Karen Ruane

how long?

 

Do you remember me saying that I had been looking through my masses of images and when I went way, way back I was amazed with some of the work? It's not that I had forgotten as such, I can remember what happened to each and every one of these pieces, it's more that I became aware all over again of how much stitching we actually do without realising. Wow.......memory lane.

That's a self portrait at the top by the way, done in art school, foundation degree. I must get that terrible skin problem on my neck sorted out.

 

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In terms of surface embroidery I think this piece is finished. It has a new seam, an edge of buttonhole lace worked in a very soft, green silk thread. There are new loops and French knots dotted across the top band and silk knots have also been added to one of the existing running stitch seams.

Next time you see this it will have been transformed into a pocket. A pocket for what? Anything you like is the answer to that one. This is one of four pockets in progress. If you know me, you will know I don't like even numbers so prepare for my four pockets to become five pockets at any time.

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mostly flowers.....

There are lots of flowers in these pictures aren't there. I didn't have them all at once though.....some will have died before I got the others. I read once that Elton John used to have a flower bill of 30,000 pounds a month, yes. Mine is a mere 3 pounds a week. I don't honestly think I could spend 30,000 pounds on flowers. Are they gold plated? And besides....think of all the cloth you could buy for 30,000 pounds.

This was my week, or more like the last ten days. Not many pictures for some reason, I'm slacking. It's been about doodling, ledgers, pouches and pillows. I also did a tiny bit of Christmas buying, wrapping paper, kidding myself that I'm organised.

How was your week?

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Two pages, ten pictures, I couldn't decide which ones to leave out. I get carried away, what can I say. The Hankie ledger evolves, small stitched samples, hankies and snippets of lace. Some feminine hankies, some masculine. Flowers, leaves, stripes, checks.

It's all paper related here at the moment.....I know, I'm supposed to be an embroiderer........still, embroidery is embroidery whether on paper or cloth. We are just going into our second week of Doodle, gather, create. It's going to be a three week class not two as I intended. Another example of me getting carried away.

This is happening over there, as is this. It's all coming together now, I'm happy. As for Simply stitch 5, well.....this ledger is from there and we have a hankie cloth rapidly evolving which you may get to see very soon.

Doodle, stitch, mix and match.

 

 

More doodling has been happening, more playing with paper, pens, needles, stitches. I've also been mixing things up a bit, adding totally unrelated cloth to the mix, laying it behind cut outs, folding, creating edges. There are so many pattern variables here, so much possibility, too many directions to take. 

Sometime, in the future, I will re visit these images and be inspired all over again.

embellishing

A little embroidery has been added to the pillow top I put together earlier this week. So far there is buttonhole lace, bumpy bits, stab stitch, two tiny tabs and a seam of bullion loops. There is still some way to go on this one and for those of you who missed it I have posted the video again which demonstrates  how I put this piece together.

A word about pin pillows.....how can you stick pins in that lovely piece? That's a question I get asked all the time. Well, if you think the pin pillows I create are too good for pins take a look at this and this, from my Instagram feed taken whilst visiting a local Historic House this week.

 

 

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It's finished. the pouch, the pouch that is my present to me. I love it....a lot. I lined it with a very soft cotton and backed it with silk Dupion. Four tiny puffs have been added to the reverse, finishing touches. Very soon this will be full of my white cloth, new cloth that I use for backing and lining that I can never seem to find in a hurry. I will have no excuses now, I should know exactly where it is. 

This one measures around 18 x 11 inches. It is roughly the same size as my muslin pouch and a lot bigger than my Liberty pouch. I have just spent a good ten minutes looking for an image of my muslin pouch and I can't find one. You can see it here though, a small part of it anyway, under the tiny measure, the sewing gauge in the eighth image down.

I also looked through my flickr photostream in an effort to locate said muslin pouch. No luck with that but I did realise just how many images I have on there and some of them really excited me, brought back memories of what was happening in my life when I made certain pieces. If it's OK with you I will choose some soon and create a post using old images with maybe a few new thoughts.

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French knots and silver purl

Doodle class

A quick glimpse for you of what we are getting up to in doodle class. Much as I love white cloth, Liberty fabric, gingham, lace..... I also have a special love of paper, good paper, smooth paper and textured paper. I'm not a lover of paint. I am a lover of fine pen however and a French knot dotted here and there on a doodled background.

Yesterdays video.....you liked it!! Nobody fell asleep.....thank you. I put  a few loops on that piece last night. One seam is slowly taking shape, one of many I might add, there is still a way to go. Tomorrow it's the pouch. It's finished. It's mine. 

I must dash,  I am being taken here for lunch...........

 

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connected?

putting together a pillow top, a video

You liked the pillow? Wow...thank you. Staying with the pillow theme I have put another one together, on camera.

It's pinned now, waiting to be tacked and titivated. There is Broderie Anglaise, a strip of vintage white and of course a little Liberty print. I have no idea yet how I will embroider this but suffice to say....and you will not be surprised, there will definitely be loops and bumpy bits.

a pillow

 

Yes, it's finished. Stick pins in it, don't stick pins in it. This one is bigger than my usual pin pillows so could be used purely for decoration, a little pillow which has escaped the pins!! It's in the shop now....well actually it's on my table but you know what I mean.

Phew, I'm late today. I've been to get my feet titivated. No manicure, no painted toe nails but gorgeous feet all the same. It reinvigorates, it's like walking on air.  Before I went I put my pouch together.....sort of. It's backed now, it needs finishing. The big reveal will be later this week. I want to make puffs for it so that is tonight's job along with a little stitching on paper for the doodle class. First though...I'm going to put the kettle on.