Karen Ruane

nine pages

Sorry I wasn't here yesterday. I was strategically placed equidistant between the bathroom, a bucket and my blanket. Today I can wander a little further...... today I am merely 'a little fragile'.

Nine pages, fronts and reverses. Stitch samples coming together for 'embroidery school. (don't worry girls, it's not put together yet. I wouldn't do that without you)

I guess I have a big week coming up. On Wednesday I think my podcast will be live. I keep trying to remember if I said anything completely ridiculous. I'm running through it in my head and I can't think of anything. That however doesn't mean I didn't so if you never hear from me again after Wednesday you will know why.

I do know that in the podcast I speak about my new class so I best have something white ready for Wednesday. Colour may have to take a back seat for a few days. Buttons, maybe buttons for Wednesday too as they will form part of the class....meanwhile there is a very short video here, a flick through of these pages as they will look when this little book is eventually put together.

You can read about the new class here.

Related articles

recent work on paper - Karen Ruane

an added strip - Karen Ruane

more homework

Two posts in one today. I was going to separate these images and give you a few tomorrow but I thought what the heck, caution to the wind, be reckless.....you can have them all now.  (I'm such a rebel)

The first two are finished pages for my little stitch sample cloth book, the one we are working on in 'embroidery school'. 

In case you didn't know....the front and back of each page is hand embroidered with each side referencing one stitch. There may be other stitches present but labels will record which is the dominant stitch for each page. Some will be more obvious than others I guess. 

I'm working really hard finishing these pages so we can get our little cloth ledgers put together in class. Last night I embroidered another three reverses which you can see below. Now I've shown you all these pieces I don't have anything for tomorrow!! Oh my....I will think of something.......but actually....all my pages should be completely finished tomorrow, all barring the front and back covers. Maybe I will show you those.

Related articles

embroidery school sampling - Karen Ruane

Create and Embellish. Online learning. - Karen Ruane

an added strip

Thanks for all the good wishes yesterday. The patient is improving despite having me for a nurse. Considering I can't even keep a pot plant alive he's doing well!

I had thought the size of this was set, the embroidery would be finished soon and then I could back it. But....yesterday I added the long strip you can see on the right in the image above. I just can't stop.

The teardrop like shape with the cutwork is a new addition on here too. I have no idea when this will eventually get finished, I am adding little stitched areas as and when the inspiration strikes. As you can see there's still quite a bit of space to fill. (this piece measures 18 x 20 inches at the moment)

I've had a query about the new class, specifically about requiring the use of a sewing machine. You do not need an all signing all dancing machine with millions of fancy stitches. All that is required is a basic machine which has the ability to stitch straight stitch (zigzag stitch would be useful too but not essential)

This new class is still open for registrations and you can read more here.

Related articles

a front for a new needle case - Karen Ruane

a pocket, gimp and buttons

white window mounts

Inspired by mounting little samples for my stitch ledger in embroidery school I am mounting anything else I have lying around the house. These four little pieces have been languishing for quite some time in the pile.....you know the pile, you have one too. The pile is where stuff goes that you had fun creating but you don't quite know what to do with. Well they are mounted now. Most likely they will go in anther pile because even though I've mounted them I still don't know what to do with them. They may find their way into a little book...we shall see.

My husband has Norovirus. I'm playing nurse. If I disappear it's because I've caught it too. Please have good thoughts that I don't.

recent work on paper

You saw a glimpse of this large paper sheet here. More has been added to it now, it's taking shape. This piece is a little diversion we have been working on in embroidery school when we aren't all learning and practising new embroidery stitches. It's a design sheet of sorts, a reference, a source of ideas and future work. It still needs some work so watch this space for the finished piece some time soon.

Also here, a little book we are working on in 'artists books'. I haven't moved this one on for a week or so...we will be attending to that in class this week.

Embroidery school is due to finish in the next couple of weeks if I can get my act together. Once again it's me who is holding everyone up. Embroidery school is responsible for this work and I will be swapping this for whites and off whites and lace and delicate cloth when the new class begins straight after. Some days I can't believe my luck...surrounded by all this creativity.

You can read more about the new class here.

Related articles

Create and Embellish. Online learning. - Karen Ruane

silk and sequins - Karen Ruane

overlays - Karen Ruane

beaded edge - Karen Ruane

still practising

The large sampler piece on silk continues to grow and meanwhile more work is happening on my 'stitch ledger' for embroidery school. I honestly can't tell you how much I love this work. Embroidery school has fed my library of favourite stitches and inspired more than the large silk panel you see here. I have many more ideas for using this work, for developing it and moving it forward.

I am so inspired I have almost worked my way through a yard of silk Dupion I bought last week. More was ordered this morning. Just goes to show you can never have too much cloth whatever your favourite might be.

 

Related articles

embroidery school sampling - Karen Ruane

homework

This is my homework from 'embroidery school'. We are nearly at the end of this class and we're at the stage where everything comes together. There are two pages here for my 'embroidery stitch ledger', you can see the front and back of those and there's also a glimpse for you of some work we have been doing on paper. 

Looking at these images I am hoping you can see the connections with  this piece from yesterday.

There are still several pages to be put together for the stitch ledger and I am desperate too to progress the piece from yesterday. I have a feeling you will be seeing that work tomorrow. Meanwhile.....the new class. You can read more about that here.

it continues to grow....

Since you last saw this yesterday I have added another panel. I have also added a cross stitch seam, a strip of cross stitch along one side, more gingham and three drops of bullion knots and the loopy stitch I love so much and am fast becoming obsessed with.

This will stay at this size now. The next stage is to fill the remaining open spaces. 

Tomorrow I will give you a break from this and show you my progress from 'embroidery school'. Things are rapidly coming together over there, we are in the latter stages of class with only a couple of weeks left to go. Time flies when you're having fun and learning new stitches.

Related articles

just a sample.... - Karen Ruane

piecing

The embroidered panel from yesterday and the embroidered panel from Monday are joined, pieced together, a seam of loopy stitch and sequins and a strip of pretty binding. Later today it will be the piece from Thursday (which isn't even started yet.) I'm going to put that together, play with colours and bindings and try and come up with something good enough to do these two justice.

I loved Jillayne's description in the comments yesterday of what is going on here...'serial sampling'.

She is also a serial sampler. I bet one or two of you are too.

Don't forget the new class. April 16th. 9 am sharp. You can read all about that here.

still sampling

I'm wondering if I should change what I call myself from 'embroiderer' to 'sampler'. Recently I am sampling a lot. I guess it's because I am inspired by many things around me and that leads to questions and wondering and thoughts of 'maybe this would work', perhaps that colour would be perfect if used for that stitch'.  Then I create something like this from Sunday and I begin to wonder if it might need a little friend to sit alongside it, to be applied to the edge, to be laid down somewhere as another idea, another extension of the sampling.

(the piece from Sunday)

So that's where the gingham piece today came in, a possible playmate for the Sunday piece. It also gave me a chance to use some new Swarovski crystals I bought and before you faint they weren't that expensive. I haven't won the lottery unfortunately. Sadly they don't glisten here like they do in real life but if you look closely at the top image in between the French knots and the web stitches you just might be able to spot them. 

Now I am compelled to sample more, to see if I can make these two fit and if not then to make something else which might fit and on it goes. Meanwhile I can't stop looking at these.....do you see why I can't stop?