Karen Ruane

papers and ribbon

 

There's another artist book taking shape over here. This one will be colourful, full of pattern and embellished using lots of beads and dangly things. This is the second piece for this little book but I can't show you the first one yet. Part three is pinned and waiting to be stitched, enhanced. The dark geeen paper arrived yesterday, a birthday gift. Don't you just love  a birthday? The green piece was part of a bigger selection as you can see below, lucky me.

 

I am so happy to see people who have never taken a class with me before signing up to 'Stitching Stories'.

New friends, new embroidery companions, you can never have too many of those.

 

Stitching Stories.

Begins June 17 for 8 weeks.

Online format.... Private password protected blog.

No deadlines. No set tasks. Lifetime access to all resources.

No prerequisites.

Suitable for all skill levels.

**this online learning programme is not a repeat of my ''stitching a story'' programme.**

A return to playfulness, to stories, fairytales and imaginary tales. Join me as I enhance a story book with stitch, cloth, jewels and a sprinkling of imagination.

Work in a printed storybook or create your own magical daydream using blank pages and doodles.

Using playful imagery we will doodle pattern, enhancing our simple pencil lines with stitch and pretty additions in the form of cords, beads, sequins.....using simple pattern and image sources as our starting point we will be inspired to let our imagination run away with us, adding our own interpretation to an unfolding story.

Any 'doodling' will be basic. Please do not be afraid of this aspect of the course. I doodle in the simplest form.

Doodling on a blank page is not compulsory. You can choose to work exclusively in a printed story book.

Exploration and stitch work can take place in a childrens fairytale book, a blank sketchbook or both.

I will be enhancing a printed storybook with stitch, I will also be creating my own story in a blank sketchbook using pencil to doodle pattern.

On registration you will receive access to a short video where book choices are discussed.

Register here.

stitched books, ledgers, sketchbooks, story books,

Recording design, preserving embroidered samples, displaying stitched works....books. Be it a ledger, a sketchbook, a cloth book or a story book I appear to be consumed with all things book lately. The image today ....... the first page of a new cloth book,  a finished cloth book,  my ledger where I am recording design ideas in 'Ledgers, a record of stitch', work in progress for a new paper based artist book, artist books from my 'precious things cabinet' and a new notebook I have treated myself to in order to 'Stitch a Story' in my new class.

I've been thinking a lot about my work recently, where it's going (or not). Am I too flighty? Flitting from one thing to another without any connecting dots? I'm balancing those thoughts where I doubt myself with the teaching apsect of my creative life. Very often, as a teacher, you need to flit from one thing to another to cover all the bases for your students. I get that, I accept that and I am more than happy to continue in that way as my classes, my groups bring me so much joy but outside of that where do I want to be creatively?

Once upon a time it was all about white and wrapping cloths and historical reference. As time has moved on so have I. Colour and pattern are featuring more in my work and although it may not always be obvious to you the historical elements are ever present. Every single stitch I make is worked for both my Nanna's. I think about them every second I have a needle in my hand, that will never change, they are my link to my history, to my memory.

I guess what I am trying to ask myself is where is my consistency? my fingerprint in all this? Truth is I haven't figured that out yet. Self doubt is common when you work in isolation. All I can do is keep doing what I love whilst trying to focus.

Going back to my first utterings on here I think my love for working in book form is obvious. That will be my starting point, the first decision on my list of 'where I am going'. I'm never likely to become a master bookbinder and nor do I want to. I'm an 'embellisher', a 'titivator' so for now I will embellish and titivate book forms, that will be my new direction.

page one

For the past week or so I have been wondering where else I can go with all this colour and pattern which is appearing in my work. I could make a huge wrapping cloth.....but I have lots of those. Up to now I have created sketchbook covers and needlecases and have a huge wrap for an artist book almost finished. Yesterday I was tempted by the idea of a little cloth book so this is the first page for that idea. Whilst I was embellishing this cloth last night it occured to me that this one might work better as a flip book, as in the spine being at the top as opposed to the side. I'm going to go with that idea for now.

Green velvet ribbon

This lime green ribbon is gorgeous (I think so anyway). It runs through a lace drawstring channel on this needlecase and then wraps round the whole thing to keep it closed. This one is now in the shop. I could get addicted to making these because I am enjoying the colour, the pattern, the sequins and beads so much.

My next project using these ribbons and other embellishments will I think be a little book of stitches, a cloth book.

The piece I showed you yesterday, the white edge linings....I worked some more on those last night but it's a mammoth task. It almost feels like I'm not making progress as each edge is very long and each edge has two edges to embellish, each strip, does that make sense? I do know though that I will be sad when it's finished. There is something very therapeutic about repeptitive stitching, getting lost in the simplicity of that.

edges and linings

Do you remember this post? After lining a piece of embroidered cloth which is to become a wrap for an artist book I got a bit carried away with emebellishing the edges and as a consequence decided I wanted to line the edges...line the lining. This is the progress, the white edges, (the other piece is a lining for a needlecase).

Adding these white strips is akin to working a whole new piece. Time wise it's a commitment and to me it's as exciting as working the front. This cloth now has a beautiful weight to it, the edges are pleasingly 'heavy' with the addition of lots of buttonhole lace. There's still a way to go with this as the outer edges will be embellished too. I am going to have to draw on all my supplies of patience as I cannot wait to see this finished. I love it.....

As I said before, the other piece here is the lining for a needlecase which I hope to finish later today.

 

Stitching Stories.

Begins June 17 for 8 weeks.

Online format.... Private password protected blog.

No deadlines. No set tasks. Lifetime access to all resources.

No prerequisites.

Suitable for all skill levels.

**this online learning programme is not a repeat of my ''stitching a story'' programme.**

A return to playfulness, to stories, fairytales and imaginary tales. Join me as I enhance a story book with stitch, cloth, jewels and a sprinkling of imagination.

Work in a printed storybook or create your own magical daydream using blank pages and doodles.

Using playful imagery we will doodle pattern, enhancing our simple pencil lines with stitch and pretty additions in the form of cords, beads, sequins.....using simple pattern and image sources as our starting point we will be inspired to let our imagination run away with us, adding our own interpretation to an unfolding story.

Any 'doodling' will be basic. Please do not be afraid of this aspect of the course. I doodle in the simplest form.

Doodling on a blank page is not compulsory. You can choose to work exclusively in a printed story book.

Exploration and stitch work can take place in a childrens fairytale book, a blank sketchbook or both.

I will be enhancing a printed storybook with stitch, I will also be creating my own story in a blank sketchbook using pencil to doodle pattern.

On registration you will receive access to a short video where book choices are discussed.

Register here.

Saturday

I didn't mean to be gone so long. It was my birthday on Thursday and I planned to spend the day with my mum and dad. I set off in good time but got trapped for two hours in traffic which had come to a complete halt with miles of tailbacks caused by a serious accident and was eventually turned round by the police so I had to come home. Problem was, my birthday cake was at my mum's house! Not wanting to be parted from my cake I went yesterday. My cake and I are now reunited.

So, embroidery. I am completely in love with the edge of that page, (visible in all the images but prominent at the top of the first one). That's an edge which I started in Ledger class and I'm sure the girls will be happy to see that I kept my promise and finished it.

The other piece here is the front of another needlecase. The lining for this one was put together this morning. Being surrounded by all this colour is amazing but my brain is a jumble. I'm anxious to take all this further in some way, I just need all the bits to fall into place, into an understandable order. Don't hold your breath.

practicing

I've set aside a little time over the past couple of days to practice my doodles, doodles which will be enhanced with stitch and embroidered cloth and other titivations. This is in preparation for my new short class, stitching stories.

The little page here is loosely inspired by my embroidered charm square. I have more plans for this one. I have plans for the colouring book too. Meanwhile I'm waiting for my new sketchbook to arrive. I'm stalking my postman.

papers, threads, colour and pattern....an embroidery ledger in progress

Collage, stitched pages, stitched papers, colour studies, thread studies....my work in my latest embroidery ledger, recording ideas and inspiration. This is happening in my online class, 'ledgers, a record of stitch'. Each page is inspired by a piece of my embroidery, a sample. I'm matching thread colour and searching for matching papers, I'm referencing embroidery stitches and patterning. These investigations are being recorded on pages within my ledger, embellishing each page and trying really hard to display my work in an exciting way. (I'll let you decide if I am succeeding)

If you want to read more about this online learning programme or my new short class which begins in June, all the information is here in my shop.

This week has been wonderful so far. Yesterday I worked a little more on my charm square collection adding French knots and beads to a piece which is almost finished. There are new pieces to plan for this little collection, more cutting of silk and more embellishing with sequins, beads and crystals. I will let you know how I get on.

one edge leads to another edge

You would be forgiven for thinking this was finished quite some time ago and I had just forgotten to show you. This being several hand embroidered pages and a large embroidered wrap for the book they will become. No....last time you saw it there were just the edges to finish, the lining had been added. Well, I got carried away with the edges and now the lining needs lined.

You can see in the images where I am pinning decorative strips to the edges of the lining in order to conceal the workings from the original edges.....are you keeping up? I will attach these invisibly, I will, don't laugh.

It's a good thing I love to work with buttonhole lace, that's the plan you see.....buttonhole lace.

 

Stitching Stories.

(it's going to be amazing!)

Begins June 17 for 8 weeks.

Online format.... Private password protected blog.

No deadlines. No set tasks. Lifetime access to all resources.

No prerequisites.

Suitable for all skill levels.

**this online learning programme is not a repeat of my ''stitching a story'' programme.**

A return to playfulness, to stories, fairytales and imaginary tales. Join me as I enhance a story book with stitch, cloth, jewels and a sprinkling of imagination.

Work in a printed storybook or create your own magical daydream using blank pages and doodles.

Using playful imagery we will doodle pattern, enhancing our simple pencil lines with stitch and pretty additions in the form of cords, beads, sequins.....using simple pattern and image sources as our starting point we will be inspired to let our imagination run away with us, adding our own interpretation to an unfolding story.

Any 'doodling' will be basic. Please do not be afraid of this aspect of the course. I doodle in the simplest form.

Doodling on a blank page is not compulsory. You can choose to work exclusively in a printed story book.

Exploration and stitch work can take place in a childrens fairytale book, a blank sketchbook or both.

I will be enhancing a printed storybook with stitch, I will also be creating my own story in a blank sketchbook using pencil to doodle pattern.

On registration you will receive access to a short video where book choices are discussed.

Register here.

 

sequins, Suffolk puffs, ribbons and a new short class.

There's a short video for you about this one, the next needlecase. I'm choosing ribbon and as you can tell from the images I went with the green velvet. The Suffolk puffs which I actually only made about ten minutes ago will be added once the lining is attached as a final embellishment along the front. I love a pretty needlecase.

Keep scrolling for the video because before that I want to tell you about this.

 

Stitching Stories.

Begins June 17 for 8 weeks.

Online format.... Private password protected blog.

No deadlines. No set tasks. Lifetime access to all resources.

No prerequisites.

Suitable for all skill levels.

**this online learning programme is not a repeat of my ''stitching a story'' programme.**

A return to playfulness, to stories, fairytales and imaginary tales. Join me as I enhance a story book with stitch, cloth, jewels and a sprinkling of imagination.

Work in a printed storybook or create your own magical daydream using blank pages and doodles.

Using playful imagery we will doodle pattern, enhancing our simple pencil lines with stitch and pretty additions in the form of cords, beads, sequins.....using simple pattern and image sources as our starting point we will be inspired to let our imagination run away with us, adding our own interpretation to an unfolding story.

Any 'doodling' will be basic. Please do not be afraid of this aspect of the course. I doodle in the simplest form.

Doodling on a blank page is not compulsory. You can choose to work exclusively in a printed story book.

Exploration and stitch work can take place in a childrens fairytale book, a blank sketchbook or both.

I will be enhancing a printed storybook with stitch, I will also be creating my own story in a blank sketchbook using pencil to doodle pattern.

On registration you will receive access to a short video where book choices are discussed.

Register here.