRz-297BkHwxu1H7eqJDYXUOWfCRHGJhRL1MwLDA0qz4SBW9Nn3VTuhgLEa_e_wkI_aeRqdLQ/s320/Owl+brooch+closeup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">And here's the other design I have supplied to the shop.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHwgsKfnd7iYJLW0QdIkTkcgbt-M0k0DpNJA11BhUvjSzgbkph-lBLqGjK927ImQnOWtQQe8pTIY_nebhQmvtQcofyoVytk1OWzeUS3-1hwgBGV0N6UW-1dZMXkkLcfRpyfCspKrejvVj/s1600/highland+cow+closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHwgsKfnd7iYJLW0QdIkTkcgbt-M0k0DpNJA11BhUvjSzgbkph-lBLqGjK927ImQnOWtQQe8pTIY_nebhQmvtQcofyoVytk1OWzeUS3-1hwgBGV0N6UW-1dZMXkkLcfRpyfCspKrejvVj/s320/highland+cow+closeup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-85888119187695115832013-07-26T13:17:00.001+01:002015-07-12T22:28:35.280+01:00North East Landmarks<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This week I have been on holiday from the day job to spend time with the kids and to do a bit of sewing too. As we have been out and about, I have been trying to look at views and landmarks from the perspective of whether I could produce a textile picture from them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The first piece I did was a general amalgamation of a number of landmarks - the ones that I think make this area identifiable. I produced a 12" x 10" picture which I have been extremely lucky to sell straight away. It will be mounted this weekend and then posted to its new home in Stockton-on-Tees.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8WVVygn4AQff-NVhX5MXGCCjMd-yRsqLmyPACBDp8Y201bW64pimVp9bzPKxApWZaj0-MB405j4QXtMDBU7MGHBOzjlFnRgvHbxKnVYBgGLHTMRAC4QbBro4YGoM2VHb9Sn32olH7Uaw/s1600/cropped+landmarks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8WVVygn4AQff-NVhX5MXGCCjMd-yRsqLmyPACBDp8Y201bW64pimVp9bzPKxApWZaj0-MB405j4QXtMDBU7MGHBOzjlFnRgvHbxKnVYBgGLHTMRAC4QbBro4YGoM2VHb9Sn32olH7Uaw/s640/cropped+landmarks.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I am quite happy with how it turned out and will hopefully get some high quality photos before it is posted off so that I can get some greetings cards printed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">A few days ago, my youngest daughter and I went out for lunch at the coast and took this photo.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVr-9z3coGlHugMbrdyL4TwHvFsSBl4JFjvQxZ_vXSxp14xWeXJxqd6mw3FoDNy3-b9xZxmDDKhsV9WvMSzV-jFJVeffP1YHXwVOgRmPIftDeHf6GZOXUi_GG2zwg8uJd22nzPZmNBJZ0f/s1600/2013-07-22+12.53.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVr-9z3coGlHugMbrdyL4TwHvFsSBl4JFjvQxZ_vXSxp14xWeXJxqd6mw3FoDNy3-b9xZxmDDKhsV9WvMSzV-jFJVeffP1YHXwVOgRmPIftDeHf6GZOXUi_GG2zwg8uJd22nzPZmNBJZ0f/s320/2013-07-22+12.53.18.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Although the light wasn't great I thought this was a great subject for a new picture. I finished this one yesterday and am quite pleased with the result.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97HgaTzAvig228UTBBWxTX58oG80rQIvPDP5DjbHEPtW65pGhqSBNedRkqNPOSQjv5cqPGo25SWAIhiq-Q0nEKozO7DJmf84vx2jsKZm_3S6XkECuPtJ-xvEmHrRUXSXS8RbozEKyZ2gP/s1600/wip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi97HgaTzAvig228UTBBWxTX58oG80rQIvPDP5DjbHEPtW65pGhqSBNedRkqNPOSQjv5cqPGo25SWAIhiq-Q0nEKozO7DJmf84vx2jsKZm_3S6XkECuPtJ-xvEmHrRUXSXS8RbozEKyZ2gP/s640/wip.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This one has a lot less patterned material so that you can see the stitching. I also consciously used coordinating thread colours rather than my usual black and am pleased with the result.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-48776136964675032022013-07-20T17:46:00.002+01:002015-07-12T22:28:11.576+01:00Etsy Shops<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Today I thought I'd do a post about Etsy. Although I have known about it for some time, those who are not crafters seem to be relatively unaware of it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I opened my shop, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/rubypatch">Ruby Patch</a>, in August 2012 and have had between 5 and 15 items up for sale for most of that time. To date I have had a total of 4 sales! Not a great outcome for the period of time I have had the shop, but when you compare the cost of putting the items up for sale, the minimal effort it takes to do the admin and the subsequent income earned, I have had a good return.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I have spent approximately £10 in fees for £100 of sales which isn't too bad in my opinion. If only I could get more sales though. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I have therefore decided to invest some time and effort in my Etsy shop and will share my experiences with you in future posts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">My first improvements were completed today and consisted of:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><u>Designing an eyecatching banner</u></b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Your shop's banner should catch customer's attention and make them want to see more. Here is my original banner - a plain reflection of my logo and name.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq0vtnlU0KLjtYaY13uZQF_v__qDRmqSV2Drg5-jR2Dbxf2DCwxDkHU3_sYlLIlnB6Of6xUArqeOZ_p2iZxzlra82ozRIU8C0iYVPtOElJAKa1OVsuMz-dyYHtdUM3MnU62k417zile1Dy/s1600/Etsy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq0vtnlU0KLjtYaY13uZQF_v__qDRmqSV2Drg5-jR2Dbxf2DCwxDkHU3_sYlLIlnB6Of6xUArqeOZ_p2iZxzlra82ozRIU8C0iYVPtOElJAKa1OVsuMz-dyYHtdUM3MnU62k417zile1Dy/s320/Etsy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Although it reflects most of my branding well, I have changed it as I felt it was leaving too much of the banner blank white. Here's my new banner.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyVHC6mZNaiBgQvQXlb-fv_ZteYoO65z-hCLWTIY8L1LuiW6sObFKVACTp2BdP_O9D7AMnr0nE1yB81uBPcVPxxphchbrEVM-wH_5NdK0rnTsiJtw_ohGzpmWY9GnBof0DFRpoOvG2Dun/s1600/new+etsy+banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="42" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyVHC6mZNaiBgQvQXlb-fv_ZteYoO65z-hCLWTIY8L1LuiW6sObFKVACTp2BdP_O9D7AMnr0nE1yB81uBPcVPxxphchbrEVM-wH_5NdK0rnTsiJtw_ohGzpmWY9GnBof0DFRpoOvG2Dun/s320/new+etsy+banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I don't imagine that this will make too much of a difference, but it looks more balanced on the page.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><u>Standardisation of Photography</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Last month I did a lot of work re-photographing my products inside of a whitewashed wooden crate. I uploaded these photos to my website but hadn't got round to doing this on Etsy. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifshPRjABJRE6nBhkK2zHkZDlAAexZeKuaazBRYRx4ZJaxAd-fa4lY_qxH1byBH7lsJMCw8O4IomXvbc6FvhSRMWPpv_MkMcBoA8TjFwCpIi2XRJRvNXGmnahrexCG6rYAw11sOTKlSsA9/s1600/2012-09-04+17.31.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifshPRjABJRE6nBhkK2zHkZDlAAexZeKuaazBRYRx4ZJaxAd-fa4lY_qxH1byBH7lsJMCw8O4IomXvbc6FvhSRMWPpv_MkMcBoA8TjFwCpIi2XRJRvNXGmnahrexCG6rYAw11sOTKlSsA9/s640/2012-09-04+17.31.40.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Photo of Travel Journal</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Unfortunately, I then discovered that plain backgrounds are more likely to get your products included in treasuries as they will blend well with other people's products if all of the backgrounds are similar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Personally I like the first version, but am willing to try the plain approach to see if it affects sales.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><u>Uploading More Products</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I am adding a lot more products, the total is currently standing at 29, and intend to add even more. As it only costs $0.20 to list an item, it seems silly not to have had everything on here from the start. After all, people are never going to buy products that aren't being advertised as being for sale are they?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><u>Joining Teams</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As with most other selling platforms, Etsy has very active seller groups, called Teams. I have joined a few and will try networking on here for a while to see if this has any effect. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So that's been today's progress. I will update on any other adjustments I make and also on the astronomical increase in sales as a result!! :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> </span>Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-81502777552674803542013-06-22T11:46:00.001+01:002015-07-12T22:26:37.974+01:00Additional Notebook Designs<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I thought it was about time I posted an update on what I've been getting up to lately. After developing the range of notebooks I have posted about previously, I have been asked for a number of custom designs too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">At a craft fair recently, a lady asked me if I would design an A6 notebook cover so that she could record her grandson Tiaan's speech development. As she provides child care for him, his parents were keen for her to keep a record of the new words and phrases he learned in their absence. I thought this was a lovely idea and would make a great keepsake. Here's the finished item.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVYTGqUXu-hYYY5H61Ilg9wGmekhUboNFroVuv8oeSsXX5ttfiywnrwdsAQca7nqvGhAYOa6ukAJq_VTPeFXfvxAwftRJGtUK0toHb04kGPDHXtw8mARErdbQ1HLLmbDYECc1ANcjwwMu/s1600/2012-09-04+22.38.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVYTGqUXu-hYYY5H61Ilg9wGmekhUboNFroVuv8oeSsXX5ttfiywnrwdsAQca7nqvGhAYOa6ukAJq_VTPeFXfvxAwftRJGtUK0toHb04kGPDHXtw8mARErdbQ1HLLmbDYECc1ANcjwwMu/s640/2012-09-04+22.38.09.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXFo3OQlye7Z8sLsjiq5k6Pwh9auRd_LLc0twBA5ASjXI71JoMi3S6EDC1Nc9yCLCXYkCGPyC0Ygwwicm4SpwDlLdDp3niFuOi_zGKXj4jTNTQz0f2kSYZLPuIrCwtZw7B_CGh10Zd6yO/s1600/2012-09-04+22.38.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAXFo3OQlye7Z8sLsjiq5k6Pwh9auRd_LLc0twBA5ASjXI71JoMi3S6EDC1Nc9yCLCXYkCGPyC0Ygwwicm4SpwDlLdDp3niFuOi_zGKXj4jTNTQz0f2kSYZLPuIrCwtZw7B_CGh10Zd6yO/s400/2012-09-04+22.38.48.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I have also designed some customised A5 notebook covers for teacher's gifts. My niece is leaving middle school this summer and wanted special gifts for her two teachers. I was pleased with the results but they were completely unique to the individual and therefore some of the motifs will not make sense to people that don't know them.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGih4P3OxGRqZ_MxJhyqjEujsbDA5vWuISnpVpR1cynHhBBlrNv9_8pnKOjZ2vvbklvoGa5bJHAVl4vKoMC9stMPwQgTc8SaVfwWnmBkfwGJgnCz-2-LC-KfV3TcrHBkYmgmGeKBfJ8Xh/s1600/2013-06-02+16.13.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGih4P3OxGRqZ_MxJhyqjEujsbDA5vWuISnpVpR1cynHhBBlrNv9_8pnKOjZ2vvbklvoGa5bJHAVl4vKoMC9stMPwQgTc8SaVfwWnmBkfwGJgnCz-2-LC-KfV3TcrHBkYmgmGeKBfJ8Xh/s400/2013-06-02+16.13.01.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJP0daJIdtusl1tll7UzgwZT6HC4ro62ORZhSwScLrBdsHeG__rzZOp3KRUKQZ2ZsklnU-42DSgG_NQlhy74m5D_EykSr8FR3661Nfsr467N9pJf8QGEDJ4qd3wpkpePf4BaFyzGYiTV6I/s1600/2013-06-02+16.12.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJP0daJIdtusl1tll7UzgwZT6HC4ro62ORZhSwScLrBdsHeG__rzZOp3KRUKQZ2ZsklnU-42DSgG_NQlhy74m5D_EykSr8FR3661Nfsr467N9pJf8QGEDJ4qd3wpkpePf4BaFyzGYiTV6I/s400/2013-06-02+16.12.51.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Who knows what notebooks designs will be next..... Well it is possible that one might be entitled 'Soapy Notes'. My friend Deborah, who owns Peculiar People soap and beauty products wants a notebook to reflect the soap making process. That will definitely be a challenge!</span>Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4298006169271310777.post-1268046899860986872013-04-27T16:45:00.000+01:002015-07-12T22:23:41.381+01:00Journals<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">My new range of journals and notebooks is now half complete. I have designed and made four of them so far and I am really pleased with them. There will be another four to complete the range but they are still 'in development'.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Although I have made notebook covers before, they had covers that were based on a very simple applique design. This time I approached it differently. The cover designs the purpose of the notebook/journal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The first is a recipe notebook. It features a kitchen scene with a cupboard and an aga.</span><br />
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<a href="http://rubypatch.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/recipe-notebook-back.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img alt="Recipe notebook Back" class="size-medium wp-image-286 alignright" src="http://rubypatch.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/recipe-notebook-back.jpg?w=276" height="320" width="294" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The second design is my favourite as it is a sewing notebook based on my own workstation. My sewing machine isn't actually flowery but other than that, the design is quite faithful to the original!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://rubypatch.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/sewing-notebook-front-3.jpg"><img alt="Sewing Notebook Front 3" class="size-medium wp-image-289 alignleft" src="http://rubypatch.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/sewing-notebook-front-3.jpg?w=278" height="300" width="278" /></a> <a href="http://rubypatch.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/sewing-notebook-back.jpg"><img alt="Sewing Notebook Back" class="size-medium wp-image-288 alignright" src="http://rubypatch.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/sewing-notebook-back.jpg?w=300" height="279" width="300" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The third design is a travel journal. It is quite a feminine design with a sun hat on a deckchair next to a cool drink on a little table. One of the designs I will be working on soon will be a more masculine travel journal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://rubypatch.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/travel-journal-front.jpg"><img alt="Travel Journal Front" class="size-medium wp-image-291 alignleft" src="http://rubypatch.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/travel-journal-front.jpg?w=300" height="286" width="300" /></a> <a href="http://rubypatch.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/travel-journal-back.jpg"><img alt="Travel Journal Back" class="size-medium wp-image-290 alignright" src="http://rubypatch.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/travel-journal-back.jpg?w=287" height="300" width="287" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">And the final design so far is a gardening notebook. I wasn't sure of this design at first but it has really grown on me and is now possibly my favourite so far.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://rubypatch.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/gardening-notebook.jpg"><img alt="Gardening Notebook" class="size-medium wp-image-285 alignleft" src="http://rubypatch.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/gardening-notebook.jpg?w=274" height="300" width="274" /></a> <a href="http://rubypatch.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/gardening-notebook-back.jpg"><img alt="Gardening Notebook back" class="size-medium wp-image-284 alignright" src="http://rubypatch.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/gardening-notebook-back.jpg?w=300" height="300" width="300" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The notebook covers are all A5 size and I supply them with a hardback lined notebook. They are for sale on the <a href="http://makethemostof.co.uk/artisans/sue-gray" target="_blank">Make the Most of</a> website and in my Etsy shop <a href="http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/rubypatch">www.etsy.com/uk/shop/rubypatch</a></span>Ruby Patchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03234067640182127051noreply@blogger.com0