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''.

 

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.

ten embroidered samples on hand stitched pages, a gingham cloth book

This little book is finally finished. I honestly can't remember how long it has been in progress, it was a pick up and put down project for my quieter moments.

But, it's finished. Ten embroidered samples mounted on hand stitched pages with a hand embroidered ribbon page keep and small embroidered patches embellishing the covers.

It's available in my shop here.

 

embroidered flower patches for a cloth book cover

Yes, the embroidered gingham stitch book is still in progress.

I'm wondering if it's the most delayed little book in the history of little books!

Now that the front and inside cover are embellished with little patches of embroidered flowers I think I can put all this together at last.

My days are filled with this at the moment but the evenings are all gingham.

Watch this space.

embroidered gingham patches

My little gingham book of stitch has been languishing since you last saw it here.

I did make progress with the front cover but the lining still needs to be embellished.

In these images the pink gingham patch which overlaps the Liberty print in image two has been applied to the front cover.

The other two patches are auditioning for the lining.

a gingham stitch book....ingredients

This little book is almost ready to be put together.

The front and inside covers are pinned and ready for hand embroidery.

There is embroidered gingham ribbon for a page marker along with five double sided pages of hand embroidery, ten pages in total.

It may take me a while to complete as I am off to London for a few days.

I wonder if Liberty has missed me?

embroidered gingham ribbon

I'm on a mission to finish this little gingham book.

I feel it's been languishing too long and deserves to be completely loved.

Gingham ribbon has been embellished with tiny gingham scraps and I will most likely use that as a page keeper or a fastening when the book is finished.

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Alchemy 2023 begins a week on Monday.

If you would like to know more about this 12 week programme of chat, inspiration, mentoring, creativity and friendship then just go here.

Thanks so much to those of you who have signed up already, it means a lot.

 

 

a gingham distraction

This work on gingham was progressed a little over the weekend.

My next little cloth book has been a stand by project for a while so I thought it was time to 'wrap it up', although I don't think I'm quite there yet.

This morning I came actoss this and as if I need another distraction I've now got an itch to make more little books using paper.

hand made books, two in progress

Pages have been present on here quite a lot lately. They are time consuming to create, (never an issue, it takes as long as it takes and I love every stitch).

The paper pages with collaged flowers are tricky to stitch, the torn images are quite thick so holes are made before I thread my needle.

Those pages will eventually be bound into an artist book as I think I have mentioned before and they will be used alongside other pieces from that collection to inform my work for Alchemy 2023.

The Liberty print and gingham pages, which are double sided, will also be bound into book form similar to these.

That work is not as pressing however, that work is something I pick up as and when I have a few spare minutes.

patchwork squares and embroidered gingham pages

Preparation for patchwork, Liberty triangles joined with hand stitch ready to be used on another design sheet, patchworked squares.

and loose embroidered pages joined back to back, one stage in the creation of cloth books.