Karen Ruane

embroidery continued

 

There are a lot of images today along with a video. Sometimes I prefer to chat.....

 

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progress of sorts

just embroidery

I embroider.....

It's good to be back. A new piece of work to share that I was able to snatch moments with amongst all the chaos that is a family Christmas. Christmas day was four of us for Turkey, Thursday was six of us and a buffet. Friday was a trip ''up North'  for more turkey with Grandma and Grandad. Yesterday was relaxing, enjoying the company of my little girl before she went back to London this morning. Later today it is dirty towels, dirty sheets, dirty clothes and planning along with a lot of damp stretching. The planning? I have big plans........... I'm not a New Year person as such...it's only going to be Tuesday, can't see what all the fuss is about. My plans would be taking shape regardless of the calendar. Alchemy is nearly upon us and I have a hankering to run embroider, embellish, create again too....soon. Then there are all the gifts to find homes for....maybe this Tuesday will be the Tuesday when I finally achieve a sense of order in my house....don't hold your breath though.....

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oops....

the second one in progress

meditative

the second one.....

The second one is now finished, titivated to death and will be wrapped and put under the tree this afternoon. That's me done now. Ready for the big day, gifts wrapped, shopping done, house clean.....(ish!)

Thanks so much for the advice yesterday about my hands. There are some great suggestions there and I feel really dumb too. As if I don't have any rubber gloves? That is such an obvious thing...note to self, wake up! This time next year I will have the most gorgeous hands in England.....just a final thought. Can you get liposuction on your fingers? I'm not loving the sausage look....

Last night I started a new piece of work. I just had an idea and acted on it. It isn't ground breaking or innovative in any way but it involves a little colour, a little half and half appplique and a lot of piecing of white. I got so excited you wouldn't believe it. When I come back I will show you I promise.

I am signing off now for a few days. I will be back before next year....can't keep away....

whatever your plans have a wonderful holiday, Christmas, Yule, Tuesday...xxx

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it's white, it's got lace and it's titivated to death.....

sorry.....

stretching

stretched

Does the second picture give you vertigo? Sorry about that...I stood on a chair to take it. Why? It seemed like a good idea at the time, ariel shot so to speak. Good thing the floor is clean. Anyhow, it is finished and stretched so now it just needs titivated and stuffed. I will have it ready for tomorrow...I will, I will....

I watched yesterdays video before.....hope you enjoyed that by the way and talking of yesterdays video, a stitch along that had only one measly stitch. I am thinking I could do more of that next year, regular  ''let's all stitch together'' videos. Anyway, back to me watching it...did you notice my hands? They are horrendous, chapped, dry, cracked, swollen. It's the weather, the cold and damp and the washing of dishes etc. So, I have a tale....I can't put cream on my hands through the day as it would mark my cloth. So I bought some gloves that you are supposed to wear in bed after drowning your hands in cream. I have had them for a couple of weeks. They're not working I hear you shout....well I know. Do you know why? It's quite funny really but also a little disturbing. I put them on and go to sleep. Without fail I then wake in the night, 2 am, 3 am...horrified to discover I have gloves on in bed, become traumatised by the fact that I am in bed with gloves on and rip them off....who can figure that out? That's where the disturbing bit comes in. What on earth is going on in my head? Answers on a postcard please.

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stretching

the second one in progress

the first one....

normal?

a single web stitch

Yes, I saved the final stitch of this piece to embroider with you, a web stitch. It now has to go and be stretched and sprayed with water before it's finished. Then there are the titivations for the edge...almost forgot about those.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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snatching stitch

just embroidery

the second one in progress

My second secret is taking shape and thank you for all the comments yesterday. I can't believe how many of you covet a little white cushion! This one is, in my opinion, going to be equally as lovely. You can let me know what you think when it's finished.  By my calculations the surface embroidery will be finished tonight.It will then need to be damp stretched, stuffed and titivated. And then there are the edges...I have plans, you will see.

I don't know what to post on here tomorrow. It's a quandary. I will have this embroidered and stretched but it will only be cross stitch that's new. There is a real danger that you will all die of boredom and I can't have that on my conscience so close to Christmas. So I am thinking....can you hear the cogs turning? I may just pull up a chair and invite you to embroider with me.......get the kettle on.

 

 

a little update......the stars that everyone loves in the comment section...I didn't embroider those. I wish I had but I didn't. That is vintage cloth bought from the internet. My guess is it's machine made.

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just embroidery

normal?

meditative

Alchemy 2013

the first one....

This is the first of my last minute gifts, stretched,stuffed, titivated and waiting to be wrapped. What do you think? As you can see in the hoop the second one is in process. So far that has a bullion seam, a French knot seam and a few web stitches scattered here and there. I think I can safely say number two will be ready in plenty of time. There are plans for mirrors on this one and I am still cogitating over the outer edges....

You may have noticed that I am a little late today. That's because I was putting together a mini newsletter which should be clogging up your spam mail filter as we speak. If you are lucky and escaped the mail shot then you can read it here....

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progress of sorts

white lace and cross stitch hearts

stretching

My two spur of the moment gifts were getting a well earned stretch last night. The piece nearest the camera is now backed and waiting to be stuffed and titivated . Tomorrow it should be finished and I will let you see...it doesn't matter if I put it on here because I'm not saying who it's for. Get the thumb screws out, put me under a spot light, I still won't talk.

This afternooon is wrapping time. Quite a chore really, funny that I don't enjoy wrapping gifts.

(the table runner in the top image was hand made for me, a gift, from Sweden. It comes out every Christmas)

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progress of sorts

it's white, it's got lace and it's titivated to death.....

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sorry.....

edges and bumps....

piecing cloth.....

There are still two people I need to buy gifts for. What do you buy someone who has everything? Nothing....you make them something. That only dawned on me last night but I am happy it did. I was struggling to think of something to buy I can tell you. So the piece I am making from my London cloth, (the cloth I showed you last week) and this piece here are for gifts. You will see them finished, definitely. I have until next Tuesday.

There is also a video today, the process of piecing this cloth together.

It is my 29th wedding anniversary today. Can I just say that the legal age for marriage in the UK is 16 and I would be happy to concede that I consider myself to have been a child bride. So please don't calculate my age to be greater than it is which in my world is actually only around the 16 mark anyway!! In all honesty I can't get my head round it. Do I remember what my life was like before? No. Do I love the huge bouquet of flowers I just received? Yes.

 

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just playing....

Wednesday's ironing board

eyes....

Yes, I now have eyes to go with my hooks. Truly I can't contain my excitement because now I can play with things like this. There are two separate things here...a new page for doodle doo and a French knot seam that I embroidered last night whilst I was having an NYPD Blue marathon....I love that show but then that's another story. 

Going back to the doodle doo work..............I say another page but I'm not sure. I may have this one as a 'stand alone' piece of work inspired by doodle doo..........the jury is still out on that one. I will know better when it has progressed.

I keep wondering if I should have a Christmas break and if so when. Of course I won't be here on the actual day but at what point do I stop for the holiday? Do I even need to stop for the holiday? Class is technically finished although I will still be involved there on a casual basis. My gifts are mostly bought. My tiny house may need a little clean but that won't take long. I intend to stitch even on Christmas day. Perhaps I don't need a break at all. I do know that I don't consider this to be work and definitely not a chore so you may be stuck with me. 

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hooks and eyes and doodle doo

edges and doodle doo

Doodle doo continued part two