Karen Ruane: February 2014

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February 2014

02/28/2014

background

There was quite a bit of interest in the background piece from yesterdays images so here it is in full view. I painted this piece way back when, around 2004 I think. It's pristine, I guard this stuff with my life. I have plans to print a few copies of it too....you never know when it will come in handy.

Yesterday evening all I could manage creatively was two more pages in tiny ledgers .....and they're not even finished yet. I am such a slacker. In all honesty I completely underestimated the amount of disruption that having the builders in would cause. I didn't realise the cleaning and sorting out and the putting things back where they belong would be quite as big a deal as it's turning out to be. Having said that I am welcoming the opportunity to get rid of stuff we no longer need and organise other things in a more efficient manner. I absolutely love my new loft room too. I am amazed at how big it is and how enticing it is as a place to hide, to disappear to. So if you can't find me just haul your way to the top of the house.

But......and I am sorry....but.....it means I may not appear online again until much later today and probably won't get round to answering mail until the weekend. I am SOOOOOO sorry, honest.

SS4....I will be over to flickr later. I promise. I haven't forgotten you.

Posted at 01:13 PM in ledger, page, paper | Permalink | Comments (14)

Tags: alphabet, design, doodle, ledger, page, painting, paper, text

02/27/2014

paperwork pages

Three new pages in three mini ledgers. I created these yesterday evening, I'm making progress, getting there. Thing is I think I am deliberately stretching this process out as I love it so much, playing with tiny pages, creating tiny samples. There is stitching on this paper, there are added snippets of cloth, a tiny amount of doodling with pencil and other surface embellishment. I have just retrieved some ready prepared papers, backgrounds, painted and embellished a long time ago from one of the many boxes that are scattered around here at the moment so there will be more pages and on it goes.

It shouldn't matter that these could be finished soon. I can start another and I will.

Posted at 12:44 PM in embroidered paper, ledger, page, paper page, paperwork | Permalink | Comments (15)

Tags: embroidered paper, ledgers, page, paperwork, sketchbooks, stitched paper

02/26/2014

bullion loop edge

An edge of bullion ''loops'' has been added to the white lace piece. I say loops as opposed to knots because as you can see they are quite long with the start and end of each stitch placed quite close together. I love this effect and will definitely use it again but not necessarily on this piece. This piece is almost finished I think. Later today I will square off the edges or at least neaten them. It may not be a prefect rectangle when it's finished but hopefully all the individual edges will be straight.

Disarray here is ongoing. I cannot begin to tell you the filth that permeated the upstairs of my house yesterday. Today is less dirty although I still spy muck everywhere I look. I know that some people have massive disruption and dirt for a long long time and I know it will be worth it in the end. What can I say? I never said I would love the building stage. I detest it but am quite calm because I know that this time next week everything will be back to normal......for now.

My white is safe, protected, out of harms way. Paper, cloth, ongoing work, wrapping cloths, all stored safely. Later today I am going on a ledger hunt through the piles of ''safe'' stuff in order to work on a couple more pages. If all goes to plan you should get to see those tomorrow.

Posted at 12:40 PM in bullion knots, edges, loops | Permalink | Comments (7)

Tags: an edge, bullion knots, bullion loops, white lace cloth

02/25/2014

dotty loops....

Yes, dotty loops on white cloth as opposed to the white loops that are on the dotty cloth. I still haven't had the light bulb moment when I will know what this piece will eventually be but meantime I'm just enjoying the titivating.

The edges are a combination of French knots and web stitches....I rather like them......

It's laid on an old ledger, some painting from way back.

The builders are here. I am trying to stay sane, honest. There is black dust in several rooms but thankfully non downstairs except in the kitchen. I am told that the dirt part will just be today. They promise that tomorrow will be cleaner. They say you can't cut a hole in a ceiling without making dirt. Hmmmmmm....

Posted at 01:20 PM in cloth, french knots, loops, tabs | Permalink | Comments (12)

Tags: dotty, embroidery, loops, red and white, spotty, tabs

02/24/2014

pages continue....

Two new pages for the tiny ledgers were put together last night. One has dark blue French knots which live happily with the blue of the iron on transfer and the little doodle in paint. The other has a tiny cutwork circle surrounded by white French knots and web stitches. That page was titivated with a little doodling in pencil and web stitches embroidered directly onto the page. By my reckoning, over the five books, I need to create around another ten pages. I haven't actually counted yet, that is an educated guess.

The A4 design sheet here was put together with some offcuts from samples and three HUGE ball buttons created with the body bag in mind. I hadn't forgotten about those as such, they just weren't in my consciousness at the moment but I know I will make more of those and they will almost certainly be used in some way as part of the fastening process for the body bag.

Yes, the body bag, the long neglected body bag. If you haven't a clue what I am talking about then you can become acquainted with the body bag here, here and here. I am determined to make headway with that one so brace yourselves....you may be seeing a lot of it.

(If you are signed up for Simply Stitch 4 our first video post went live earlier. You should have received an e mail from me. If you haven't received an e-mail then please let me know)

Posted at 01:03 PM in design, embroider, embroidered paper, embroidery, ledger, page | Permalink | Comments (22)

Tags: composition, design, embroider, ledger, pages, samples

02/23/2014

new pages

Mini ledgers are bing filled, slowly but I'm getting there. A few pages were titivated last night, a little stitch, a little doodling, a little consideration of placement for cloth snippets and some paper offcuts. Tomorrow there will most likely be more of these, I'm on a roll. I am aiming to sell these although I haven't worked out the cost yet as I have to figure in the price of the books which I didn't make...I bought those.

So far the ones I consider finished have seven mini design sheets in each one. Seven pages which I think of as working design ideas, to take ideas and inspiration from in order to embroider. I'm also trying to include blank pieces of watercolour paper as the pages in the little books aren't suitable for wet media. They do love pencil and pen though and as you can see here they take stitch beautifully. I would go so far as to say this paper is made to be stitched.

So tonight I aim to finish at least one new page. I may also put together a coulpe of stand alone deisgn sheets similar to these....we'll see.

Posted at 12:39 PM in design, doodles, doodling, ledger, page | Permalink | Comments (17)

Tags: cloth, embroidery, ledger, page

02/22/2014

French knots and tabs on vintage white and spotty red

The playing continues, with cloth. I have spent a lot of time recently playing with ledgers and that will continue this afternoon, I've also been playing with cloth. There are several samples on the go at the moment which will hopefully morph into more. I do have a loose plan but I'm waiting for the light bulb moment before I can be certain of where I am going.

This one, the cloth part of these images is the latest 'play' piece. Vintage cloth joined to red spotty cloth with French knots and tabs. Technically they're not spots are they, they are tiny squares. I'm not going to quibble though...other work here is ancient, as old as the hills! Again it's just to hide the table, a background but one which works well against this embroidery I think.

This morning I went shopping. I bought blue ink and a rather nice striped mug. Now I am itching to go play with the ink and have a brew in my new cup so please excuse me....

(Quibble.......argue or raise objections about a trivial matter.)

Posted at 01:21 PM in french knots, tabs, white | Permalink | Comments (17)

Tags: French knots, ledger, paperwork, seam, spotty cloth, tab, vintage, white

02/21/2014

pointy things.....

More applique circles and prairie points have been added to this along with some pointy things which evolved, blew into the mix as if by magic. I was just folding cloth, minding my own business and they appeared....they stayed. I may make more of those, I kind of like them.

The gingham, pointy piece is laid on an old piece of work, titivated white silk. That's only there to hide the table. It's nice to see it again though, it normally lives in a glass cabinet, neatly folded, well protected.

There is a piece of white with red spots going on too. It isn't in these pictures, it's on the couch as we speak ready for a little more titivation in order to make an entrance tomorrow. And then there is something else going on for Simply Stitch Four. That starts on Monday....last chance saloon to sign up if you're pondering. Also on Monday.....the builders are coming. They will make a mess. I already don't like them. I have precious things in plastic boxes, stacked high. Ruane towers is in complete disarray.

Posted at 01:11 PM in applique, bullion knots, gingham, prairie points, silk | Permalink | Comments (19)

Tags: applique, bullion knots, gingham, pointy things, prairie points, white silk

02/20/2014

bullion knots...

I have been working more on this. The silk piece I added is now almost completely edged with bullion knots. I have joined some vintage lace, the piece with daisy motifs, by using buttonhole lace around the openings. I think I will also add a run of bullion knots along that edge too. I am thinking a lot about the outer edges of this piece. It will need to be damp stretched and after that the edges will be neatened, hemmed and again bullion knots will probably be added to finish the whole piece.

Meanwhile, the Simply stitch 3 piece is progressing. These images show a further stage of that although it is now a lot different, almost finished in fact.

Posted at 01:13 PM in bullion knots, lace, white | Permalink | Comments (18)

Tags: bullion knots, festooned, lace, white lace

02/19/2014

a large applique circle....

Remember I said I had a plan for the pink? To dampen the brightness? This is part one, a large, over sized applique circle edged with bullion knots sitting on top of the point mountain. It certainly felt like a point mountain when I was attempting to stitch through it. Several bent needles later here we are. There will be more of these circles on this surface, and more prairie points......strategically placed of course.

I am a little early today. I have a motorway to travel this afternoon. I am going North.....to eat cake.

(If you have registered for Simply Stitch 4 you should have received an e mail from me yesterday. If you didn't can you mail me. I will get back to you later tonight)