Karen Ruane

applique and web stitch with rows of beads and sequins

Embroidery is continuing on four inch squares of silk. I do hope you are enjoying this little visual of how my smallest stitched sample books evolve and come together.

There are two new pages here, one with applique and web stitch the other studies of stitch, beads and sequins with a row of Turkey work thrown in!

I'm considering adding labels to the web stitches for colour identification......I'm thinking.

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If you are registered for 'interactive sewing circle' you should have received an email from me this morning regarding our live Zoom sessions.

Later today I will be sending another email with more details about our twelve week adventure.

If you do not receive those by the end of the day can you please let me know.

Also, my Guinea pigs.....you know who you are...did you get your invitations to our late night get together tomorrow?

oversized, hand embroidered fabric beads

I've been making adornments, things to titivate edges, you can never have too many of those.

These are oversized, hand embroidered fabric beads, or puffs, whatever you want to call them.

They started life as eight inch circles of silk and now measure approximately four inches across.

I already have a plan for these ones, a lower edge where they will live and I will show you that soon. Meanwhile, although the current run of sewing circle has come to an end I am continuing to finish pieces I started there.

puffs, fabric beads

In my last two posts I have been looking back at past work, first it was pockets, then it was buttons.

Today it's puffs or embroidered beads whichever name you prefer to use. I prefer puffs but I guess it's not very descriptive.

Why am I doing this?  Mostly I am doing it to refresh my memory regarding what has worked well for me in the past. I am hoping it will lead to new pieces, new plans, new ideas.

a beaded seam

Up to now I have been placing lace or vintage trim in the seams of my veil piece as I join newly hand embroidered sections. In this image, where three pieces meet I have added beading instead. I had a need for the repetitive. I'm so glad I did.

(Alchemy girls, your first critique videos are now live on the class blog)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Karen Ruane (@karenruane) on Oct 22, 2020 at 4:54am PDT

adding beads, a patchwork page keeper

I think I mentioned when I made the first patchwork page keep for one of my little books that there would be more.

Here is the second one!

There is a video here of me putting this little book together if you missed it.

Cinderella

Cinderella has found her way into my little artist book. A tiny story book has been added to one page, the facing page titivated with beaded thread cards and hexagons.

This one really is getting full now but that's what I love about my artist books.

I love that they won't close, that they spill open at random pages and I especially love the dangly things and meandering lengths of ribbon falling from the pages.

Embroiderers ledger girls.....remember I said those little tabs had mileage? the tabs which secure the pages in the little books we made? well....how about placing beaded thread cards on them?

If you are registered for August 2020 lace cloth which began this morning you should have recieved sign in details for our dedicated private space this morning. If you haven't received those then please let me know.

patchwork page keeper

Last time I posted about this little book I mentioned I would need a wrap or something similar to hold the pages open as it refuses to stay open on its own.

My intention was to create a wrap which would be attached to the front cover and fold over any page.

Instead I have embroidered a little bookmark/page keeper using one inch hexagons and beads.

Now all I have to do is restrain myself from making one of these for every artist book in the house!

(if you are registered for my new class you should have received an email from me this morning and an invitation to join our private Flickr group. If you haven't received either of those can you please let me know)

A pom pom trim tie

This little artist book is resisting now, resisting any more additions. I won't be beaten, I'm aiming to adorn every single page.

When you get to a certain point with these artist books it becomes difficult to work on the next page without the previous page forcing itself on you! It won't stay open. In the past I have tied the pages open with a ribbon wrap, today I have used pom pom trim but now I think I will make a hexagon, patchwork wrap for this one. It seems fitting as hexagon patchwork features heavily on these pages.

What's new today in this little book? Another Grandmother's flower garden motif and a tiny beaded fringe.....I hope you can see that, it's laid just where the pages meet.

(if you are registered for lace class which begins on Monday you should have received an email from me today. If you haven't received that can you please let me know)

beading

My absence yesterday was house related.....there hasn't been much going on in the way of stitching unfortunately but I did manage to work a little on this. We started this in embroidery school.......there's short bead related video here and at the end a glimpse of my plans for the little stitched piece from here.

beading a tiny edge

A quite short video today (and an excuse to hide in my little shed/studio.) I'm gradually making progress with the wrap for my artist book. I seem to have shared a lot of this process on here, it's almost 'your' project. There are so many videos on here about this piece, videos about piecing, videos about embroidery, embellishment, edges, pinning...so many. If you haven't seen them you can click on the 'video' link in the category list on the right hand side of this page. That will take you there (this post will be first, just scroll past it)

 

This weekend I will be working hard on pieces for embroidery school, two classes, both exciting, both needing lots of stitch and lots of attention.