Karen Ruane

a hoop of embroidered flowers

Progress from yesterdays post.....

My embroidery hoop is now filled with flowers.

The open spaces, the unworked spaces....they are cutting out allowances.

I can't wait to start stitching these onto pages in my little books.

it's not the same as yesterday

I'm late, I'm sorry. I had to escape for an hour. The mess here would test the patience of a saint and I'm no saint. Anyhow.....two hoops, two pieces each with something added since you last saw them. Honestly, they have. The piece from yesterday has new additions, three of them, along the line of running stitch. I didn't plan to add running stitch but I had to. If I told you why it would mean I had to confess to a certain level of incompetence so I'm keeping quiet. If you do the class it's for I may mention it but then again I may not.

The pouch with the Liberty cloth has a new area of applique, chain stitch and some bullion knots. Neither of these pieces is damp stretched.....yikes. Having them in a hoop does add a certain amount of tension though so I guess they are acceptable.

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large applique circle, medium applique circle, small applique circle....

Wow....

yesterdays sampling

more human....

a pillow and a hoop

 

 I'm sorry. What for? For making you jump with the red piece. I've gone subtle today, subdued, quiet. You can relax......having said that I do LOVE the red piece...I do. That is resting for a while, it will be back soon. It's exhausting being so loud and shouty so it's having a lie down in a darkened room.

This pillow, this quiet pillow is now in the shop. It's also having a relax. 

(pillows and pages girls, there are new videos in class on the detail, demonstrating the completion of this pillow)

This morning I was reading, checking descriptions, intentions, overviews, appraising clarity or otherwise in response to several e mails I have recieved. I have added a paragraph to the Alchemy blurb. Perhaps it's a little vague? Basically.....I start you off, ideas on how to identify a theme, a starting point for creativity. That can be anything, a ledger page, a few ledger pages, a series of small pictures, a series of small pillows, a collection of tiny art pieces, a collection of huge art pieces, a ledger crammed with paper pieces. I then guide you, hold your hand throughout. The group will support you, encourage you, share ideas, make suggestions.......is that clearer?....let me know.

It is hoped that you will be inspired to create a finished piece of textile art OR a collection of samples to inform future work OR a ledger of process and technique OR a notebook of written thoughts and ideas, a record of learning. It is my wish that each person joining this group learns and grows in terms of how their own creative path develops. How starting points are identified, how fabrics are chosen, how colour choices are informed...it's about creating from your very first thought, idea and following that path for as long as you wish. 

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hoops

five minutes with my hoop

more human....

I embroider.....

It's good to be back. A new piece of work to share that I was able to snatch moments with amongst all the chaos that is a family Christmas. Christmas day was four of us for Turkey, Thursday was six of us and a buffet. Friday was a trip ''up North'  for more turkey with Grandma and Grandad. Yesterday was relaxing, enjoying the company of my little girl before she went back to London this morning. Later today it is dirty towels, dirty sheets, dirty clothes and planning along with a lot of damp stretching. The planning? I have big plans........... I'm not a New Year person as such...it's only going to be Tuesday, can't see what all the fuss is about. My plans would be taking shape regardless of the calendar. Alchemy is nearly upon us and I have a hankering to run embroider, embellish, create again too....soon. Then there are all the gifts to find homes for....maybe this Tuesday will be the Tuesday when I finally achieve a sense of order in my house....don't hold your breath though.....

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oops....

the second one in progress

meditative

the first one....

This is the first of my last minute gifts, stretched,stuffed, titivated and waiting to be wrapped. What do you think? As you can see in the hoop the second one is in process. So far that has a bullion seam, a French knot seam and a few web stitches scattered here and there. I think I can safely say number two will be ready in plenty of time. There are plans for mirrors on this one and I am still cogitating over the outer edges....

You may have noticed that I am a little late today. That's because I was putting together a mini newsletter which should be clogging up your spam mail filter as we speak. If you are lucky and escaped the mail shot then you can read it here....

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progress of sorts

white lace and cross stitch hearts

chat....

I went AWOL yesterday......where to? Well first of all I spent the day here. It wasn't planned, well it was but I was unsure of which day I would be going and then I spent the evening here....amazing. I love it, may become a groupie and stalk them possibly going AWOL forever as we have laws against stalking. In a pathetic attempt to make up for my absence I have made you a little video...I show you some of the things I bought yesterday too....along with some titivation on cloth of course. I can't hang round today, I have a zillion flickr images from class to peruse and an even bigger number of e mails to answer. Hopefully normal service will be resumed tomorrow....

 

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just embroidery

just playing....

continuing....

White continues, some lace snippets that I didn't throw away....I created an edge instead. That edge now forms a boundary for web stitch flowers. There is another piece in progress too, at the moment it is merely tacked together and has bullion knots, two very precise circles of bullion knots.

Later today I hope to work more in my doodle doo book. If everything goes to plan I will share that tomorrow....meanwhile I don't know if you followed the conversation in yesterday's comments. Essentially it stemmed from one of Henrietta's colourful, wonderful and very descriptive tales.....that conversation resulted in memories of this......I love it and once again harbour a desire to live in the wallpaper.....

cotton perle

I am continuing to embroider with cotton perle on my white cloth whilst I stalk the post man. He hasn't been yet...In case you didn't know I am waiting for coton a broder...I have been waiting a LONG time. This piece was picked up last night after I had finished ''ledgering''. Up to now there are bullion knots, web stitches and the start of a little cutwork....

I am more than happy with how my own ledger is evolving, new inspiration, different colour and I shall let you see more of that next time. If you want to see the great stuff being produced in class then just go here....leave a comment or two if you want. I know the girls would appreciate the input.

hexagon show and tell along with mirrors in progress.....

Today you have a short video. Why? Well I am hoping it will enable you to see the hexagon seam clearly but failing that the reverse of the seam is visible on the left in the top image and on its own in the last image. There are also mirrors in progress here....an idea I had whilst putting videos together for Friday's class. Can't say more about those until the girls have seen them on Friday but suffice to say I was enormously frustrated last night when I couldn't get these damp stretched for today. I ran out of time, bed was calling, they weren't finished.....such is life.

I have had a few enquiries about 'embroider, embellish, create''.....I have a dilemma. I could list it again and see who signs up BUT....If I didn't get enough takers I wouldn't be able to run it. It is such an all consuming class that without a minimum number it really wouldn't be possible. Then I could refund if I don't get enough by a certain date....what to do....What would you do?

Back to the here and now though...the video. A little chat about this piece with the hexagons and definitely a much better way of examining this delicate cloth that is evolving beautifully...(in my opinion)

 

 

          

white, frothy, soft, in my hoop....

Remember I said you would be seeing a lot of this kind of thing...the white lace/scrim/embroidered/festooned thing? Don't say you weren't warned. Last nights effort was cutwork, delicate lace in the holes and a little extra buttonhole stitch to create the softer, looser edges. This will continue this evening too so goodness knows what I am going to show you tomorrow. It may be time to scavenge for old sketchbooks or something...look back through my old blog for images I can hope you have forgotten about. Perhaps I could re visit the past in a nostalgic way...... just re post and old post. Would that be cheating? Most likely yes.

I could always just not bother tomorrow I hear you say...not a chance. I get withdrawals...you know I do!

I also fear that it's time for the naughty step again. I couldn't possibly tell you what time I went to bed last night you would recoil in horror. Safe to say I was late getting up this morning so my plans have gone awry. Thing is I love to stay up late but I NEED to get up early to get things done. I think it's time my little boy came back from his travels...my commitment to get him to work in the morning means I have no choice but to get myself out of bed....come home James...pretty please.