Karen Ruane

extending design

 

You have seen the piece here on the left before. As part of my mounting marathon, the creation of my next artist book, my sample sorting it was the turn of that one. I've embroidered paper scraps here to sit alongside the piece on the left before attaching both pieces to a large sheet of acrylic paper which I have also stitched on.

There's a drawback to all this unfortunately....every time I mount one of these pieces, titvate and stitch the page I get another idea. Don't worry, I'm writing them all down.

pom poms on paper and funky puffs on an edge

I think this is number three, number three of the sample mounting marathon I began recently. If you look back at this post you will see how it has dawned on me that I have unintentionally started to create an unplanned artist book. Oh well....it's a win win.

I've been away this past weekend and whilst I was away I was thinking about what else I could create as a diversion from artist books. What did I come up with? Nothing. It appears I am morphing in to an ''artist booker'' as opposed to an embroiderer. Is that a bad thing? Personally I would say no. It's the best of both worlds I think, paper, fabric, embroidery, artist books.

Having said that....we are working on something special in ''stitch along'' using only fabric and thread which excites me just as much. (can't share that with you yet though sorry)

beaded and embroidered paper

More mounting, paper again. I do prefer paper in this instance, it reassures me my embroidered samples will remain pristine. You do know what's going to happen here don't you? An artist book is forming...a very big artist book. You know what comes next too I'm guessing? These large pieces are going to need overlays because it appears I am unable to create any kind of artist book without overlays. That's not a problem, overlays are never a problem. It just means my list is getting longer.....

mounting embroidery on stitched paper

Following this sampling I decided to switch from cloth to paper as a means of displaying and also protecting my litle stitched samples. I am happier although the Ruane mind is hovering over another change of plan, yikes, make your mind up Karen. The advantage of paper as a mount is it's stability, the work is better protected. The embellishment of the paper background is obviously trickier but I'm renowned for my love of fiddling and I do like a challenge.

There are so many little stitched bits lying around here that I could be working on this mounting process for some time. I have a deadline, a self imposed deadline so I'll be tackling another one of these today.

My 12 month stitch along started last week....only another 51 weeks of embroidery to go! You can sign up any time, you will have access to everything which has been published since day one. Our private Flickr group is filling up fast with all the amazing creativity which has happened so far, the girls are working their fingers to the bone. (they make me proud)

If you would like to read more about 'stitch along', a year long class please go here.

paper and fine cloth

This is what happens when you add paper to cloth, stitch a little on your sewing machine, add hand embroidery and get left alone with a lot of beads for a few days....

(create and embellish girls....you can do this with yours)

design sheet

Along with the little book of stitches we created a paper based design sheet in ''embroidery school''. This is my completed sheet. I say completed but I may change it a little. The jury is out regarding the lace area on the left. (first image) I did try it another way in class but that didn't excite me so I'm leaving this in a place where I can glance at it from time to time, waiting for the penny to drop, the inspiration to hit me.

This piece has me itching to begin another one. At the moment I'm 'thinking', half planning, throwing away more ideas than I am keeping. I guess it will be a slow burner.

Meanwhile, this happened yesterday.

They are on the ironing board here but worry not.....an iron never went anywhere near them. The front and back are now joined, the edge embellishment, the adornment has begun and I decided against 'dangly to the max'. Tomorrow you can judge that for yourself providing I can stitch fast enough. I'm on it.

recent work on paper

You saw a glimpse of this large paper sheet here. More has been added to it now, it's taking shape. This piece is a little diversion we have been working on in embroidery school when we aren't all learning and practising new embroidery stitches. It's a design sheet of sorts, a reference, a source of ideas and future work. It still needs some work so watch this space for the finished piece some time soon.

Also here, a little book we are working on in 'artists books'. I haven't moved this one on for a week or so...we will be attending to that in class this week.

Embroidery school is due to finish in the next couple of weeks if I can get my act together. Once again it's me who is holding everyone up. Embroidery school is responsible for this work and I will be swapping this for whites and off whites and lace and delicate cloth when the new class begins straight after. Some days I can't believe my luck...surrounded by all this creativity.

You can read more about the new class here.

Related articles

Create and Embellish. Online learning. - Karen Ruane

silk and sequins - Karen Ruane

overlays - Karen Ruane

beaded edge - Karen Ruane

Thursday

 

These pieces will be more familiar to some of you than others. Some are from online learning classes, some have been sold.....did you buy one? You will already be aware that I spend a lot of time looking at past work, for inspiration, to help with the occasional creative block and also just to ''remember''. Sometimes I look and wish I could do it all over again.......all of these pieces fit into that category. 

With that in mind you can definitely expect to see toggles in the near future along with a little stitched colour study. Those are the ones which have me itching the most, the remainder will call for a little restraint on my part......something I am not renowned for.

It's the time of year when plans have to be made for next year...........with that in mind does anyone fancy coming along to ''embroidery school 2018''? Can you sharpen your pencils before January 15? There will be more news of that in the next couple of days but think ''stitch ledger'', think toggles, think buttons, basically....think all things embroidery. 

a few French knots on paper

Design sheets have been the focus of my attention this morning. There are several of these still to finish, to extend before they can be mounted and added to my ''inspiration'' stash for when I need a prompt, a spark, a suggestion of an idea with which to work on fabric. 

I chose paper today after working mostly with cloth over the past couple of weeks. It's good to remind myself of the possibilities offered by paper for expressing an idea for embroidery and building the resource which accumulates as a result of this ''playing''.

paper, in and out of class.

Just when you were beginning to think I spend every waking moment stitching hankies with flowers and hexagons....evidence that I do other stuff too. Some of this work is from artist book class, (which you can still sign up for here) and the large sheet is a plaything for outside of class, for me, to touch base with paper, to freshen my ''paper knowledge''. It's a mini design sheet, a sheet of ideas and mixing and matching to see what lives with what, what works best with what, like I said.....a plaything.

I made you a wordless video, a silent movie....

 

Related articles

lace cloth, another page, a video.

a completed artist book - Karen Ruane

in progress - Karen Ruane

beads, buttons and a flower - Karen Ruane

strips of lace - Karen Ruane

a few favourite papers - Karen Ruane