Karen Ruane

stitched paper and lace like surfaces

As requested, a little more information about my new class which begins on Monday February 8.  I hope the short video answers the (very few) questions I have been asked.

Meanwhile I continue to piece papers and play with lace like fabrics to determine how the two compliment each other.

I am having a very hard time restraining myself from taking this further before class begins.

If you are registered for 'renewing the ledger' you should have received an email from me today. Please let me know if that hasn't popped into your inbox.

Renewing the ledger.

 

buttons

Today I will be making buttons.

almost

Another panel for my wrapping cloth. When this one is attached I need one more before I can back this. (I said that last time....I miscalculated)

Progress on this piece has been regularly documented on here but if you missed it just go here and here to learn more.

And this is how it looks in relation to the rest of the cloth.

piecing papers, stitching pages

Piecing papers and stitching pages, hand stitched seams, ovelapping weights of lace paper, patterned paper and soft tissues.

I'm hoping these pages will be the perfect resting place for my net samples, lace samples and investigations for my next project.

There are three pages here each measuring approximately eleven inches by eleven inches.

I need to make more of course and am hoping to stick to that size as far as I can.

net, white, lace...

I've been sampling some more with net for the reasons I spoke of in this post.

It's photographed here laid on embroidered pieces as it's very difficult to get a good image without some kind of background.

There were plans to stitch a more structured piece, with a border perhaps but honestly......I went cross eyed trying to identify a straight line on this.

I am doodling too. I really have to push myself for that task. The pencil and I don't have an easy relationship but I am trying.

Stitching for me equals joy. Drawing equals a chore. Can't help it. Can't change.

In my next class I will be reworking a ledger that is concerned with lace, domestic cloth and patchwork. Hence the drawing but honestly, headache central.

There is always tracing? and if my new pages are fab and whoop de doo maybe that will 'lift' the tracing????

So now, yes now, I'm off to attempt to create those fab pages.

embroidery

This week I feel like a proper embroiderer! It's just about stitch and cloth, no paper, no ledger, just needlework in the conventional way.

There is another panel here for my wrapping cloth and more embroidery on net. (the two grandmothers flower garden patchwork pieces)

The net embroidery is being worked in an attempt to build up my stash before the new class.

(if you are registered for class you won't be compelled to embroider on net but I will of course show you how I did this.)

My focus in class will be reworking a past ledger which is partly concerned with lace. Net...lace? Maybe.

Back to my wrapping cloth. I think I need one more panel after this one. I'm going to measure for that today.

sampling with net

Yesterday I mentioned I wanted to take a couple of days to play with something, this is the 'something'.

I don't think I have ever embroidered on net before and it isn't quite as tricky as I imagined it would be.

Why am I doing it? Well, I'm trying to come up with new ways to represent lace and then to mix that lace with patchwork. (grandmothers flower garden to be precise)

The only way to feed ideas, to become inspired is to 'do', to sample.

So far I'm happy and there is another sample brewing.

a flounced edge

I spoke yesterday about my plan to create a panel with a flounce at one edge for this wrapping cloth. Here it is pinned to the main piece.

You may notice an unevenness to the outside edges here. Some of those will be filled with more embroidered panels but I tend not to worry about that until it's time to add the backing.

This won't be put right sides facing, stitched on three sides and turned right way out. Instead I intend to place a plain backing on the table wrong side up, lay this on top right side up (both wrong sides will then be touching) and then hand close the cloth. Where there is unevenness at an edge prairie points, ball buttons and other embellishments will be added.

This cloth will be used. It will lay on my sofa and be permanently visible. It will most likely cover my feet when I get up in the morning so I guess you could call it toe wrap two.

(my feet won't be on the floor. I always sit with my feet on the sofa....don't worry, they're clean)

I won't be working on this now for a couple of days. I have something else I want to play with.

You may notice in the last photo that the cloth is hanging from the corner of my table.

That's because I will be thinking a lot about table coverings and other domestic cloth in my new class, 'renewing the ledger'.

The original ledger I will be working from was concerned with domestic cloth and lace so for the next day or so I am going to immerse myself in those things.

prairie points and pom poms

I'm really happy with the progress I am making with this embroidered cloth. It's growing quite quickly.

You have seen it before here and here.

Today I'm showing you a new finished panel which now needs to be attached to the main body of the cloth.

Meanwhile I am measuring for what comes next. I fancy a flounce at one edge of the next piece so i'll play with that idea later today.

turning pages

This is how my table looked a few days ago. I was speaking to the Alchemy group about artist books, suggesting ideas for covers and easier ways of working your little stitched pieces into these.

I never said it wouldn't be fiddly!

It was good to have these out just for 'me' too. I never tire of looking at them.

It was also a reminder of the few empty pages which still need work.