Karen Ruane

Gimp or no gimp

Another patchwork piece has been appliqued to this surface with one waiting for me to decide where I should put it. I'm now wondering what else I can use to embellish this piece of silk...gimp? Yes or no? Probably.....

Related articles

gimp....

adding French knots to a page

More pages, hexagons, French knots, a little gimp, a small piece of ''paperwork'', prints of embroidery, pieces of note paper, pieces of graph paper, gingham and doodles. There are three double spread pages here, not enough for one book. You may be seeing this kind of thing for some time, embroidery will be dotted in between.

 

Related articles

pieces of a pocket puzzle

gimp....

with added hexagons and three more flowers

I'm almost mesmerised by this hand blocked cloth. It's like nothing I've ever used before at least as the focal point for a finished piece. It lives so well on the white silk, like it belongs, like the contrast option of these two very different surfaces was begging to be explored.

Since you last saw it I added three more flower heads (not padded). They fall from below the strip of cloth I added in this video. There is also a half 'Grandmothers flower garden' hexagon piece, I think there will be more of those. 

I'm considering the lining already, pieces of both joined together? Strips? Squares? Or maybe fine strips of the hand blocked cotton dotted on white silk? I am so indecisive.....I feel some sampling coming on.

Related articles

more pockets, tiny pockets.

an embroidered lining and a button

an edge of cutwork

knots, cloth and drawing.....pages

new cloth

gimp....

yesterday afternoon....

Books, pages, ledgers, artist books. Three hours yesterday afternoon devoted to putting some of these together. Numerous pages, numerous samples, numerous painted swatches, mini designs, prints, thread, needles, scissors....phew. Following my three hours paper play time I have three finished books and three more to make. The upshot? I need quite a few more pages. I haven't listed these yet, two are spoken for and I will leave the listing until I have four for the shop.

Remember yesterday I mentioned reviews? Reviews of my classes, my work, my blog? I have four now....thank you...I'm blushing. I can assure you that no money has changed hands, no bribery has taken place....yet....If you want to read those you can go here and I would really appreciate if anyone else wanted to leave one too. 

Related articles

three more makes six

embroidered silk and an accompanying ledger page

pages

Making plans with gingham

I have an idea, a plan, can't say too much about it at the moment because basically I haven't got it figured out for myself yet but it's to do with sampling. Sampling cloth, sampling cloth colours, cloth pattern. It includes sampling edges and fastenings too....

I had some fun yesterday afternoon playing with gingham. I might do something similar with silk today. The only silk I have is white. I do however have white silk lace of various kinds, patterned surfaces. That might make a pretty collection, what do you think?

Tomorrow there will probably be more pages for little books. They are developing slowly like I said but I like to reconnect with those for an hour every so often. That way the pile gets bigger without me even noticing.

This morning I added a ''review'' facility to my facebook page. You can rate me out of five. I would really appreciate it if you had a look and left a little feedback maybe??? If you go here you should be able to see what I mean. If you have ever bought anything from me you could rate that, you could rate a class if you have taken one of those, you could also rate my blog.

Finally.....the doodle group on Flickr. I should have been clearer about this group. It isn't anything to do with any of my classes. I only set it up to encourage you all to doodle. I have no other input over there. It is open to everyone. Images do not have to be private like they are in my online classes...public, for anyone, for everyone....

Related articles

pockets...with pockets on top.

embroidered silk and an accompanying ledger page

new cloth

how one thing leads to another

knots, cloth and drawing.....pages

embroidered silk and an accompanying ledger page

The body bag has been getting regular attention since ''embroidered pockets, human cloth'' began. This piece is referenced by the ''human cloth'' aspect of that title....it's a human sized pocket or at least it will be when it's finished. It started life as a series of ''sampler cloths'', pieces of silk embroidered and embellished with no plan in mind, no structure as such. The silk base was a vehicle for sampling stitches and embroidery techniques such as patchwork and applique.

The ledger page shown here goes way back to the beginning of this piece, it's at least a year and a half old...I honestly can't remember exactly but I stand ready to be corrected. The ledger and the cloth have been a part of this house for so long now it seems like they have always been here, I can't remember what it was like before I began the challenge that is the body bag.

I made a pledge that each week of class, (embroidered pockets) would involve one session with this piece of work. Progress is still slow but it's steady, it's regular. I reconnect with this piece at least once a week. I love that I do that......

Related articles

white, pockets, loops....

knots, cloth and drawing.....pages

continuing in black and white

Stitching a page

Look away now, it's another video. It's becoming quite a habit isn't it. I'm enjoying it and really hope you are too. Stitches have been added to the page from this video, like a little white ladder creeping its way skywards. It needed lifting, it was ''dull'' and if truth be told a little dreary. Just add a little white coton a broder, a needle and hey presto.....

The doodle group is making me very happy too. There are some fantastic doodles going on. I'm resisting the urge to comment, to favourite because like I said it's a group for you, I can't commit to input of any kind but I do love to look. Anyone can join, just go here to enjoy the doodles and while you are there join up if you like.

Related articles

gimp....

an edge of cutwork

a strip of cloth, a video

The piece from yesterday, a little more stitch. I decided to add a strip just under the flowers, it works for me. Sometimes sectioning a piece off like this allows you to see the whole piece more clearly. It helps me when I am considering what else to put on the surface. 

This piece will rest for a few days now, other pieces need my attention. This time next week I am hoping to have another finished pocket from class. That one will be for me. That will be two I have from class and  a third is under way too.

There are also pages needing attention, at least another twenty. That sounds like a lot and is quite scary unless I say it quickly!! They will be finished a few at a time, slowly......

 

Related articles

an embroidered lining and a button

new cloth

New cloth, not the kind of cloth I usually buy. I was drawn to it, what can I say. I got it here, scroll down the page....the interesting stuff is lower down. (if you are in my class I show you this and speak about it in one of Wednesdays videos)

I figured if I buy it and use it in the same way I would a piece of Broderie Anglaise or Liberty or white then I can make it fit with ''me''. What do you think? I think so far so good. Four padded applique motifs, four chain stitch stems and a lot of bullion knots on white silk.....I think its working. I'm not sure what comes next, I'm thinking about it. A strip may figure, a thin hemmed piece of this stretching across the width, just under what's here already? Maybe....

 

Related articles

more pockets, tiny pockets.

knots, cloth and drawing.....pages

gimp....

knots, cloth and drawing.....pages

French knots, snippet cloth, chain stitch, lines, black and white mark making, couched gimp.....pages. I have quite a few of these done now but still not nearly enough. I think I need at least another twenty. It will be slow, I'm fitting it in around pockets and cloth and doodling other things. I'm not in a  hurry. I think if I were to work on these until they were all finished at the expense of everything else I wouldn't enjoy making them. As it is, every so often I have a nice diversion, a little paper play. That works for me.

Related articles

how one thing leads to another

white, pockets, loops....

pieces of a pocket puzzle