Karen Ruane

stitching morning

A little shared stitching today, a short video where I stitch and witter on for approximately eight minutes.

 

artist books, design, notebook stitching

The latest page for my little stitched design notebook was created to live on the reverse of the first page.

Because of that it lays alongside a few scribbled notes I made some time ago. Despite the fact they don't make much sense to me now I'm leaving them there. They were there first.

an embroiderers cloth

More embroidery has been added to two of my panels for my embroiderers cloth. These pieces will be joined along with others to create a wrapping cloth of sorts. This piece will be progressed and finished in my new class...an embroiderers cloth...which begins in late May. You can read my information post about that from a week or so ago here.

Meanwhile, this is probably the last you will see of this on here until class is finished.

For the next few weeks I am hoping to work more on stitched notebooks, work which I will share with you as it evolves.

 

more work in my little design notebook.

My little design notebook has been extended, a fold over page referencing my plans for what comes next with regard to my 'embroiderers cloth'. I am still working retrospectively I guess, my plans for cloth and thread are being translated here. In reality I was taught to do the paperwork first, put down my ideas with pencil and paper, sketching, painting before allowing thread and fabric to enter my head. Sadly I failed at that part of my studies.

However......I say go with what makes you happy, rules were meant to be broken.

*****

A new embroidery class has been listed, 'an embroiderers cloth'.

You can read all about it here.

an embroiderers cloth

You saw the early stages of this piece a few days ago. It has evolved since then and some of that work can be seen in the images below.

You may remember a few weeks ago that I asked for your thoughts on my direction with regard to teaching, with regard to my online classes. Thank you to those who responded to that post. It would seem you want me to continue. I always did want to continue but was unsure if there was still enough interest out there with regard to my classes, hence the question.

Because I received such a positive response to that post I have today listed a new class. All the details are below, the explanation, the why and the how.

My current class finishes next week. In a slight change to how I normally plan my schedule the new class will not begin immediately following my current class, instead there will be a four week interval. That will allow me to develop my design notebook and work on other things I have in the pipeline.

I am very grateful for your continued support.

Stay safe x

An Embroiderers cloth.

An embroiderers cloth, a wrapping cloth for an embroiderer.

Begins Monday May 25 for 8 weeks.

My love of wrapping cloths is well documented as is my love of embroidery, the passing of needle and thread through cloth, handling soft fabrics, embellishing pieced lace, cotton and fine textiles.

An embroiderers cloth is just that, a wrapping cloth for an embroiderer, a beautifully adorned piece of hand embroidery which also holds the most basic of needlework tools.

This wrapping cloth will be present in your day to day, not folded and placed 'somewhere safe'. This will be your 'go to' when you wish to sit and embroider. Not only functional this piece will also be a beautiful example and reminder of your own hand work. It's time to create something special for 'you'.

Beginning on Monday May 26th for 8 weeks you will be part of a virtual 'sewing bee', a group of like minded individuals with a love of needle and thread, a gathering.

Initially we will piece fabrics, adding snippets of lace, ribbon and vintage scraps before identifying little spaces on cloth which will hold our needles, pins, buttons, scissors and other embroidery related tools.

We will adorn these surfaces using hand embroidery stitches and techniques., there may be pockets and patchwork, our cloth pieces will be a blank canvas for embellishment.

Suitable for beginners and the more experienced embroiderer, full instruction and support will be provided every step of the way.

Included in this online learning programme is access to a private image sharing group where feedback and encouragement will be provided as we progress through our 8 weeks. Within that group is an option for group discussion which I actively encourage.
Previous groups have provided exceptional peer support and encouragement which has proved invaluable to those involved.

My wish for you throughout this programme is simple....pleasure and enjoyment.

Online format. Watch demonstrations at your leisure.

Lifetime access to all resources.

No deadlines. No set tasks.

Register here.

 

a little design notebook

More notebook stitching today. This however is a new notebook. I say new, there are scribbles on the first few pages, notes, prompts, very uninteresting but I left those pages in as someone may find them fascinating one hundred years from now...that's if they can decipher them.

I started this one 'new' as I am hoping it will become a little reference notebook for a new piece I am working on and any other new pieces which may happen in the future. It relates to this piece and future plans for that project.....I hope you can see the connection.

I will stitch my ideas into this as I progress in the same way someone with more love of pencil and paint than me would create beautful, artistic sketchbook pages. I won't draw my ideas, I will embroider them and probably some of that will happen retrospectively. That doesn't matter to me, what matters is I will have a reference to my embroidered pieces and as a tutor once said to me,

'Karen, there's more than one way to make a mark on a page'. Where are you Dennis? I miss your input.

Yesterday I posted the latest part of my free embroidery class. You can find that here if you missed it.

Stay safe x

an embroiderers cloth

Back to wrapping cloths here, an urge, a hankering. This one will be called 'an embroiderers cloth' because I hope it will be more than a wrapping cloth. I won't go into too much detail yet as I still need to work on a few things. For now, suffice to say, it's padded, it has surface adornments, there will be more pieces which will attach to this one. It will grow and evolve.

I hope you are all safe and well?

I will post the next part of my free embroidery class 'embroider our way through the madness' on Saturday. I hope some of you are getting pleasure from that class.

I did wonder if you'd like a Flickr group? to share your work from 'embroider our way through the madness' with each other? Let me know what you think.....xx

my graph paper notebook

There's been a lot of folding going on here and in class. My graph paper, 'bargain at only two pounds' notebook has had more stitches added to it. I have to say it's becoming addictive. I have already finished this page and started the next one.

The linear nature of the emboidered cloth additions and the stitch choices, simple running stitch, traditional cross stitch and French knots are there for a reason not simply because they mirror the lines of the pages. They are there as a nod to domestic cloth, kitchen linens, simple yet embellished cloths from home and from memory.

stitching graph paper

Hi everyone, how we doing? I hope you all are healthy, mentally too, that lockdown isn't bringing you down. In normal circumstances being confined to the house would be my idea of heaven but I do miss my family, my kids as I'm sure you do too. There's going to be one hell of a garden party at the towers when all this is over that's for sure.

Meanwhile, this book....this amazing book of graph paper which for the princely sum of two pounds is giving me endless hours of creative pleasure. The second page is finished and if you are in my current class we tackle the third page on Monday. (don't panic if you haven't got any graph paper.....when have I ever let you down?)

I am loving working in this, it's occasionally tricky, often challenging but ultimately it's more than worth the fiddle.

On Sunday I will post the next installment of my free embroidery class. How's that going for you? It's hard for me to get a measure of how many of you are following that one but if you are following I hope it's filling a few spare minutes for you and don't forget you can mail me if you have any questions regarding process etc.

Speaking of embroidery classes....I have been mulling over if there should actually be another class of any kind. I do sense a tiredness, a familiarity and have considered calling it a day permanently. I did mention this to my group recently and one or two of them, (thank you) one or two of them contacted me asking that I please continue, that I reconsider.

In view of this I'd like to try and gauge how much interest there might be if I were to begin a new, purely embroidery class. I would be grateful for your thoughts on that.

Finally.....it would appear I have been ignoring poeple the world over.....not deliberately I hasten to add. For some reason Typepad has ceased to inform me when comments are posted here despite my settings being correct. I'm trying to keep up to date with those manually now but please accept my apologies and bear with me.

 

folding

Three days in a row. Can you tell I am on lockdown? That's not to say I would be going out anyway but I do seem to have more time on my hands these past few days. Maybe I have forgotten to do something? Well until I remember, if there is anything to remember, until I remember I will keep sewing and playing with book forms.

If your thumbs are twiddling don't forget my free embroidery class. You can access that here.