Tis the season to be jolly (roger)

I don't know about you but I've been fairly busy this festive period.

I started some part-time seasonal work a few weeks ago so haven't had much time for keeping these pages updated.  I was also commissioned to make a couple of purses, some wash bags/make-up bags, and my biggest project to date, a pirate-themed curtain for my friend's nephew.

I decided to use mainly felt for the applique and went for a simple tab top design.  What do you think?...

I'm delighted with the end result (it's certainly cheered me up to look at it while battling the dreaded lurgy).  I just hope Arran likes it.

Tis the most wonderful time of the year

This is the view from my sewing machine. 
There have been a few snowball fights already this morning as well as the creation of a couple of snow people.  (I wouldn't like to presume that they are both male.  One is wearing a beret at a rather jaunty angle).

So pretty...

And this is the view of the back garden.  I think it's safe to say that the last harvest of the year has been and gone.  Having said that, I think I may have spotted some red berries on one of the fruit bushes so there is still hope for some homemade preserves this year.

Bag Beautification

I'm trying to decide what to add to this bag to finish it.  What do you think?  Rosette, some beads or ribbon, buttons, applique?  I need another couple of days to look at it and allow inspiration to strike!

Penny Purses

There are some new designs to have a look at on the Purses page.



I've been busy!

(Pics by P Bell)

What a Wally!

I finished making my brother's Halloween costume yesterday.  I'm particularly proud of the ginormous pompom I made for the bobble hat! 

Although, he may have to fashion some kind of scaffolding to keep that thing level. 

Imagine this ensemble with jeans and a walking stick.

Now imagine him blending into a crowd...




...I'll try and persuade him to pose for a photo so I can post the finished look.

Pretty Purses

I have been working on a collection of purses.

Have a look at the For sale - Purses page for more pictures and information.

More designs to follow.

 

E-mail any orders to katherine.ragnbones.bell@googlemail.com

(Pics by P Bell)

The Origin of Colour

Have a look at this exhibition: http://www.fabricoftheland.com/main/gallery10.html 

My friend Claudia submitted a tapestry for inclusion.

It's an interesting marriage of ideas - geology and aesthetics.

(Pic from Aberdeen University website)

Not too shabby

What to have with a slice of homemade bread...?

Look what I got -

(Pic by Nick)

Sunday 19th September

 

I'll be selling Rag'n'Bones stock at Mary’s Living and Giving Shop in Stockbridge on Sunday (12-5).

Would love to see you there.

http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/1134_9801.htm

Night Night

"I'd like to see a sunset... Do me a favour your majesty... Command the sun to set."

The Little Prince ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Botanical Bounty

I only went out to do a little bit of weeding...

...this makes the sore back that I'm bound to have tomorrow worth it!

Today's Project

This is a pretty little tartan bag with clasp fastener.  It could be either a clutch bag, large coin purse, make-up bag, or camera pouch.  The tartan is raspberry red, green, and navy and is finished with a little cluster of buttons.  I've got a collection of bag clasps and a collection of tartans so this might be the first of many. 
Watch this space...!

Flutterby

I spotted this beautiful creature on the way upstairs to my flat the other day.  How pretty is he/she basking in the afternoon sunshine?  This was a totally impromptu composition captured by the camera on my phone. 

What you don't see is me balancing on the steps, struggling to keep my handbag, library books and bags of shopping out of shot.  Hey, we naturally gifted photographers have many obstacles to overcome in the pursuit of the perfect picture!

Desktop Dress-Up

Roll up, roll up! 

Get your handmade, Rag'n'Bones-designed laptop and netbook covers here!

If you are the proud owner of a laptop rather than a netbook, why not use the smaller cases to tidy away various cables, chargers, and pc accessories?

Goodies from the Garden

Such pretty colours.  It seems a shame to eat them...

Bespoke Orders

I've created a couple of new pages (accessible from the menu bar at the top of the page) so you can see samples of the type of fabric I'm using at the moment.

If you see anything you like and are interested in finding out more about Rag'n'Bones products, please get in touch.  I am happy to discuss bespoke orders and will provide more information on request.

Homewares, Kitchenware, Bags, Keyrings, Bag Charms, Laptop/Netbook Covers...

katherine.ragnbones.bell@googlemail.com

Silky Scotties

Hello again.

As well as the occasional foray into baking with beetroot, I have found the time to make a few 100% silk cushion covers this week.  The scottie and tartan theme prevails but the sumptuousness level has increased!

These cushions are the perfect way to add a little tartan glamour to any armchair.

[Just don't spill anything on them, it's a nightmare to remove stains from silk!]

Chocolate Beetroot Brownies

Picked some beetroot from the garden and thought it looked so pretty, I just had to share a photo with you.

The finished product doesn't look too shabby either.

Yum...

Tartan Armchair, too

Just a few more pictures for you...

Again, these cushion covers are made with 100% drilled cotton and feature some more festive tartan trim.

This is approx 40cm x 40cm and the repeat Scottie pattern on this one is made from a woolen tartan scarf.  As with the silk Scotties in the previous post, these little woolen woofers are not hemmed and have a similar frayed finish.   

Another letterbox-shaped cushion here and for this one, I have used a single strip of the woolen tartan scarf.  This panel is the backdrop for three Scottie outlines.

I'm working with 100% silk at the moment (in similar red and green colours) so look out for some new creations over the next few weeks.  I will be posting new pictures as and when the creative mood takes me!

Tartan Armchair

These are the first pics of my new tartan cushion covers, I hope you like them.

They have been made using 100% drilled cotton and accessorised with various tartan trimmings.

The picture below shows a cushion with a felt applique Scottie dog wearing a tartan button on his collar.  This little guy is flanked by the outline of two other Scotties in navy blue thread...

...and this one has been created using tartan-printed silk for the repeat Scottie dog pattern.  The pattern comprises of tartan Scotties and the overlapping outline which has been sewn directly onto the cushion.  The tartan Scotties have not been hemmed, giving a frayed look to the edges.

Sneak Peek

Granted, it's a week later and not "a couple of days" as stated in my last blog entry but the collection isn't finished yet.  I'm sewing as fast as I can!!  So, at the moment, I can't show you the finished products but what I can do is give you a sneak peek at the above.  Can you guess who/what it is? 
I am working on a collection of soft furnishings/housewares incorporating one of my favourite mediums - the British sitcom.

[If you hadn't guessed what the above actually depicts, hopefully that last sentence has given you a bit of a clue... if you still don't know what that is, you are not allowed to read my blog anymore.  You plonker, that took me ages!]

Long time, no see

As part of the ongoing development of Rag'n'Bones, I would like to draw your attention to the new look blog.  Ta da...

I have been working on a new collection of soft furnishings and will be uploading pictures over the next couple of days.

Let the litigation begin...

I've been working on a new series of cushion covers using iconic branding and giving it a little Rag'n'Bones twist. What do you think?

[The Lurpak one's not my own work, obviously! That's an upcycled tea towel]

Pea Green

Even on a dreich day like today, there's still colour to be found in the garden.

These peas never see a pot of boiling water. In fact, they rarely even see the inside of the flat. They're normally eaten on the stairs on the way back from the garden. These three were lucky, they were spared immediate human consumption because they photograph so well.

They're gone now though. Yum.

What did you do today?

Today I started two new projects. This one is going to be a bag. (Who'd have thunk it?!)





And this may be the front panel of a bag or possibly a cushion cover. Not decided yet...



This is a bag I finished last week. My mum bought me the fabric and the bag handles so it seemed obvious that she should have the finished product.



So if you are walking around Edinburgh and see this bag, be sure and ask the lady carrying it for one of my business cards. I've sewn a pocket in there that's the perfect size for a few hundred Rag'n'Bones business cards!

Sell sell sell!

Thanks to all of you who came to visit us in Stockbridge today.

I'll be uploading some new photos onto the catalogue pages in the next week or so.

Please don't hesitate to e-mail if you have any questions or requests.

Always happy to hear about new product/design suggestions.

katherine.ragnbones.bell@googlemail.com

(and thanks to Barbara and her staff for their hospitality)

Rag'n'Bones - Business - Sat 3rd July

Another opportunity to purchase Rag'n'Bones stock from the Mary Portas Living and Giving Shop in Stockbridge, Edinburgh.

Saturday 3rd July - would love to see you there.

http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/1134_9801.htm

Dear BBC

Please find enclosed a copy of my script for the pilot episode of a thirty minute radio sitcom.

I am inspired by humour in language, every day encounters with the ironic and absurd, and general silliness. I recognise all of these elements in the classic BBC comedies of the 60's and 70's. Despite not being old enough to remember the likes of Dad's Army, Are You Being Served, The Morecambe and Wise Show, and Sykes when they first appeared on television, I find myself feeling nostalgic for that particular era in light entertainment. It was a time when comedy writing was intelligent without being exclusive and silly without being infantile. Although fashions have changed in television comedy, I think this kind of sitcom will always find a radio audience.

I hope you will consider reading my script. I feel passionately about comedy writing and will forever be entertained by those who write it so well.


And then it was gone, out into the ether, winging its way to the BBC, amateur inconsistencies and all. Fingers crossed...

Reasons to be thankful

So, today was the first day that Rag'n'Bones ventured out into the big bad world! Much like a new puppy, we were a little nervous, a little uneasy on our feet, but we quickly found our stride and even made some new friends.

To these new friends, we would like to say "how much fun was that little adventure?!"

And to those familiar faces who appeared round the corner at various points in the afternoon, thank you. It means so much that you came along to purchase and encourage. Especially on such a damp, dreich day.

Here's to next week's new experience...

Sunday 6th June

It's time to get this show on the road!

Join us at Save the Children in Stockbridge on Sunday 6th June (12pm-7pm). See catalogue pages to view stock available. More pics will be added later today...

http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/1134_9801.htm

How does your garden grow?

Urgh, feeling the effects of an afternoon spent in the garden. Why is the ground so far away? It's discriminatory towards tall people. All that crouching down and bending over. I need one of those stools that doubles up as a padded knee support with handles to help you right yourself. You know the kind that people three times my age buy from the catalogues that fall out of the Sunday supplements? I could get one of those mechanised chairs that make the transition from sitting to standing so effortless, too. Awesome. I digress...

So many weeds, so many snails. The long winter has delayed the garden maintenance so I've got a bit of catching up to do. However, after yesterday's efforts, there are now fewer weeds and the snails have been relocated to the neighbours' garden. It's not my fault! I was aiming for the compost heap. Snails bounce, who knew?

The red onions are looking healthy, the peas are coming along, and the herbs seem to have survived the snow relatively unscathed. The two sticks labelled "Blackcurrant Bush" and "Blueberry Bush" that I very trustingly bought from Morrisons last year are defying all expectations and are showing signs of life. I would report on the progress of the brocolli seedlings but I don't know how to spell broccoli.

Self sufficiency, here I come...

Write, time to get rid of (some of) these books

If you, too, have a predatory Amazon seller in your family, you will no doubt be familiar with the following exchange:

Amazon seller: You have so many books. Have you read them all?
Book lover: No
Amazon seller: Why don't you get rid of some of them? You could sell
them, make a bit of money.
Book lover: Sell my books?! Are you insane, wumman?

Amazon seller: What? When was the last time you read... [looking around trying to find just one example out of hundreds]... Ulysses?
Book lover: Uni.
Amazon seller: Have you read it since?

Book lover: No

Amazon seller: Why do you still have it then?

Book lover: I don't know. I may read it again, I may lend it to someone.

Repeat ad nauseum until...

Amazon seller: Ok, what about this copy of To the Lighthouse? I thought you hated Virginia Woolf.

Book lover: I do! You can have that one. I didn't realise that was in there.

It's nice to let them win occasionally

[Love you, Mum xx]