Karen Ruane

a single button

 

This piece has been added to. There is a single button, can you spot it? It's only visible in two of the pictures and I'm sorry but there's no prize for finding it. There is more piping, a double row with bullion knots wrapping it, several bumpy bits and some applique with little beaky bits. Oh yes...there are more prairie points too, can't forget the prairie points.

So that's it.....the madness of renovation continues around me as I stitch, eyes closed to the dirt and disruption. Up to now I have survived without the need for a bucket. I am told that Tuesday is the day I will need a bucket. I can't wait. Meanwhile it's off to mothers again tomorrow evening for a shower (150 mile round trip but I would hate to be smelly when you come visit)

Just another reminder of the new class....here...

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piping, buttons, titivation

buttons

sampling a swaddling band...

Swaddling is an age-old practice of wrapping infants in blankets or similar cloth so that movement of the limbs is tightly restricted.Swaddling bands were often used to further restrict the infant. Swaddling fell out of favor in the seventeenth century.

This piece is taking shape over in Simply stitch 4, sampling, creating cloth from scraps of lace, using historical reference to inform my process, keeping past research at the front of my mind before making any decision regarding my swaddling band. I first investigated the practice of swaddling years ago, at Uni. I haven't forgotten any of it, it was actually quite barbaric. It doesn't compare in any way to the gentle wrapping of infants which is practiced now although the origins of current methods are firmly embedded in past practice.

Sampling and ledger work is ongoing, the actual band is taking shape, (5th image). I am creating the foundation cloth myself from scraps of lace and silk. I am adding text and stitch. It's growing.....

We will be creating similar cloth to this in my new class, Lace, paper, cloth and stitch....similar cloth to this and more....

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last nights damp stretching

embroidery school.....

play.....

life from my phone

 

 

 

 

 

Last week from my phone. I do take pictures of other things with my phone, relatives, cakes, flowers and such, non embroidery related. I have actually been taking pictures of the wreck that is my bathroom, the dirt, the piles of rubble but you don't come here for that and trust me you are better not knowing.

Anyway, because I have no bathroom to speak of I have escaped to mothers.....just for the day but let me tell you....a full day with unhindered lavatory access is a day to be treasured.

 

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the next thing....(and an embroidery book)

composition

A little glimpse for you of where I am with Alchemy stuff. Design sheets, thread wrapped card, fabric swatches, stitched papers.....and let me tell you, I am way behind everyone else. I ordered a ledger for these yesterday, just a plain scribble pad actually. It will be used as a mount, somewhere safe to keep these sheets in order that they don't crease, creasing and paper is not a good combination.

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Adding embellishment

 

Really good progress was made with this piece last night. I added piping, points, and bumpy bits. I like how this is evolving, a little blue thread for French knots and plain cloth for the bumpy bits as a contrast to the pattern in the Broderie Anglaise and the Liberty cloth.

Today, while I'm ''on a roll'' I will add more, pin some more points on perhaps, maybe some more piping....

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Lace....

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three pieces of white

Three pieces of white, lace, cloth, samples, scraps, whatever, three pieces of playtime. Top image, the middle piece, that has pleated silk net applied to the surface. I wish you could see that ''in the flesh'', it is so light it reminds me of breath. 

The flatter piece, the vintage cloth piece looks a little out of place perhaps, like it doesn't belong here. I included it because I like the contrast. Obviously I didn't create that piece of cloth, I merely titivated it a little. The other two pieces I created myself, from scratch, from offcuts, adding thread and stitch.

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yesterdays sampling

more surface embroidery for the sample cloth

pleated muslin and embroidered silk

prairie points and rouleau loops....

I'm in that place again. That place where you know you have been working, stitching, creating yet you have very little to show for it. There are a lot of  things in progress around here, some I can't show yet, some you are most likely sick of seeing, some not quite ready to be placed in front of this audience. 

This piece is passable I think. It isn't damp stretched, naughty Karen....it's the beginnings of a pouch. Don't hold your breath waiting for the ending though, it might be some time. Other ''in progress'' pieces have priority.

 

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yesterdays sampling

Yesterday was a very productive day. The lace, silk and white cloth I gathered was sampled and then sampled some more. I now have gorgeous frothy lace everywhere waiting for hand embellishment, waiting for more inspiration to strike in order to extend these pieces, to inform new pieces. One of these is for ''4'', for my swaddling band. The other two are part of the sampling I am using to prepare for my new class, Lace, paper, cloth and stitch.

This weekend there will be more sampling, more lace, a little paper and a little pattern.

(I am ignoring the fact that I need to sort some ''house'' stuff out. I will be without  a bathroom all next week. There will be mess, there will be dirt, there will be noise. I will be cocooned in here with lace.)

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A glimpse today of what I was doing this morning. Strips were cut to make loops, a new pouch had prairie points and tabs added and lace has been used as the upper layer in a sandwich of cloth which very soon, in about five minutes actually, will be stitched on the sewing machine.

It's a horrible day here. Wet, grey, cold, dark, miserable......there's nothing else to do except stitch. Result.... and just for Linda....a dogs dinner

n.

a mess, a failure 

[Slang];[UK]it comes from the cooking domain where the phrase described a dish that was not tasty enough and therefore thrown away to dogs

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bits and bobs

It's been a funny couple of days....firstly there is something amiss with my blog feed. According to my stats I am talking to myself. I know I'm not because of your very welcome comments, it's a little disconcerting though, feedburner has gone AWOL, feedburner which is supposed to do what it says on the tin...feed. Anyone else encountered this?

And then I finished the pocket pillow. It's not like I don't have anything else to do but having a project like the pocket pillow is reassuring somehow.....or maybe that's just me. So I might start another one, maybe a pouch, no pillow just a pouch we shall see. 

Today's pieces? Lace for ''4''. Mounted samples for ''4'' and a piece of snippet cloth attached to a sample which was made for  Lace, paper, cloth and stitch. Why were they joined? Why not? Call it doodling with a needle and thread, respite in a busy house, (last night). There is something very soothing about bullion knots.

 

and please don't judge me. I am going to mount those samples again.

I made a proper pigs ear of that one.

make a pig's ear of something/doing something   (British informal)

to do something very badly

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this morning.....