Karen Ruane

all things embroidery related

I'm not here.....see you tomorrow.

folding and stitching pages

More work, more playing, testing and sampling in this little book. I'm pushing the ''artist book'' ideas for class and although this little book won't be featured in class, work done here feeds my ideas list, sparks ideas for other things to pursue in class. 

Pages have been folded here and secured with stitch before beads were added along with a little collaged and torn paper, the page was then finished with a little memory thread. I like to look at each page alongside previously embellished pages, to see how they alter each other. It's quite difficult to do that with this book, it is tightly bound but a little gentle rolling and bending usually does the trick.

You can sign up for the current ''artist book'' class here.

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two new pieces

 

 

Yesterday I was debating which of my two new pieces of ''hankie work'' to show you today. I couldn't decide so I am going to show you both of them. The first one is above, the second below.

 

 

 

 

and the three latest pieces are all together here

 

My brain is working overtime with these. I won't be saying too much about them as I have an idea for a ''mini class''. The beauty of my new 12 month class is partly the time it will free up for me to host mini classes and this could well be the first one. 

I am having problems with my email. It may be best, if you need to contact me to use Facebook, Flickr mail or Instgaram direct messaging.

 

If you are registered for the ''artist book 12 month subscription class'' new video was posted on the private blog yesterday. I did send an email....

 

moving things around

I've been playing with little samples, an exercise in composition and surface design, seeing what lives with what and what doesn't. Whilst I am working on various pieces for the ''12 month artist book subscription blog'' I am also conscious of my own little book which is yet to be finished and other little books I may wish to put together outside of class over the coming months. For now this little design is mounted on to a soft, linen like paper. It won't stay on here, these little pieces will be removed and used on other pages but I have a record, a prompt, photographic evidence to be used again and again. 

I gave you a rest from hankie embroidery today but that is still going on in the background. I have two hankie pieces in progress which you haven't seen yet. Now I need to decide which one to show you tomorrow.

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a hankie sample

Hankie play is still going on, cutting them up, stitching on them...needle cases and other plans. The new piece here is the first piece for a new idea but since taking these images I have had another, more tempting idea. My brain has a lot to answer for. I love how this collection is growing and how it looks in the last image. The new piece won't be a needle case or a button cloth. Like I said, it's for something else and the only reason I'm not saying, not revealing the plan is in case it goes wrong. That idea will most likely be delayed for a couple of days now though because of the light bulb moment I had earlier, the other new idea.

Later today I am going to test something, pin a few hankies together, work out the technical aspects of a piece (there will be more head scratching) and hopefully begin the embroidery on the next ''hankie thing.''  I bought new fabric pens earlier this week. I will get chance to try those out too when the doodling on hankies part of all this comes into play. (I doodled on the others...can you see?) I speak about that patterning here, those doodling choices.

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I spent a couple more hours with this yesterday. Along with filling pages I added pages....it's a good thing I'm in no hurry to finish this one. You will recognise the lilac scrap from yesterday. That is waxed paper, it's beautiful. It's so useful as it lives happily alongside almost anything. The smallest piece of it can transform a composition,  a little piece of cloth, a different paper, lay a tiny torn strip of the lilac alongside and it completely changes. 

 

papers, pages, stitch

 

Aside from what's happening in the new class I am still creating this little book of my own. More embroidery has been happening to fill the spaces within that little book. Paper has been stitched to cloth, there are French knots, beads, ribbon and a textured piece which is a combination of paper and fabric. If I now spend an hour or so attaching these little pieces to pages my book should be finished in no time. Meanwhile, over in ''artist book'' class....our first day....this is happening.

Early stages, early days but hey...we have a whole year. Who needs to hurry.

 

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soft hankies and lace

Two soft hankies, one smaller than the other so one has been extended with a deep lace trim. Both of these hankies are hand embroidered. One of them was doodled on first, a simple pattern before the stitches were added and then they were joined, one for the front and one for the reverse. I have three of these now and I still intend to keep them. I can't bear to part with them at the moment. They are being regularly caressed and fondled, folded and unfolded, ribbon wrapped around then unwrapped....you get my drift.

This is the last one though, at least for the moment. I am still working with vintage hankies and doodles, similar patterns but I am trying to figure something else out, work my way through an idea that I hope to share soon. I am in the early stages, sampling and trying to figure out the technical stuff which is definitely not my strong point. There is a lot of head scratching going on between the bullion knots and doodles.

Meanwhile, tomorrow I can show you what we did in our first day in class.

a few favourite papers

A few of my favourite papers, not new but revisited for inspiration. I am gathering these things around me, papers and lace scraps for little exercises in composition, sewing strips together, threading gimp across spaces and through holes in cloth, adding little stitches here and there along with beads and bells and buttons.

This type of exercise informs embroidery, the mix of pattern and surfaces. It will eventually lead to larger stitched works.....but not yet. I am having too much fun playing.

 

hexagons and flowers

Continuing the flower and hexagon theme, the needle case theme. I am enjoying these explorations so much. It takes me back, way back to a big collection I created years ago when I was studying, studying all things Nanna related.

nanna (plural nannas)

grandmother

It's basic, it's functional yet pretty, it's memories of tablecloths and hankies, it's comforting.

 I'm not 100 percent sure what the end outcome of this will be, what will happen to the needle cases I am creating at the moment. For now I need to keep them, I can't bear to part with them, maybe I never will.  I am getting ideas for other pieces from this work though. It's feeding my ''to do'' list...more of that soon.

The 12 month ''artist book'' adventure began this morning. It's not too late to join us. You can read more here.

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