Karen Ruane

preserving stitched scraps

Yesterday if you remember I was having some kind of mini creative crisis. I still am I think but not as much, I think I'm beginning to see the light. I definitely won't be throwing anything away, I won't be making any drastic decisions. Last night I played with more paper, more white. (not shown here, I will show you soon) I am beginning to think white is always the answer as far as I am concerned. Maybe I was feeling  a little lost and white is who I am so I need to reconnect with that from time to time. That's as far as my self analysis goes for now....I am happy with the paper piece you can't see just yet and have plans to move it on.

So what's happening today? What's this all about? It's a similar thing, white, looking at old white, preserving this, keeping it safe. It's all explained in the video.

 

 

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bling, gimp, silk, paper

 

I know.....it's not a silk drawstring bag like I promised you yesterday. Sorry about that. I didn't get the bag damp stretched...oops, I'm slacking. 

Instead I give you a glimpse of the things crowding my head today, (and for the last million days or so it seems) What exactly do I love the most when mixed with paper? The answer is here, white fabric, white stitch, metallic silk tissue, lace, gimp and glass beads. Now all I need to do is develop my paper experiments with those little things in mind and hey presto we should have lift off. Somehow I doubt it will be that simple. It is however a good starting point.

Do you ever feel as if you want to get rid of everything, I mean samples, finished pieces, old ideas? To get rid of it all and start again, clean slate, an empty mind, no plans, no goals. Kind of be reborn into your love of cloth and embroidery and have no idea how you will express yourself creatively?  Just me then? I don't know why but I have felt like that for a couple of days now......I am putting it down to a ''creative meltdown''....please tell me I am not the only one.

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Silk, bling and a swaddling band

lace cloth and glass beads....

goodbye Clara (for now)

goodbye Clara (for now)

I have been promising you a final look at Clara for a few weeks now.....here it is. She isn't finished. There are many more ways in which this little lady can be adorned and titivated but for now she is having a rest. A silk drawstring bag is in progress where I can let her rest, safely, free from dust and tattered pages. Tomorrow I will most likely show you progress with that.

This class is now available as a ''work on your own'' option. (there are 91 videos) You can take a look at that here. (please note....access to the private Flickr group is not included with work on your own classes)

I am early today.....I am going here shortly. An amateur photographer not a million miles from here is anxious to take photographs. I wonder if there are any fabric shops in the vicinity?

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pockets...with pockets on top.

two silk dresses

paper and scrim, experiments...

Paper is a recurring theme at the moment. I am testing, sampling, trying out ideas....of which there are many. Part of me wishes I could focus but it's too soon. I know there is a lot of sampling to do but for some reason I want the answer now.......patience is on holiday it seems. 

This one is pleated with an insert of scrim...there is mileage in this. First I need to figure out how I want to embellish the fluffy mound of scrim and then think about the logistics of that. Then I need to see if this lives with other paper pieces I have played with recently, take a little area from one and add it to a little area of another. Mix and match is what I need here....along with a little patience.

developing pages

Developing more pages in this very inspirational notebook. This ''set'' , these two pages aren't finished yet, they definitely need more.  At the moment I am thinking pen, doodle, black or blue but you will notice the absence of both of those which can only mean one thing. Yes....I am still dithering or as I would prefer to think of it....I am still considering.

I could get lost in this book, climb in there with my needle and thread, my black and blue pen and never be seen again.....what a tempting thought. Going a little off topic that reminds me about an exhibition I once saw about a little lady who lived in the wallpaper of a castle.....also very tempting. 

Meanwhile, back to the pages.....these are really helping me make decisions about my paper pieces, the ones I spoke of here. Ideas are forming and paper is being stitched.....

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too tempting...

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show and tell....a coverlet

It's finished. I love it. I am going to miss working on it. A video show and tell. Three minutes long. 

 

Someone sent me this, thank you. A very worthwhile reason to get stitching.

If you are registered for ''wrapped and bound in stitch'' you should have received sign in information this morning. If you didn't receive that can you please let me know.

paper on my mind

I've been doing that thing again...you know, looking at old work in order to inform new work. This piece is 11 years old. Can you believe that? 11 years, where has the time gone. Recently I have been fiddling a little with paper, no plans, just playing. I'm talking about these pieces.

I'm now wondering how the paper from then can work with the paper from now. Although I am starting a new ''cloth focused'' class tomorrow, on the side, in the background, away from class I also want to explore this paper fixation. The sampling below excites me too. Maybe this will come into play somewhere when I set aside some time for paper experiments.

There's a lot to think about, a lot of ideas bubbling away,  a lot of sampling to be done. Let's see where it takes me. Let's see what I have to show for it 11 years from now.

 

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wet, damp stretched cloth

The past week or so....finishing a class, preparing to begin a new class. Planning the finishing touches for my gingham and silk coverlet and drooling over buttons. What's not to love........ Best of all? Today I am away with this wonderful person, we are visiting family, eating good food and having a ball. 

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adding French knots to a page

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gingham, pockets, gimp and French knots....

three little pockets

final pages

Paper dresses, press studs, hooks and eyes, page overlays. Clara has been titivated to the nth degree. I will miss her. I said earlier in the week  that I would create an image heavy post about Clara. I will....but it will have to wait a few days. 

These images are from our last day in school. our final assignment. The overlay in particular has get my imagination working overtime. There are so many options for development with that one, so many other applications for that process......be prepared to see something similar in the future.

 

 

Yesterday Facebook shared a memory with me. (it does that everyday) Yesterday the memory was of a magazine article from last year....a magazine article about moi :) :). 

I was overwhelmed with the response on Facebook yesterday so thought I would share it here too.

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Making plans with gingham

loops on white, a video

finishing touches

The top of my gingham and silk coverlet is finished, embroidered, titivated, embellished. It is now damp stretched and dry. It will stay laid upright against the cupboard for now until I am ready to put the back on. It's safer there, won't get creased. (I didn't stand it up until it was dry because all the water would have ran to the bottom and that won't do!!)

The next exciting part starts now...deciding on the cloth for the reverse, I chose Broderie Anglaise. I am sure that doesn't surprise you. Then there's pockets, should it have them? how many? where to put them? 

I decided on two bright ones. I will reveal where I plan to put them when it's finished. Edges? What to do about the edges? Buttons.....yes buttons. There was a little of this,

There was a lot of stitching and hey presto.....15 buttons.

These may go on the reverse, they may go on an edge.....I haven't decided yet. I may put a few on the reverse and a few along an edge ............ we shall see.

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gimp....

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