Karen Ruane: May 2013

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May 2013

05/09/2013

yesterday.....

The ironing board was out yesterday...not for pleasurable things sadly but as it was there I turned it into a thing of joy as opposed to an instrument of torture and pieced some cloth. Why not? May aswell. This big piece, and it is big, will be divided up and turned into pin pillows. So many people want pin pillows....is there a world shortage that I don't know about? I'm not giving a time scale, couldn't possibly. Don't hold your breath is all I will say it is very busy in Ruane towers at the moment.

There is so much I want to do. I am so excited about so many things. I am also craving some ''head'' time. You know what I mean, a few hours to gain some clarity, to think a few things through. That won't be possible today but maybe tomorrow.

On Saturday afternoon I am going up North to a party!! and yes, there will be cake. It's kind of like a tea party...in the afternoon, in a garden, most likely in the rain. My Brother and his family from Sweden are visiting my mum so a big family gathering is in order. Bonus is that it isn't at my house so I don't have responsibility for cleaning up.....phew. I am visiting said brother, in Sweden, in June. No need to go now I hear you cry, you will have seen him.Well yes but who said I was going to Sweden to see him? I am going to Sweden to see Sweden!

Posted at 12:54 PM in piecing, pin pillow | Permalink | Comments (13)

Tags: cloth, ironing board, piecing, pin pillow

05/08/2013

Lace.....

This is a sample I made for class. A piece of cloth I created with lace and then titivated with knots and other stuff. This is what I have set the girls for homework. I hope none of them are listening, they should be working hard!! In all honesty I cannot believe the wonderful work appearing in the group and we only started on Monday. If you want to see too then just pop over for a look.

Aside from lace class I have been thinking pockets...of a different kind. It was a question from another group and it has really got me fired up and excited. There are definitely pockets in my future, stay tuned for more of that. Later today I will be piecing. I have given in and will make more pin pillows. I will also be giving my wrapping cloth some much needed attention today, I really can't wait to have that one to warm my feet in a morning.

Posted at 01:22 PM in bullion knots, edges, lace, online learning | Permalink | Comments (10)

Tags: bullion knots, edges, embroidering lace, lace, white

05/07/2013

hoops

I have been gathering cloth in hoops. There's a lot, a lot in progress and even more planned. Did you see how fast the pin pillows and the pouch disappeared yesterday..wow...thank you. I may make more, I am deciding. You know what I'm like, takes me a week to decide anything....Miss indecisive 2013.

This morning has been weird. My routine has been disrupted. I suddenly realised that as I had been away the cupboards had emptied and we didn't have any food. I was forced to do my Friday ''big shop'' today, Tuesday, prepare for more confusion on Friday when I should be going and realise my cupboards are full. Heck I'm confused already.

Posted at 01:03 PM in embroidery, embroidery hoop | Permalink | Comments (24)

Tags: embroidery, embroidery hoops

05/06/2013

pin pillows and a pouch

They're finished, four pin pillows and a pouch. These will find their way into the shop later today. They are not there yet I haven't had time. Normally when I finish something I flounder....what to do next. It is exciting too planning a new project and piecing cloth, choosing cloth and thinking about how I will embroider, embellish the surface. Not this time though. I have my wrapping cloth to finish, I have lace to make with class. There is also my lace curtain that I want to give a little attention to. Alongside that I have plans taking shape for a new class and I hope to be able to say more about that later this week.

Back to the pin pillows and pouch....I made a video. I think this gives a better sense of the pieces and shows the detail more clearly. The measurements? They will be given when they go into the shop but the pouch is approximately 12 x 12 inches.

Just a note before I go about lace class. The first mail went out this morning. If you signed up for ''Lace'' and haven't received this then please let me know.

Posted at 12:51 PM in big cartel, handmade, pin pillow, pouch | Permalink | Comments (17)

Tags: big cartel, embroidery, handmade, pin pillows, pouch, shop

05/05/2013

still making

I'm making steady progress. Yesterday I machine stitched the pin pillows and the pouch in the afternoon. Last night I began trimming, turning, tacking and embellishing the seams by hand. The pouch is the nearest to completion but they should all be finished by bed time today....at least that's the plan.

There is a busy afternoon ahead too. Lace begins tomorrow!! Woo...how did that come round so fast. I hope the lace girls have their titivating bits ready and you may even need a notebook and pencil...the first one is a long one....don't say you weren't warned.

Posted at 01:09 PM in edges, finishing, pin pillow, pinning, pouch, tacking | Permalink | Comments (19)

Tags: edges, making, pinning, tacking

05/04/2013

start and finish

I have so many e mails to answer. Anyone available for the position of PA? The pay isn't much but you can play with cloth at the same time. I will make you coffee, or tea but no cake I haven't got time. I may be able to find a couple of biscuits. Sound tempting? No takers? I promise, promise,promise I will set aside some time tomorrow to reply, to show that I do have manners, that I was raised correctly. Next thing you know my mum will be scolding me and confining me to my room.

I may not be very efficient at answering mail but I do spend time usefully, or is that pleasurably to satisfy my need for embroidery. I wouldn't put it down as frittering my time away but guess that a lot of people would. So I haven't been sitting with my feet up, drinking gin and watching daytime TV. My pouch is almost finished. The lining cloth is pressed and later today this will be put together, edges titivated and voila!! there will be a new pouch in my life. Not for me though it will be going in the shop with the pin pillows. (when they're ready. They have been tacked and titivated with tabs. They just need the sewing machine bit done so that tonight I can titivate those too. It will be titivation central round here at 8 pm!!) (don't come knocking because I won't be answering)

A new piece is taking shape too. For now there has merely been a frill added and half a seam embroidered. There will be more about this next week when I talk more about 'simply stitching', my new class.

Posted at 01:26 PM in cloth, finish, lining, pocket, pouch, start | Permalink | Comments (23)

Tags: a new piece, finishing, pouch, starting

05/03/2013

the many stages of a pin pillow

Making pin pillows would be a quick process you would think. Maybe it is for others, maybe I fuss too much or flap about doing nothing very much. Anyhow, it doesn't matter because I'm in no hurry really. First of all I had to piece the lace and the silk. Then I had to titivate and then titivate some more. Maybe that's where I fall down, over titivating. Anyway again, it doesn't matter as I am in no hurry. Then I had to damp stretch. The next thing was measuring the cloth for the back, pressing it, cutting it out. Then I had to find my labels, a major task if you could see all the piles of stuff I have here. Once I found the labels I pressed those and cut them out cutting the tabs to size at the same time.

Are you keeping up? Now I have gorgeous little cloth piles, cloth sandwiches.....on the ironing board ready for tacking and making up. Don't fall asleep yet......after that they need to be stuffed and the final seam requires closing by hand. That's not quite it though....then I will hand embroider every edge, to finish, to add that little extra, to go to the n'th degree. Now....who wants to make a pin pillow? Off you go then, get pressing, piecing and cutting up.

Posted at 12:45 PM in construct, pillow, pin pillow | Permalink | Comments (26)

Tags: embroidery, piecing, pin cushion, pin pillow

05/02/2013

last night and then today....

Last night I began embroidery on the joining seam of my pouch after I had finished the surface of the pin cushion pieces. (no pictures of those yet...sorry, hopefully tomorrow) I am doing the loopy thing on this seam. It is slow, it is time consuming....it is my idea of perfect.

Today I am getting ready for Lace class. I am soooooooo excited. I have made one video and plan another for today too. I get to play with cloth and as you can see my ironing board is festooned with fabric and my boxes of trims are creating havoc. I don't care, I can tidy up later.

Whilst I am doing all this, playing with lace and fabric and making a mess I am listening to this.....constantly...on a loop. I love it. It reminds me of last Friday night when I was almost close enough to touch.

I meant to say thanks yesterday and I forgot, sorry. Thanks for all the birthday wishes for Helen when I was away and I also wanted to say that yes, it's pretty amazing that we bought her wedding dress quickly without any hitches. That is because we did a lot of research first, looking, searching, google, catalogues. We were prepared. She knew what she wanted and where to go. That's my girl!

I am still having commenting problems. Some of you are still going into my spam folder. Please don't worry if you comment and it disappears...I will find it in spam which I now check hourly.

Posted at 12:54 PM in cloth, lace, loopy edge, online learning | Permalink | Comments (15)

Tags: a loopy edge, embroidery, lace, preparing

05/01/2013

Hi. I'm home.....

I'm back, did you notice? Where to start.....it's been a whirlwind, it is still a whirlwind. I made a video, talking can be easier. I had the best time. On Friday we went to see these and stayed over. Saturday we went here where I took afternoon tea at this amazing place. I bought a wedding dress!! Yes, my little girl now has her wedding dress. That has to be a secret though...sorry! I shopped for fabric in John Lewis and found some vintage treasures here. You can see all of those in the video. We also had a brilliant day here....I would recommend it. You can see lots more images of my trip on my instagram too.

Yesterday I came home and did absolutely nothing so this morning I had to face the dreaded supermarket run and you wouldn't believe the pile of dirty washing I have. Mere trivia however compared to the embroidery I have planned. I am happy to be home but would have been just as happy to stay away if that makes sense.

I closed the shop when I was away but have re opened this morning so if you have been waiting to register for lace class which starts VERY soon or Alchemy then you can now do that.

Phew.....now I have to go and make a video for the embroider, embellish, create girls. If you are listening girls I am coming to flickr shortly so get your pencils sharpened !!