Karen Ruane: March 2016

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March 2016

03/21/2016

Paperwork, a growing collection

Sigh.....cloudy day equals gloomy images....I must have a word with the guy who's responsible for the weather. Another finished piece of paperwork to add to the growing collection. You last saw it here, it's been added to since then. I now have five pieces....I would like to have ten but may have to settle for seven, we''ll see how it goes. These will shortly be mounted onto A3 bright white mount board then these too can be ticked off the France list.

Later today, imminently, I will be working more in my little books.....filling a few pages. Perhaps I should rename those ''a few pages here and there'' books.

Posted at 12:58 PM in embroidered paper, paperwork | Permalink | Comments (16)

Tags: embroidered paper, paperwork, stitched paper

03/20/2016

button cloth

After much deliberation and dithering I finally made choices about which buttons lived together happily, complimented each other and them tied them to little pieces of button cloth, attached them to textured card and put them in little bags...button cloth is now ticked off the France list.

Button cloth could however find itself back on the France list if I make more buttons over the next four weeks.....and I can't guarantee I won't.

There is an old post about button cloth here...with a short video....

Posted at 12:58 PM in buttons | Permalink | Comments (15)

Tags: button cloth, buttons

03/19/2016

yesterday

Friday, lace cloth and Suffolk puffs. The lace cloth here is for my workshop in France. I need 20 pieces...so far I have two. I'm not worried.....it is achievable, a couple of days intense work on the sewing machine and I can put my little kits together for the class.

My current online classes end this coming week. I will then have around four weeks to immerse myself in all things France. I would still like to create at least one more pin pillow, at least two more pockets and another three pieces of paperwork. Alongside that I hope to put together a few little ''goody bags'' made up of lace cloth, doodled cloth, Suffolk puffs and buttons.

In essence that is a mini list of what you can expect to see on here between now and then.

I will be listing a new class soon too, to begin when I get back from my trip. Keep an eye open for a short video regarding that sometime in the next seven days.

Posted at 12:51 PM in embroidery hoop, lace cloth, Suffolk puffs | Permalink | Comments (11)

Tags: embroidery hoop, lace cloth, Suffolk puffs

03/18/2016

four days later

You last saw this one here four days ago. Not a lot of work for four days you might think but I've been doing other stuff too....honest....

Four days ago this had a single, solitary bumpy bit. Now it has three rather large bumpy bits and five tiny ones along with stems, French knots and bullion knots. There will be more tiny bumpy bits, white ones, applied to the patterned cloth here before I begin a titivation marathon for the other areas. It's all planned out in my head, all that's needed now is an ironing board, an iron, some scissors, thread, cloth and sewing needles.....

Posted at 01:01 PM in applique, piping cord, prairie points | Permalink | Comments (11)

Tags: applique, Broderie Anglaise, bumpy bits, padded applique, piping cord, prairie points

03/17/2016

titivated with puffs....

I can understand if your first thought coming here today is ''on no, not this again'', but bear with me....it's finished!! You have seen it at various stages ''in progress''....now you get to see the bigger picture, the finished article, the completed pocket. Edges have been adorned with Suffolk puffs, there is a button, there is a hint of stitch on the lining, the back has a garden of flowers....done, finished, complete, stitched to death, titivated to the nth degree.

Posted at 12:38 PM in pocket, puffs, silk, Suffolk puffs, titivations | Permalink | Comments (11)

Tags: edges, pocket, puffs, silk, titivations

03/16/2016

folded hankies

This surface was put together in class a few weeks ago. Vintage white hankies, folded, secured with embroidery, a tiny pocket at the top edge of one, (visible in the foreground of the second image with a bullion loop edge) and applique petals, flowers.....

More applique will be added to this before I decide on my options for the reverse and the lining. I am hoping to finish it in such a way that the longest hankie drape extends beyond the finished edge, remains free just like the folds and drapes have been preserved in this one.

Posted at 12:48 PM in handkerchief, white | Permalink | Comments (8)

Tags: folding, hankies, pocket, white

03/15/2016

cloth and titivations

Yesterday afternoon....creating lace cloth on the sewing machine, measuring, pressing and marking silk and patterned cloth for buttons and Suffolk puffs. The buttons and Suffolk puffs were embroidered last night. I now have ingredients for goody bags.....not many goody bags as yet but it's a start.

Other cloth pieces here are from my stash, my stash of things I have made, I have stitched or doodled and then had printed. If you have watched any of the videos posted on here about putting my little books together you will know that I embroider pieces of cloth, paint sheets of paper, doodle on paper in order to build a stock of pieces I can use in my artist books....just like in this video which I chose at random. Now that stash is coming in handy for goody bags.....who knew.

Posted at 12:55 PM in buttons, cloth, lace cloth, pattern, Suffolk puffs, titivations | Permalink | Comments (10)

Tags: buttons, cloth, doodle cloth, pattern, Suffolk puffs, titivations

03/14/2016

piping cord, prairie points and bumps

A new pocket taking shape, the early stages. So far it has three oversize prairie points, one bumpy bit and a strip of piping cord. The three fabrics pieced together here compliment each other I think although the very open pattern on some of the Broderie Anglaise might present a challenge further down the line in terms of embellishment. I may add applique on the surface of that area...or perhaps create a few buttons to decorate that section....or Suffolk puffs......who knows.

Posted at 12:52 PM in piping cord, prairie points | Permalink | Comments (13)

Tags: bumps, piping cord, prairie points

03/13/2016

Saturday and Sunday

This weekend has mostly been about the sewing machine...and cloth of course. I've made lace cloth and pin pillow cloth. The pin pillow cloth needs more work, it's in its very early stages here, that's my plan for later......more time spent with the sewing machine finishing the pin pillow cloth.

Oh yes, almost forgot.....I made more puffs for this....

Posted at 01:02 PM in lace, lace cloth, sewing machine, Suffolk puffs | Permalink | Comments (6)

Tags: lace cloth, sewing machine, Suffolk puffs

03/12/2016

complimentary.....

Yesterday afternoon I made lace cloth, this piece and more. I thought it might be a good idea to have a little bit of cohesion going on....( just generally) so I am picking pattern out of finished pieces and making lace cloth to compliment, to live alongside pockets and pillows and things. I won't be building ''collections'' as such because I don't have time but somewhere down the line there may be a couple of buttons thrown into this new desire for cohesion too.