Karen Ruane

continuing....

 

 

Yes, continuing yesterdays cluttered theme but with different stuff. You will be astounded to hear that I spent over an hour ''sorting out'' yesterday afternoon. I know, I'm shocked too. I am delighted though. I quite like this clutter free existence, the catch? I can't guarantee it will last very long. For now I will enjoy it, appreciate the lack of chaos.

The final things to get sorted were my ''in progress'' embroideries. Don't get me wrong, I always take care of these pieces just not in any organised kind of way. Sorting through them reminded me of what they still require in terms of embroidery, technique, process. So that's all clear then.....at least I hope it is.....I did make notes......get me, making notes.

Tomorrow I will show you more of this embroidered piece, the piece which is festooned with lemon.

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upside down.....

stuff....

 

 

I thought I would show you a small amount of the ''stuff'' that is piling up in my front room, my dining room, my computer room, my sewing room, the room multi tasks. I have my mojo back. I have a new list, a long list. 

I dived straight into creating and planning after Christmas without doing any ''sorting out''. I will take a few minutes to do a bit of that later. It will be two minutes sorting out and two hours embroidery, then another two minutes sorting out and another two hours embroidery......you know how it is.

I also wanted to say, in advance, that I will not be wishing anyone a ''Happy New Year''. I have a problem with that in so far as I wish you a happy Whole Life......and when all is said and done it will just be Wednesday.

 

 

(SS3...there will be a chatty video for you tomorrow.)

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a look inside my ledger.....

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Busy!

I'm not skiving honest. It's a hive of creativity here.

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Inspire

All printed images in these photographs are c. Sara Fanelli

 

 

 

 

 

Hi!!!! Long time no see. I hope you all had an amazing Christmas, holiday, break, time, few days. I hope you ate wonderful food, shared great days with your family, your friends, your dogs, your cats your cloth. 

I had a brilliant Christmas, good company, too much food, lots of domestic goddessing....that will be the last of the domestic achievements for a while I can tell you....it's embroidery time!!! 

My visitors left this morning. The house seems empty yet it's good to have our space back. Does that make sense? I have tidied, I have restocked the cupboards, (I intend to have an embroidery induced reclusive phase, not going anywhere except maybe the shed) and the washing machine is working overtime. I am only ''sort of'' back. I may not make it here every day for a little while but today I am on a mission, a mission to get my mo jo back. I didn't lose it really but I have become distracted from it. I went to London then it was Christmas. No embroidery has happened here for sooooo long. 

This morning I played a little with this amazing book I was given by my son and his girlfriend. A beautifully illustrated edition of Pinocchio, artwork/illustration by Sara Fanelli. Check out the link her work is amazing.

I printed some pages, I laid pieces of my embroidered work on them, I imagined embroidered backgrounds. I would NEVER copy anyones work but how could this fail to inspire? Just owning this book, having the art to admire, being lucky enough to examine the colour and pattern....it makes me feel good, it motivates me...I aspire.

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Home again.......did you miss me......OK, I know, you were glad of the rest. I had a brilliant few days in London, seeing the sights, Christmas shopping, taking pictures and overloading instagram!

I bought gifts, I bought vintage cloth....more of that after the holidays.......and I bought some snippets of Liberty printed cloth. There were so many to choose from and at £22 per metre I couldn't possibly afford to get them all so I bought offcuts instead, a good plan don't you think?

I also spent a fair amount of time drooling at the V & A.....I would recommend a visit there in a heart beat.

So I'm off again now, some big fella in a red suit is coming on Wednesday and I'm supposed to be getting ready....I just wanted to say hi...I missed you....

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the second one in progress

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This beautiful cloth forms the

This beautiful cloth forms the window display at the Levi store on Regent Street. I'm guessing it's denim. Whatever it is it's beautiful and made me happy. 
Today I'm off on a vintage hunt. Wish me luck. 

Sent from Samsung Mobile

The most exquisite lace cuff

The most exquisite lace cuff from the V&A London. 

Sent from Samsung Mobile

more lace

 

 

 

I'm not having a good day.....this is lace, it's white. I have a lot of white cloth, lace, white embroidery in my house as I'm sure you can imagine. So do I need THIS in my home? I don't think so. It's all explained in the link.......deep breaths Karen, count to ten.....

OK...moving on. This is ''old'' work, lovingly cared for, stored behind glass, (thank goodness considering the above link, big sigh of relief) It is what I have left the SS3 group to ponder over the holidays. 

In the New Year I will be talking about SS4, a new format, more relaxed, less cracking of the whip!!! Would you be interested? Pray tell......

It seems the world has retired behind close doors for the holidays. Visits to this little place of rambling are plummeting, I am going to London, I have a turkey to cook. So I am retiring, taking leave of you all  temporarily. I will most likely return on 28th.....stuffed full of turkey and all the trimmings.....visitors gone....gifts unwrapped...

Wishing you all everything you wish for yourselves. To those of you who do not celebrate Christmas I wish you the same, I wish each and every one of you happiness every day...not just on December 25.

 

 

(SS3....I will be seeing you on flickr from 22nd....you don't get rid of me that easily!!)

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L is for lace....

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I'm beginning to wind down for christmas. Embroidery is still happening, as if that would ever stop but other things need to be done too and I am going away on Wednesday, a few days in London with my daughter. My plan is to leave the house clean when I go so that when I return all I need to do is cook. Yikes!! Cook???? But cook I must. Home made sage and onion stuffing. Home made trifle. Home made cheesecake....who knew I was a domestic goddess? Then again, the proof will be in the eating.

Meanwhile I have been working with lace cloth. I had a couple of days last week of making lace cloth and those three pieces have now been joined, titivated only slightly but that is on the to do list, titivate, titivate, titivate and cook.....

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lace cloth, silk, body bag.....

 

 

 

 

 

I was gathering bits this morning, laying stuff out to take stock, to make a tentative plan in my head of where to go next. Wouldn't you know, another distraction appeared, something else wormed its way into my head, a plan, an idea. I will have to put it out of my mind though.....I will. It's nearly Christmas. I'm going to London for  5 days on Wednesday. I am visiting the V&A where no doubt there will be more distractions. I need to go and lie down.

It was the top picture that did it. The lace cloth laid on the body bag. Doesn't that look like it has potential? It does to me. They are two completely separate pieces of work but they have morphed into something marvellous in my head.....Be gone!!!! Oh my....what's a girl to do????

The lace cloth is evolving into a worthy piece in its own right. I have worked on it, changed it, added to it. The body bag, well the body bag, (insert a huge sigh of happiness) I am completely and totally in love with the body bag. It has a certain quality to it that I can't quite put my finger on. It's the drape, the weight, the softness of the seams where the silk meets the muslin....enough already there's work to be done.

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pleated muslin and embroidered silk continued......

lace cloth.....

coming together....

this morning