Friday 13 August 2010

News from the world of Sumptuosity.

It is busy busy busy here in the wonderful world of Sumptuosity, which is just the way that we like it! However, we are also in the middle of a big restructure. No not plastic surgery or even Botox before anyone suggests anything cheeky! John and I have decided to leave Barleycorn Yard and move the business back home. Don't worry, we haven't thrown Sophie and Alanna (Banana) out into the snow, we have set them up so that they can both work from their own homes (or in Sophie's case from her own studio). We all meet up on a Tuesday for tea, gossip amd of course the girls to drop of their embroideries and to pick up more silk, thread and fabric. It was a tough decision but we have decided that we wanted to concentrate on our retail sales through our website and of course our many trade stockists. It will also (hopefully) give me a little more time to work on new designs, as I have got lots of new ideas that I want to work on. It is sad to leave Barleycorn but we are happy that it will give us all more freedom, as we will no longer be tied to average shop hours. Alanna (Banana) and Sophie have been working from their own homes for the last two weeks, while John and I have just started today. Alanna said last week that she is loving it as she is gets up, has her breakfast and has been known to start sewing by 8.00 a.m. while still in her pyjamas! Her parents are happy for her to work from home as long as she remembers to vacuum up all the threads at the end of the day. I also have to make sure that my work area is tidy at the end of the day, although I am not allowed to work in my dressing gown - it soooooo unfaiiiiiiirrrr!

Lots of design work to do at the moment, I have got some new bookmarks to create using some lines of poetry by one of our Sumptuosity friends from Facebook. Angela Topping's work is great and complete with some Sumptuosity images should make for some truly fab bookmarks!

We have also been asked to design some more natural history inspired bookmarks for the Natural History Museum in Oxford and I have been working on some more 'bug' designs, including one of the world's largest stick insect (not quite life size!). I also need to do some seashells and of course some more Dodos and Chamelons. By working from home I can easily refer to my library and read from the comfy sofa (not a chaise longue...yet).


3 B.T.'s

1: Have started to read Richard Fortey's book 'Dry Store Room No: 1' - a sort of 'natural history' of the Natural History Museum in London. It is hilarious.
2: Saw a Peacock butterfly on one of the Buddlia's next to the river - the first one I have seen in York this year.
3: While planning for our next trade show in London, we make arrangements to do fun stuff as well as business..

bye for now,

Love Ruthie xxx