Karen Ruane

Lace

I have spent so much time with lace recently that I thought I'd look back to ''old'' lace work. Having said that, I spend time with lace most days......we have an obsessive relationship, can't live without each other. These pieces are from way, way back. These surfaces were embellished and turned into pin pillows......you may have bought one. Did you? Do you still have it?

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Wrapping cloth show and tell

If you watched the video on Wednesday you will be expecting this.....a wrapping cloth show and tell. Two cloths, both of which travelled to France with me and are now safely home. 

Before the video allow me an indulgence 

It's my little girls birthday today. Happy birthday Helen...we love you to the moon and back.

 

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knots, cloth and drawing.....pages

a ledger

My old friend ''doodle doo'', a ledger/sketchbook/journal I bought several years ago and which is gradually filling up with ''white'' ideas, stitching and a little pen. None of these images are new...I wanted to gaze at this a little that's all, pick a few favourite pictures and share a couple, of old, short videos with you. I did consider taking this to France. It would have been great to receive feedback from that audience yet I worried about it's overall safety in terms of too many page turns, too many fingers, too much attention. I think I made the right decision. Some of you will have seen the videos before.....those of you who haven't...enjoy....

Bullion loops.....

I'm convincing myself that I am capable of embroidering a bullion loop following on from my chat about failure in that department in France which I posted yesterday. I'm also unloading a bit today about my lack of direction, my floundering as I am ''between'' things, classes and such like. I'm also talking about the fact that I am going away again tomorrow......sorry.....it's compulsory, there's a special occasion I cannot avoid. Because of that, if you register for ''Stitching a Story'' after today you will need to wait 72 hours for your ''welcome'' mail....thought I best explain that one. I'm not completely abandoning you though. I am working very hard to pre time blog posts for when I'm away....you don't get rid of me that easily.

If you weren't here yesterday I can recommend the video...a chat about my workshop in France. 

 

 

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Workshop chat....a video about France

OK.....France again...you were warned. A video for you in which I ''bang on'' about the workshop and other things....

Your response to yesterdays post was phenomenal...thank you. I'm still not back to ''normal'' but this morning the unpacking, tidying and sorting out took a back seat as I introduced myself to Clara and prettified her a little ready for next Monday. 

 

 

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my schoolwork

France.....

workshop in progress

my vintage purchases

oops.....more shopping!

a fabulous gift....thank you...

 

I'm back.....there's no place like home. I am unpacking, washing, putting away cloth, salivating over one or two purchases and trying to take in everything from last week, how amazing it was, how exhausting it was, how busy it was (at times I struggled to get anywhere near my space), how friendly the people were, how excited they appeared to be about my work. I was humbled on more than one occasion and if I never hear the word ''magnifique'' again it won't matter because I heard it a zillion times last week. (there are many more images on my Instagram, there are also a couple of 16 second videos on there.)

The workshops were so successful, the learners were engaged and enthusiastic, leaving apparently very happy and excited to go home and finish their lace embroidery. I like to think I made some friends.....who knows, I feel as though I did.

I sold out of puffs, I sold a lot of buttons and ledgers and packets of embroidered cloth. I sold paperwork.....I didn't sell any pockets. I'm not actually surprised at that. The show was more of a venue for buying ''supplies'', threads, fabric, needles and such and I think  most people attending would feel capable of making a pocket for themselves. (having said that...you would not believe the number of people I met who had NEVER stitched a French knot) The French knot and I were inseparable last week, I must have stitched hundreds of them for demonstration purposes and not in the workshop....for customers.

I did get offered a lot of money for one of my ''not for sale'' wrapping cloths but they are far too precious to part with. Lot's of leaflets regarding ''Stitching a Story'' were picked up too, there were a lot of questions about that so who knows....that class may well have a ''French'' feel to it.....we shall see.

I am very, very happy to be home. I have so much more to say about the past week...prepare yourselves if you have signed up for class....... I will have you yawning before the second week is over! I will speak more about France on here of course but I can guarantee I will be ''banging on about it'' in class for weeks.

 

Registration for ''stitching a story'' now open)

 

One or two of you expressed an interest in buying certain pieces if they did not sell in France. I can't remember who wanted what so if you want to ask about a particular piece please just mail me.

white

I did it, I managed to find the two spare hours needed to satisfy the hankering I had for white lace cloth...I spoke about it yesterday. The two hours were hiding in the cupboard marked ''don't panic you are running on adrenalin''. I'm so pleased I did this, I love it, it makes me happy, it completes my preparations.

I'm closing the shop later today, the registration for my new class will open again a week on Monday. I will be back on here a week on Monday. I need to pack. I need to iron. I miss you already.....got to dash....

 

(patched pockets girls....I am waiting for the men to vacate the house, go to the football before I make your video...an estimate....it will be ready in a  couple of hours....when have I ever let you down?...OK...don't answer that!!)

lace and beads

Lace cloth is now in rolls...as opposed to coming out of my ears like I said earlier in the week. I love how it looks rolled like this, it also makes me realise how little housework I've done lately....stitch and housework can't be done in unison. (my house is like a bomb site...I'm not in the least bit bothered...please don't judge me)

The puffs, the padded Suffolk puffs....I was going to say they are the final thing I am making to take with me but I'm not sure they are. I have an overwhelming desire to make a piece of white lace cloth....pure white.....I obviously haven't formed an aversion to creating lace cloth after the past weeks marathon which is  good thing. I now just have to search for the spare couple of hours I need to actually satisfy that urge.

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an edge of embroidered Suffolk puffs

Thirteen

books, bags, labels. buttons....

A glimpse for you of what I've been doing. There's been a bit of French printing going on as you can see. There's been a lot of stuff put in bags...(for protection in transit and for display). Cloth pieces such as pillows, pockets and wrapping cloths won't be going in bags.......but for travelling they will be wrapped in white acid free tissue and bubble wrap.

The little thread cards with the labels tied on with ribbon......they will very shortly have coloured thread wrapped on them for my workshops...pink and green to be precise. 

Next on my ''to do''  list is exactly that, thread wrapping.....

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a surface, embellished....

beads and labels....

I was worried last week that as I am focusing on getting ready for France and have also been consumed by making lace cloth that I wouldn't have anything to put on here to keep you interested. What didn't occur to me though was that I was still working, finishing things and those could be shown on here. So, last night I burnt a little midnight oil and completed two little artist books. ( I also put Suffolk puffs into little packets but I figure you don't want to see plastic packets every day) 

Back to the books. These two are completely finished, crammed with embroidered samples, scraps of painted paper, buttons, Suffolk puffs, graph paper, plain paper. One has dangly beads....I like those, I may do that to another one. They both have labels at one edge, (as do the other as yet unfinished three). There are three waiting to be finished....that's tonight's task. If you go here, to my Instagram there is a little video (16 seconds) which flips through one of these.

I am still quite a way from being ready to travel on Sunday. I had planned to make more lace cloth, white lace cloth but I doubt that will happen now, more buttons were planned too. It's OK though.....I can only do what I can do. I have reached the point now where I am content that I have done all I can....and will accept that it's enough.

Just a reminder too...I didn't make these little books. I bought them from here, a friend, who is more than happy for me to use them in this way.

And, as we are talking books.....''stitching a story'', my new class. Please take a look.

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pages

Suffolk puffs on a page