Karen Ruane

finishing

In my last post I was speaking about extending a finished piece.

Today I'm showing you a piece which isn't yet finished, it's been unfinished for a long time.

It's time I think to back this one.

Created during one of my online classes, this one is called 'a cloth for nanna'.

Gingham holds nanna memories for me. I remember wearing little gingham skirts and things which she had made.

Yes, this one definitely deserves to be finished.

Yesterday I was doing some 'sorting out' and came across the label you can see here.

That is a quote from research I carried out during my studies years ago and I think it's quite fitting for this piece so it will be attached as I finish my 'cloth for nanna'.

 

''the use of traditional, often time consuming process alludes to the devotion of a mother''.

 

an embroidered throw, a wrapping cloth

The wrapping cloth in these images has been made for quite some time.

The new work is the small piece, most visible in the foreground of the first image.

I'm considering making the finished cloth bigger, adding more embroidered pieces to one edge, the piece today being the first of those.

It will of course affect the backing of the original piece but I'm sure any extra pieces I add can be backed separately once they are attached to the main piece.

I'll keep you posted..... but bear in mind this one will be a slow burner....

altering pages

My Alchemy work is taking place on sheets and in this little notebook.

The latest ideas are being worked on altered pages, it gives a different perspective.

These pages aren't finished, lots more stitching to do....

 

Lace like cloth

creating texture on paper

More paper is being stitched, the process mentioned in this post.

It's very useful to have these pieces as an enhancement for a page, a design sheet, an artist book.

I do have plans for these latest pieces but I haven't finished playing with the technique yet so should also have a pile for my stash too when I am finished.

 

considering new directions

My table is full of stitched papers, design sheets, hand made buttons and inspiration.

I see so much potential here, potential for continuation of my Alchemy project and potential for new works.

I am so excited by all this.

The Google definition of Surface Design however fails to do this process justice.

Surface design is any type of artwork (pattern, illustration, hand lettering, etc.) made by a designer that is intended to be applied to a surface to enhance its visual appearance and/or functionality.

I'm sure they could fit the word 'exciting' in there somewhere.

stitched paper as an embellishment for surface design

We've been stitching papers in Alchemy, adding thread to printed backgrounds.

These textural paper scraps are so useful for enhancing a design sheet or pages in a sketchbook.

It's quite addictive. I hadn't done this for a long time before this week and now I am itching to do it some more.

Today I started to use it in my work for class and am more than excited to progress those new pieces.

(can't show you those yet, maybe next week)

lace cloth, silk velvet and gingham patchwork

I took a little time out from class work this week to finish this piece.

It has been edged with buttonhole stitch, two rows, which finishes it well I think.

I'm not sure what will happen with this going forward although I am tempted to create another, similar piece and join the two.

The base of this is lace cloth and the patchwork pieces sit on scraps of silk velvet as do the various hand stitches, the bullion knots and French knots.

progress

Two hoops and a design sheet, pieces in progress here.

 

Notebook stitches

I've been absent, sorry.

Why? Well I have been stitching my fingers to the bone for class.

My work has moved from large sheets of paper to this notebook.

Stitching into notebooks is a completely different process. It's fiddly, it's more time consuming too because although you have to take care stitching onto large paper sheets they are usually thicker than notebook pages which can crease very easily.

Going forward I am unsure how much more stitching will happen in this little book.

That's because the needs of my group are changing and I will be responding to those needs over the progression of my own body of work.

That's a good thing.

It's what's supposed to happen.