Karen Ruane

a soft lower edge

A soft scrim and cotton lower edge, minimal embroidery , embellished with hand knotted gimp. If you look at the edges here, the ones completed, they give an idea of the number of edges I still need to embellish before these swatches can be considered finished. If you add in the fact I would like to titivate the reverse of these like I did here then it seems I will be stitching edges for quite some time. (sides also count as edges....add those in too) 

It excites me thinking about edges, planning edges, Suffolk puffs, beads, points, layers.....I want to start with a piece of embroidered cloth to drape behind this soft lower edge....a double edge,  a layered edge.

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a pocket, gimp and buttons

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pockets on a swatch

Pocket.....a piece of fabric attached onto or inside something which can be used to carry items.

Pockets on a swatch. The lemon and white one is evident, the flowery one? the pleats, three pleats which by the act of pleating create pockets. You can never have enough pockets, useable or otherwise. 

I wondered if I was heading for circle overload on this one but I think I can fit more straight lines in here if I try hard enough.

The cloth background I have used for this one is a chalky creamy colour. It looks much better ''in the flesh''.

Today is my little girls birthday. 

Happy birthday Helen. We love you to the moon and back.

 

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pockets...with pockets on top.

beads, books and Liberty

It's been a week of stitched swatches and artist books, samples for class and creating new surfaces for my next cloth swatch book. I've had boxes opened rummaging for that one thing you can never find when you need it, I've had beads auditioning for space on embroidered cloth and my ironing board doesn't know whether it's coming or going it's up and down so much. (I sometimes work on my ironing board as opposed to my table. it's  a much better height for me, no stooping)

The last image? A gift of Liberty cloth AND a Liberty gift voucher......I'm speechless.

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a corded strip for an edge

The double cord on silk with lemon bullion loops securing, that has been made for an edge. Trouble is I can't decide which edge. I initially created it for the piece with the folded hankie, now I'm not sure. It doesn't matter, I don't have to attach it yet, I can think, consider and change my mind every five minutes for a few days. I will just create another edge and they can fight it out between them.  

I quite like a puzzle, a little pile of pieces that would all live easily with each other when I decide to make up my mind.

I was so tempted to bead this corded piece, to bling it up with sequins and shiny things but I restrained myself. I don't want to be known as the boring stitcher who has no other skill aside from bling. The bullion loops are enough, I like it, it's understated however be warned.....I may have to channel my inner bling on the next one.

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beaded edges, folded cloth

Edges, the edges of embroidered fabric swatches.  Earlier in the week I was speaking about more folded hankie edges. They will still happen at some stage but for now I have resisted. For now we have folded cloth on one edge and beads and buttonhole stitch on another. On this one I have gone the extra mile, beading the seam edge on the reverse of the hem, the tiny gold beads. I don't know why I haven't thought of that before, after all the way I intend  to mount these pieces means the reverse will be visible. 

Embellished reverses may well become the new normal here. Just imagine how much potential for extra embroidery that creates. What's not to love?

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gimp and lace

gimp and buttons

You last saw this piece here, it was untouched by hand stitch, naked....not any more. I haven't added a lot to the surface yet but it has definitely been brought to life with the addition of three buttons, three gimp knots and five bullion loops.

I am in ''artist book'' mode, not only because of class but because of the waiting list I have of people wanting an ''artist book'' of their own. I can't rush them, they wouldn't be the same, they need to be considered, taken slowly, allowed to develop naturally. This piece is the first piece of embroidered cloth for that process. 

There are several post concerning ''artist books'' in this link.

I'm early today.....I am needed elsewhere. See you tomorrow.

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cross stitch and a folded hankie

Yesterday I said I would show you embroidery on this lace piece today.....sorry, I got too excited about my third swatch which is now finished and wanted to share that with you instead.

There is now a row of cross stitch alongside the vintage strip and a folded hankie which has a tiny pom pom decorating one fold with sequins along one edge. I now have three finished swatches, number four is being planned I just need to find a piece of plain cloth which excites me as a surface for all things titivate.  At some point over the next couple of days I will be gathering my three finished swatches, laying them side by side, thinking, using them to spark ideas for number four and five, to inspire.

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Saturday lace

Saturday, lace day....just this week, I'm not saying this is how I spend all my Saturdays. There are two very different pieces here. I prefer the one in the first hoop image but that could be because I worked on that a little more than the other one. Embroidery has been added to my favourite of these two (I will show you that tomorrow).....gimp knots, buttons and other things. It's coming along very nicely.

Later today I want to think about edges for my ''stitched swatches'' , (if you follow that link please scroll down as there is more than one post). I am hankering after folded hankies or folded cloth....if it turns out I can't resist be prepared to be bored by repetitive edge treatments!!

a very old fastening strip

This in number three swatch of five, I decided I want five swatches in my next bound, cloth swatch book. I found a very, very old blouse which was gifted to me some time ago. It's made from the finest lace, aged and worn with heavy staining in places which despite my best efforts will not budge. I don't really mind that to be honest, I like to see the history in cloth, to see the marks made before. Anyway.....I cut away a section of the front binding from the blouse where it meets to fasten. I am completely in love with that scrap of pink and the remnant of the fastening you can see here. The vintage piece was attached simply, stab stitch and running stitch. I think it lives well with the padded octagon and the small medallion like cutwork.  

There is a tiny cross stitch heart here too. I want more of those but I ran out of time before ''lights out'' last night.

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Stitch swatch number 2

Stitch swatch number two and three have now been joined to become a new number two. I chopped a bit off I wasn't happy with, joining the two pieces with a white and pink French knot seam. It's better, I'm happy. A greyish, silverish piece of silk has been added in the form of a ''bumpy bit'' along with a strip of floral print which has a beaded loop edge. 

It's a delight to work on these unplanned pieces, to just add whatever I want in whatever cloth, colour, technique I want. Number three has been started too.....think cross stitch, vintage scraps and octagons......

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