Karen Ruane

hi......

Yes I know it's late in the day but I have just emerged from a cloud of dust. I was warned. I was told that rewiring the house would create unimaginable amounts of dust. I believed it yet underestimated. The past 9 days have been challenging to say the least but the worst is over and looking at 'the bigger picture' I know it's worth it or at least it will be worth it when the plastering is finished followed by the decorating, folowed by the floors.

My precious things escaped unscathed, my cloth, my embroidery, my threads and the million other things I have here related to my creativity. They were wrapped and wrapped some more and stored in my car (the only clean place available) (I won't talk about the fact it broke down last week when I was miles from home) Some things were also stored in a very small room I have here which didn't need any work and which after the door was shut was sealed with tape all the way round.

Normaility is within reach. I will be checking up on my Flickr groups tomorrow. (I hope you've all behaved yourselves whilst I have been AWOL)

It feels good to be over the worst. I am smiling a lot today.

Not long now until this one either....Ledgers, a record of Stitch

A Ledger. 'a record'.

Begins Monday 28 January 2019.

Duration 52 weeks.

Video posts fortnightly.

Private password protected blog.

Private online forum for discussion and image presentation.

No deadlines.

No set tasks.

Lifetime access.

Learner location not an issue.

Suitable for the beginner and the more experienced.

No hidden 'extra' charges.

Welcome mail including suggested supply list sent upon registration.

Ledgers and embroidery. Why? How?

The why.

Record your ideas for stitch on beautifully composed and presented pages within a bound ledger, or other presentation method of your choice, creating a record, a resource which will become your 'go to' library of stitch and design ideas in which you will have catalogued preferred thread colours, favourite fabric choices and ideas for pattern and surface design.

The how.

Using video demonstration I will show you how (using your chosen imagery) pattern and stitch ideas can be developed through the study of colour, shape and texture. This sampling and investigating will be recorded in our ledgers where we will also examine exciting and innovative presentation ideas for stitch and embroidery samples.

During the early stages of our online learning programme I will guide you with regard to your imagery choice. This 'starting point' could be a favourite scrap of cloth, a postcard or an appealing image from a favourite book. There is no hard and fast rule for this, each of us is inspired in a unique manner with favourite patterns and colours which are personal to us.

Using our chosen imagery we will examine colour and record our discoveries by wrapping thread cards, snipping cloth and creating stitched scraps.

Paint and pencil?

I feel I need to address this. I am paint and pencil phobic. I avoid their use at all costs. There are many ways to create a colour study without their use. If there is a non pencil/paint method I will find it.
That does not mean you can't use paint or pencil. Instruction will be given on where that may be appropriate should you wish to utilise those.

Following initial investigations into colour we will progress to pattern examination, again using stitch and embroidery process to record our discoveries.

Through the duration of this online learning programme we will 'create and record', whilst always paying detailed attention to the presentation of our studies and samples.

Sampling in this manner often gives rise to ideas for finished pieces, inspires new work and informs the design process. Guidance with regard to this aspect will be given, you will be encouraged and supported throughout.

This is not a book making class. I will be working in a bought ledger/sketchbook during this online programme however you are free to present your pieces in any way you choose. That may be in a bought ledger/sketchbook, you may wish to make your own ledger, you may wish to mount your pieces simply, on sheets of paper or cloth. Guidance will be provided with regard to this apsect of the presentation process throughout.

Finally, no tasks/sampling are compulsory. You can choose to follow me diligently or you can take inspiration from video demonstrations and adapt those to suit your own creative needs. The most important thing as far as I am concerned is that this class brings you pleasure, that you have fun and that you feel at ease as part of a wonderfully creative community.

To register go here.

blue and white

These pieces are work which has been left 'hanging' due to 12 months of artists books coming to an end. There are more pieces in this collection and those pieces along with the ones shown here will become an oversized artist book with 'extra special' overlays. I had all this out this morning, thinking, assessing, trying to formulate a plan, make a list. As I progress this work I will pop back to my 12 month artist book group in order to keep them updated.

 

 

a glimpse

This is what's keeping me busy, work from embroidery school and artist books. These pieces have had a lot of attention over the past couple of days and I've made tons of progress, been inspired, made lists of new ideas which have formed whilst working on this embroidery. I'm not giving anything away here, new work for class is hidden under folds and under cloth but I just had to take these photos, this table makes me very happy indeed.

how to finish?

Our 12 month artist book marathon which grew to be a 15 month artist book marathon is coming to an end. I'm at a loss as to how to say goodbye. There are unfinished projects and too many ideas. How do I finish? What do I do to wind this all up? In four weeks time it will be over and I have to say the past year and a bit has flown by. I guess it will just stop, things will be hanging in the air unfinished and unsaid. I do take some comfort however from knowing how accomplished this group is, how they will all manage perfectly fine without me.

(will I manage without them though.....?)

12 months plus two months

12 months of artist books which have become 14, nearly 15 months of artist books and this is the result.

I was making a short 'recap', appraisal video for class this morning and gathered all the bits together we had been working on during this class. There's more than this actually but this image gives a good overview of the pieces we have created over the past year or so.

The class was listed to run for a year and should have ended in September gone.....I wanted to continue so continue we did. We are now due to finish at the end of the year but in truth I could go on forever. These pieces have inspired new ideas, further explorations.......like I said, I could go on forever.

welcome back to school

Both my groups of girls came back to class this week. (OK, they never went  away it was me) this is a little glimpse of what we did on my first day back.

In artist books we worked on a page for a book which will be rather large compared to my usual artist books. As you can see it also won't have regular edges, there are bits sticking out all over. Creating overlays for this one will be interesting but I do like a challenge.  More of that when it actually happens.

In stitch along, (the 12 month sewing class which has just begun) we were on pom poms, prairie points and pockets.....all the p's.

As you can see it's been a busy return. There are still boxes and a lot of waiting around for workmen but every day I find more of my essential treasure so managing my embroidery is getting easier all the time.

Both of these classes are open for registration here and here.

phew.....that was some four weeks

I'm here...I'm happier than I can say to be back.  It's been an amazing four weeks, wonderful and stressful too. Where have I been? We went to Portugal for two weeks, a long planned family holiday with our kids and their partners. The weather was mostly glorious, the family time priceless.

We came back and moved into a new house, a new home for Paul and I. That's where the stress came in but it really doesn't matter anymore because I am so, so completely happy to be in this new place, be experiencing this new start for us both. I'm told I have made amazing progress with the unpacking but I would say there's a long way to go. It does look and feel like 'our' home but there is a little renovation to do, some decorating....then it will all come together properly.

I still haven't unpacked a lot of my cloth, paper, thread etc. etc. Those things are safer in boxes for now. There's also a lot of stuff at my mum's for safe keeping. She doesn't know it yet but that will be there for a little longer.....shhhh....don't tell her.

This work? I worked on this piece in the Portuguese sunshine. (it took me a long time to find this earlier today!)

So that's my news. I'm hoping to be posting and stitching regularly from now. If I see a cardboard box that needs to be unpacked I promise I'll shut my eyes and ignore it.

Registration is open again for both my current classes. Sorry it took me so long.

You can register here for ''stitch along''

and here for ''artist books''.

See you soon and thanks for still being here. xxxx

Saturday morning

The ironing board was out this morning, not for the 'chore' stuff, the boring stuff but for 'stitch along' where we are making pockets and titivated sashes for a baby dress. (it's complicated and probably not what you are imagining) anyway...these images....taken after 'stitch along' stuff but still on the ironing board which has a towel laid on top.

I was just playing, seeing if I needed to add anything to this artist book and when I decided I didn't I played a little with paper and lace anyway....because I could. But now I need to get a shift on. I have papers ready to be embellished on the sewing machine and I'm working to a strict plan of packing at least one box a day. In reality I think I need to raise that to ten boxes a day but for now one box is all I can manage because I can't tear myself away from all this.

decorative edges

The blue beaded 'abacus' like edge is the newest work here. It would seem I am consumed, obesessed with all things paper when in reality the past few days and the coming days have been and will be more about edges on paper and cloth. This work has been shared on here before in various stages. It's now become the start of something new in artist book class. It will eventually be the largest artist book I have ever made complete with some kind of overlays, (as yet unknow).

The cloth mentioned here? That's an idea I have which I'm going to share with my 'stitch along' girls first.

 

the next piece

Following on from my post yesterday....this is the next piece of the puzzle. I have a good idea where I am going with this now but I will share that with my 'artist book ' girls first, see what they think. It's good to have my groups to bounce ideas around with. Meanwhile I'm going to keep going, creating these little folded paper pieces.

(more stuff to worry about, to have lying around)

I don't think I have said on here before but touch wood, fingers crossed.....I am moving house soon. It's chaos here. If I go missing I will be packing or moving or will be in Portugal. (holiday imminent) tomorrow I'll be missing but I'll be here, delivering wrapping cloths and embroidery to mother's house for safe keeping whilst the upheaval continues.