Loving the snow!

I am loving the snow! It meant I got back to my workshop earlier than planned today and I have managed to get the new frame purse instructions processed. As always I am relying on the editor (yes, Rob) to check it all through!
I have also been cutting out more Dotty kits tonight. I was trying to work out why they took so long to put together - look at the photo - there is tons of stuff in it all in different pieces! Hey at least the recipients of these yummy kits will know they were put together with a hell of a lot of love!
Back to the snow - how strange is it to get snow in November? No doubt just like where you are it hasn't stopped all day. Debs assures me that the flakes were falling at 1.7 metres per second - can you tell she is an engineer?! I have no idea how fast they were falling but there gazillions of them.Ok well it's time to get back to the cutting table....
Keep crafting my beautiful snow angels!
love janie xxxxxx

Did you know?.................

Men wore bags until the internal pocket was invented? Of course now that they have internal pockets they shove their hands in them and their junk in our bags to lug around!!! Happy Days...
Happy crafting xxxx

Call Me Dotty - Make your own makeup bag!http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ruby-Summer-Bag-Making-Kit-Aqua-Black-/330501969944?pt=UK_Crafts_SewingPatterns_EH&hash=item4cf373d818

Ruby Summer kit launched!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is bigger news than anything on X factor or the forthcoming royal nuptials!
The first Ruby Summer kit "Call me Dotty" has been launched - I am sooo excited. After months of planning they are here with lots of other designs to follow!
The first kit makes a divine makeup bag/clutch/pencil case. It has everything you need including very high quality Moda fabric (no cheap poly cottons here!) and fabulous full colour instructions for you to make a really professional looking bag.I loved designing it and choosing the fabrics and I hope you love it as much as I do.
There will be more dotty bags in different colourways and fabric patterns as well as a few more in the current colourway. If you want more than available on ebay please email me via contact@rubysummer.co.uk
I am busy writing pattern instructions this week for cute coin purses so expect them to be available very soon - yay!
I have looked at many selling outlets during my "planning phase" and have decided that ebay is a very safe purchasing environment that allows me to keep my costs down and hence the final selling price down.
To locate this yummy kit please cut and paste the following in your browser: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ruby-Summer-Bag-Making-Kit-Aqua-Black-/330501969944?pt=UK_Crafts_SewingPatterns_EH&hash=item4cf373d818

Once you have made yours up please send me a piccie of your gorgeous creation!

Happy crafting my darlings xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Just a quicky - oo-er missus!

Just a quick posting tonight as I have a much bigger posting to put up in the week - yay!
This week has been not so good - damned viruses etc have laid me low for most of the week. Am feeling a lot better today and have even ventured out into the cold, ooooh I am so brave. My poor darling daughter wrote her car off yesterday. Luckily she is relatively unscathed but emotinally it has really got to her. Kate we love you xxxx
I have been editing and re-editing the "Call Me Dotty" pattern instructions. My editor (okay, Rob) is doing the final checks for me tomorrow. I am pretty certain I am doing more pre-launch checks than NASA when sending a rocket in to space! Guess it is the lawyer in me. (No rude jokes there please!)
Have also been working on the pattern for the new coin purse kit. Nicks and Sparkles already have a version of the finished product but there will be some changes in the gusset area - hahaha.
Will be sending out a bigger post in the week as promised.
Stay crafty................love Janie xx

The bag lady writes.....!

Hello out there how are you all this week? Have your houses stayed standing or more to the point did you when you braved it outside in the biting winds?
Right now I am keeping warm in front of the fire, Rob is still outside in the garden insulating his office and Beast is out with friends. So here I am with a golden opportunity to catch up with you all!
So the bag lady has been busy! Three different really useful zip top bags in different sizes with different finishes. They are fully lined with the most gorj fabrics - I loooooooooooooove them! They aren't too difficult to put together and the "Call me Dotty" bag, an original Ruby Summer pattern, will be available as a kit for all you crafty people very soon.They are a fab sewing project giving you an original accessory with a squillion uses.I have a friend who is sending them out to California as Christmas gifts! I plan to use mine as a clutch and then it will be my new makeup bag after the party season is over. My sister uses her to put her "nursing bits" in and Mum has one that she keeps her meds in within her handbag so she keeps organised. What will you use yours for?
I hope you love the piccies and the minute the kits are launched officially you will be the first to know! I am expecting to follow these with framepurses inthe new year!
Stay warm, stay upright and stay crafty!
Loads of love Janie xxxxx

Bums!

Bums? whats that got to do with bags?
I went to the Spirit of Christmas at Olympia yeaterday on a reccee to checkout the competition! There was just the best stand there called Twisted Twee.They were so refreshing - there was an awful lot of extremely pretty samey stuff there. Amongst some very funny stuff were some hideous Y fronts with pics of various politicians on the back. The owner (what an adorable woman)explained that the Gordon Brown ones had his mouth fittingly placed to lay over your ******* when worn!!!! good one!
I picked up some interesting promo materials yesterday - I firmly now know what I dont want the business to be so thats great.Its taken me a while!!!
At the bedroom meeting this morning I was finally able to say what direction I wanted to take - yay!The future is now clear - either that or I had given my specs a damned good clean.
I have been prototyping a pattern this weekend for a future kit which will retail through my site. It has to be perfect and the instructions have to make sense so I have been taking photos of every step so that they can be bought and made and finished to a professional standard.I think my teacher instinct is coming out with this! How many times will I write the instructions before I am happy?!!!!
Anyway - no pics this week - I cant reveal yet!!!
Have a wonderful bagalicious week everyone.
Loads of love Janie xxxx

Dddddddddeborah!

Madame Deborah keeps asking me about my bags and where they are! So I thought I'd let you in to a little secret!! Shhhhhhh don't tell anyone else!
Ok here we go..... each bag takes at least three weeks to make - shock horrror! It all begins with a flash of inspiration (you will have to wait and see what I came up with whilst sitting by the villa pool in Corfu recently looking at a plant stand!!)
I then sketch my ideas from all angles, measure up and cut out the pattern pieces using my lovely dot and cross design paper and mocing up a 3D paper version,list the processes needed (and check it about a hundred times so I dont go wrong!!). Next comes the best bit - choosing the fabric and notions to finish it. Once all the pieces are cut out - hey presto!
The biggest problem bag designing? overcoming the temptation to miss out basting etc cos you want to finish the bag and gaze at it adoringly!!!
So Ddddddddddeborah that's why it take so long to see a finished product!!
'Til next time my lovelies......Janie xxxxx

WOW WOW DOFF YOUR CAP TO THESE!

I just had to share these beautiful creations with you by Deidre Hawken that I espied at the recent Textiles show I visited. I was totally bowled over by these hats. Each one takes about three weeks to make and they are all made from textiles. It's really difficult to find a favourite but I think the summer pudding has it! (oh what a surprise I LOVE puddings!). I wasn't the only one who fell in love with them - Deidre was being asked if she would fly to Scandinavia to give a talk about her work whilst we were busy taing photographs.Oh I can only dream of such lovely things!
It's really worth googling Deidre, her work is amazing!
Hope you like the pics they aren't the best quality as they were taken on my blackberry.
lots of love
Jane