Notebook dilemma and give-away

Working from home there is something so thrilling about the arrival of the parcel delivery man.  Sometimes I wonder whether I run my own business simply so I can order boxes of things to be delivered.
Today a new selection of sketchbooks arrived from Seawhites of Brighton - fantastic swift service which was just as well as I had a number of orders awaiting their inners before I could send off.  I have been overwhelmed by how fast these embroidered sketchbooks have been whizzing out the door - and it has been lovely to hear what they are being used for.  One is destined as a visitor book for a French holiday cottage,  several have been bought by botanical artists and another person bought some as presents for each person in her storytelling group.
I have also really enjoyed embroidering them - each is slightly different because they are individually embroidered on the machine, so I don't get bored with it all.
The ones that I have been making so far have all been A5 size landscape and I am now thinking that I should try some other sizes.
But which sizes would be most popular?  That is the question - the books available in this range go from A3 to A6  and are all landscape or portrait format - there is also a chunky square version about 15 cm square.
 So my question is - which size of notebook would be most useful and what would you use it for?  - leave a comment with your choice before the end of next week and I shall randomly pick one and make a notebook of your favoured size.  Please, please be honest and don't just say the biggest one as it is a bigger free prize, that won't help me at all!

Should you fancy getting your hands on one in the A5 size, the notebooks are available in fritillary, poppy and fennel designs here

 

Comments

[carolyn]

My "arty" son likes his sketch books big, so I'm thinking maybe A3 would be good for those who actually want to use them for sketching.
Horrified to hear of the by now infamous google hit.My lot would have killed me had I ever put a pic of them on the blog which is fine as I do value my families anonimity.I have seen blogs where the children are always appear from the shoulder down and one where the little ones faces were blacked out- they looked like a bunch of Molly Folk Dancers!

[Pam]

Being a closet sketcher, I prefer my sketch books to be very, very unobtrusive. So, obviously, I prefer the smaller versions. They do look beautiful, and the fact that they're individually embroidered is perfect - not looking as though produced en masse in China.
Pam

[Julie]

I take inspiration from everyday observations especially in the countryside to transfer into textiles to make home accessories and capture all my lightbulb moments in a sketch book. Therefore I always have at least one book in my handbag. The current book is about 6" square, covered in black and white flocked material. I love your sketchbooks especially the amount of detail you are about to achieve using the machine to embroider -absolutely gorgeous!

[ArtShades]

Hi Jane - I love your stitched fritillaries and such a beautiful photo with the notebook and real flowers. I always have a little A6 notebook in my handbag for ideas, measurements, contact details and swatches. I think you've hit on something making yours washable AND refillable - brilliant! Perhaps a few in recycled linen would be good too? Sarah

[Rosanne]

What a gorgeous book. I think the size you are using is perfect.

[Diana]

Jane, I think your sketchbooks are beautiful. I would go for chunky square, as I love 'square' proportions, and you don't see that so much in books. And what to use it for? Inspiration I think...cuttings, snippets, doodles, sketches, anything that inspires.... Diana x

[French Knots]

I always have a notebook on the go for jotting down quotes, ideas, things I need to do ( nice things only like sewing or embroidery projects!) or little plans. The current ones is about 7x9'' which is a good size for me, the previous one was only about 4x5'' which was a bit small.
Your notebooks are gorgeous.

[ginny]

The A4 or A5 size would be my favourite but an A6 would also be good for holiday travels. I think they would make great photo albums or special cuttings books too. I am so pleased they are selling so well... and what a compliment to have the botanical artists buy them. I love the photos in the post.
x

[Karen]

I feel terrible, I was one of the 648 yesterday and got distracted. Should have returned to the computer. It's nice to see other people use them in the wee small hours. I recently subscribed to your newsletter which I received promptly, thank you. Your notebooks were one of the first things I noticed when I stumbled on your site as I love fritillaries although having mislaid the bulbs I got last year, sadly have none in my own garden, yet. As I said in my email, am keen to get creative again but I think A4 or A3 may be too adventurous for now. The smaller books would be more convenient and I'd probably use them for sketching and for writing down all the thoughts that seem to occupy my head these days. Another whim is to create memory books for my kids and these would be so special for something like that.

[Tricia]

I also feel bad I was also one of the 648. I did not leave a comment because although I think they are beautiful I do not sketch although the chances of me winning are very very slim I thought I should not enter. However I do always have a covered book in my bag and it is a bog standard A5 size to write out any notes in (and I can fit it in my handbag ok) . I do like to have a lovely cover on the book but I just go for a cheap lined note book as it suites what I want it for and a nice sketch book would be wasted on me. Now I would like to have a nice cover for the cheap bog standard A5 lined note books or even a A4 as I used this in the house and I have not seen a cover for a book this size but again just a cheap bog standard lined book would be fine for me so to have a nice cover for this size would be nice.

I use mine for writing myself reminders giving out number addresses etc so I rip pages out all the time to give to people or I might rip a page out to leave a note of something so for the things I use them for a quality sketch book would be wasted on me.

[Deborah M]

Hi Jane. I love the sketch books so please enter me into the draw. I think my favourite size would be A4.
I've also tried to subscribe to your newsletter quite a few times but have been unsuccessful so far. Not sure why.

[kat]

Hi jane,
call me dull but I like the A5 you already do. Having TRAWLED shops to find a visitors book for my mother in laws holiday cottages, this would be perfect! I agree with your other blogger - a photo album would be fantastic, also the material used as a purse would be wonderful - I already have a knitted lambswool purse with snoflakes embroidered on it which has disintegrated after 3 faithful years - I feel a multitude of christmas presents coming on!

[tracy]

i admit it!
i popped by but did not have time to leave a comment.
anyway - what a dilemma - obviously the bigger the better so that you get more of your wonderful machine work and also so i could locate the darn book in the tip that is my home!
i rarely carry a notebook as i rarely carry a bag - not a bag sort of girl.
i am the idiot you see at the supermarket who refuses a basket as i only need one item and then end up loaded down with armfuls of food :)
but on a serious note all sizes will be useful to someone and will suit various budgets, and i do love the idea of a square book x
i say the more choices the merrier and we all get to sit and admire your work x
t x
babushkas will be done this weekend - sorry - life is a rollercoaster at the moment x

[tracy]

i admit it!
i popped by but did not have time to leave a comment.
anyway - what a dilemma - obviously the bigger the better so that you get more of your wonderful machine work and also so i could locate the darn book in the tip that is my home!
i rarely carry a notebook as i rarely carry a bag - not a bag sort of girl.
i am the idiot you see at the supermarket who refuses a basket as i only need one item and then end up loaded down with armfuls of food :)
but on a serious note all sizes will be useful to someone and will suit various budgets, and i do love the idea of a square book x
i say the more choices the merrier and we all get to sit and admire your work x
t x
babushkas will be done this weekend - sorry - life is a rollercoaster at the moment x

[tracy]

now i have left two comments - told you it was a bad week ;)

[Tish]

I think the 15cm square would be useful for writing up all the recipes I have which are at present on odd bits of paper!

[Pipany]

Hi Jane. They are beautiful but for me the landscape ones are best for scribbling ideas and in a not too large a size preferably so that they can be popped into a bag if I am going out.

[marie]

Hi Jane

I like the A5 size. I would use it as a personal scrapbook for recording a special event.

I was reading Woman & Home the other evening when I suddenly realized that I was reading about our own Snapdragon! Well done for changing direction and making a successful business.

Marie x

[caireen]

I would defo go for A5 size as they are best for unobtrusive sketching and more likely to be kept in a bag and lugged around even during those inbetween times - which is when you need it as often an opportunity to draw is inspired or unplanned. A4 is a bit everyday, as anything officey always is A4 - so a luxury would be A3, that would be a real treat. I just used one of these seawhite books as a prop, staining it with coffee and sanding the leather to look like an old notebook. I must say we were impressed with the quality and feel of the book - much nicer than a Daler. Like a Moleskine and comparative in quality.

[tea and cake]

Ooh, I've only just seen this post about the notebooks! I always keep an A5 notebook handy - fits into my handbag - for notes about stories to write (esp. overheard conversations = priceless!) stuff I design, and little drawings of things I see, like a daffodil I saw yesterday which looked like it was made of white paper. By choice it would be the fritillaries ....
Thank you.

[Vanessa]

I think the idea of a square book would look quite funky and also it would fit in most handbags.

Vanessa x

[Vanessa]

I think the idea of a square book would look quite funky and also it would fit in most handbags.

Vanessa x

[Frances]

I also visited and didn't leave a comment yesterday as I really should have been doing other things. I love all the designs. I think a square notebook would be good just because it's a bit different.

[Denise]

Rather than for sketching, what I use notebooks for is a repository of all the articles, photos, newspaper clippings that accumulate daily in a pile and now get glued or taped collage-like into a notebook, so the larger the better. It is the busy/lazy person's diary, and covers politics, art, garden stuff, family, wherever my attention falls. I take a book when traveling to glue in every receipt, museum program, plane/train tickets, and even labels off exotic liquors. Kind of a Proustian memory device. I'm in the U.S., so the sizing system doesn't ring a bell with me ;)

[GillianFlowers]

Hi Jane
I agree with Sarah - a small square notebook in your bag is always a great idea. It comes in useful for all sorts of things - planned and unplanned. It's much better than scraps of paper which always end up in the rubbish bin before you can use the information. If the notebook looks fab and is well designed - it's an added bonus and makes a great small gift too. Keep up the goodwork.Gillian.

[Nonnie]

I think the A5 or the chunky square would be my favourite sizes as they would fit most handily into my handbag to encourage sketching and note making while out and about. The covers really are very beautiful Jane. Not surprised they're selling well.

[Susan]

For me, any size of those beautiful notebooks would go down a treat, but practically speaking, the small square one to fit in my bag for spontaneous sketching,or the A4 size for if I'm feeling slightly wayward would be perfect. Besides that, they are SO beautiful, any size could be put to perfect use, I'd use A3 for tiny pressed flowers and probably just keep the bigger one to look at, it's lovely! :).Sue.

[Susan]

For me, any size of those beautiful notebooks would go down a treat, but practically speaking, the small square one to fit in my bag for spontaneous sketching,or the A4 size for if I'm feeling slightly wayward would be perfect. Besides that, they are SO beautiful, any size could be put to perfect use, I'd use A3 for tiny pressed flowers and probably just keep the bigger one to look at, it's lovely! :).Sue.

[greedy nan]

I expect I'm way too late - story of my life ...