Karen Ruane

embroidered cloth and complimentary paper work

The contents of my  sample portfolios are taking shape. I now have enough pieces to put one portfolio together assuming each one will consist of six pieces in total, three cloth and three paper. I don't know when that will happen though. I am hesitant. There will be a lot of precise measuring and cutting required and there are still mounting decisions to make. Nervousness is playing a part too. When I put my first double page spread together I wasn't happy with it and since then it has been taken apart. I am a little fearful of making a mistake with these and having to undo them too.

I'm going to let them rest for a few days, come back to them, look again, wait for the spark.....

a gingham strip

You last saw these two pieces here and if you remember I asked you if they lived together. Your opinion was yes, they do live together.....I agreed with you.  There's no going back now.......they are permanently attached, like a marriage only these are joined with pink gingham as opposed to any kind of jewellery. 

The pink gingham strip forms a seam embellishment, kind of like a very long tab. I titivated it with clusters of French knots to mimic what's happening in the centre of the flower petals on the silk piece. Do you see what's happening? Cohesion.....................

This will become a ''coverlet''...eventually. However.....my ''eventually'' list will be so long shortly that I may never make my way through it. I was making videos for class this morning and whilst doing that a light bulb went on regarding something else I am desperate to make, something else for my ''eventually'' list......oh dear.

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Doodle class

a surface, embellished....

Gingham, dots and loops.

greys, whites, sampling

Sample portfolios....looking at where I am up to, laying things together...all in the name of moving this little project forward. I'm no wiser ''paper work''  wise but I have put together another cloth piece, (last image with the pins). Cloth always wins with me, that's just the way it is. I'm not going to push the paper aspect of these, it will happen when it happens.

I haven't got much to say today..............I know some of you will just have fell off your chair, (I can't shut up in class) but................................embrace the quiet while you can.

 

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knots, cloth and drawing.....pages

an update on Clara

I'm always telling you that stitching is happening in the background, stitching for class which I can't share. Here's the evidence....more embroidery for Clara, my story book for my class ''stitching a story''. It would be very easy to get lost in this, to not give a second thought to other pieces in progress but those pieces are pressing too...my mini portfolios, my new cloth taking shape from here. Some days I have to be tough with myself, be disciplined as I could so easily flit from one thing to another without achieving very much in the process. And then there's the doodle with paint from earlier this week and the doodle from yesterday.....oh my, what to do next? I think I'll put the kettle on.

 

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seams

doodles, mounting sheets and stitch

pattern

Don't worry, this isn't transforming in to some kind of no skill, low ability art blog. I haven't had much time for concentrated embroidery over the last couple of days except for stitching I am doing for class, hence my doodle today and this video. I just watched the video back and the patterning on the pages of this amazing book isn't very clear....so there's an example  here.

Yesterday, the painting, the angst? Thank you...I will copy it, I will play with copies, I will also do another one, a smaller one, one piece of cloth perhaps......

doodle

Remember the other day I said I had an idea for new patterning?  Well here it is. Draped cloth, doodled in pencil with a little watercolour added. I like it....but.....I have come to a halt. It isn't finished. I have no idea what to do next. I want to stitch on it. I could add pen to some areas for definition. I'm scared I will spoil it.

If this was fabric and thread I would be salivating at the thought of working on it. I would be stitching like crazy, no fear, no hesitation. I wish I had that confidence with paper, pencil and paint.

 

Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes. I had a lovely, quiet day. I was thoroughly spoilt. I only ate one piece of cheesecake.

 

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loops on white, a video

contrasts

The silk piece, the petal piece is almost completely embroidered....just one or two petals left to embellish. Having said that, I may add something else to that surface, I'm thinking......

The gingham piece has more work needed too, lots more work. Thing is, I have wondered for some time whether these two pieces would live together happily so I tried it this morning. I think they do. What do you think? 

I can't stay long today, there's cake to eat. Happy Birthday to me!

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three partial flower heads, a show and tell

petals

buttons and bling

As you know I am about to get new cabinets in which to keep all things stitch......so....I've been sorting out which mainly consists of moving one pile of stuff to another space and replacing it with another pile of stuff. Whilst shuffling piles of stuff I came across a couple of things which came back from France with me, a blingy pillow and two sets of buttons. They are now in the shop.

I've been embroidering lace cloth quietly for a few days now, for a class related project. Meantime, whilst my mind is wandering to all things sample and portfolio related whilst I stitch  it also wandered back a few years to a past project. I don't want to say too much about that today in case I create a huge mess which I can't share but this afternoon I plan to doodle with that project in mind, alter it, move it on and hopefully it will be the start of something ''quite'' new....by that I mean, same stitches, same cloth (one trick pony here) but different patterning....hopefully....

whites

Another piece has been created for my ''sample portfolio'' plan. Here I have taken photographs of the ''whites'' for this collection along with the new piece finished yesterday. More paper based work is needed and I intend to remount everything I have put together up until now....I'm not happy with the mounts. My paper has arrived for that but now I'm waiting for silk ribbon. meantime I will create more pieces. Sampling samples is what I have decided to call this process. Create embroidered samples, mount them, decide you aren't happy and do them again....

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Sampling, a video, thinking out loud.

presentation....

abc and a tiny scrap of lace

embroidery, lace, Marimekko and thread.

It's been a busy week...I resisted temptation in Paperchase. I would say that was my biggest achievement. New cabinets have been bought, white of course....they go on the wall next week. An expert will be doing it so they don't immediately collapse which is what would happen if we did it. I sorted out a cupboard, (second image) and if you can spot anything alcohol related in that image it has nothing to do with me. The red box, I bought that from a Graduate at a Degree show several years ago. It was part of her final collection of gift wrapping paraphernalia. The ceramic bowls in that image are extra special, hold  a lot of affection and good memories for me. I exhibited in London alongside the guy who made those several years ago. When I got home a parcel was waiting for me, those bowls, a gift from him. Since then he has become a superstar and was artist in residence at the V&A earlier this year....my claim to fame...he gifted me some of his work.

The cupboard with the untidy books...I still need to sort that out. I'm hoping to get a lot of things ''sorted out'' over the next couple of weeks. Famous last words I know but at least I have done one cabinet, that's further than I have ever gotten before. Finally, the last image....my post man making me happy....gifts...lace and pencils. Thank you. Marimekko pencils???? Who knew....