Karen Ruane

pinning

Pinning these two together, standing back, looking again, thinking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Karen Ruane (@karenruane) on Feb 25, 2019 at 4:28am PST

bits and pieces

Three images today of bits and pieces which were on my table yesterday, being used in my work, ingredients for classes and which don't normally look half this tidy......I tidied up and arranged them especially for you. 

I don't usually get to appreciate these things properly. They are all normally jumbled up in boxes or drawers. I must do this more often, get some clarity.

I can't hang about today. I am expected elsewhere to put an X in a box.

A reminder before I go...Studies in Stitch began on Monday. We will work up until the end of next week then have a two week break because I am off on my jollies. If you want to read more you can look here....

pinning cloth

Moving samples forward, mixing them up, joining different surfaces....all in the name of experimentation with a hope it evolves, informs new samples. For now these three pieces are just pinned. I will add stitch to the seams and most likely leave it at that. By doing that though I am hoping to gain more ideas for more samples, more ideas for cloth and paper combinations. Sampling is ongoing, it never really ends.

 

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Sampling, a video, thinking out loud.

presentation....

threads, pins, glass buttons and snippets

The ribbon was bought in France and the notepaper is from France too.....my daughter found that for me when she was in Bordeaux recently. She knows me so well. The glass buttons, in the cabinet.....they are also from France but the boxes with pins and tailors chalk are from a very restrained shopping half hour in Liberty last week. I am so proud of myself for mostly resisting temptation...it could have been so much worse. John Lewis supplied the glass jars for my buttons and puffs......I suspect I will soon need more of those.

I cannot wait for tomorrow, Thursday.....it marks the end of my wandering. It marks the start of a reclusive few weeks when I will not leave the house. That's the plan...here's hoping nothing scuppers it.

pinning, measuring, putting together.

In my blog post yesterday I mentioned I had been working on this piece, finishing this piece. These images were taken with my phone as I progressed each stage. I measured, I marked, I pinned, I tacked...I then put it together on the sewing machine. The next stage is hand finishing, hand stitched edges, adorning the surface and edges with Suffolk puffs. This will be my first finished piece for France. One down, two zillion to go.....

If you are registered for ''Patched Pockets'' you should have received an e mail and video from me this morning. If you haven't received that please get in touch. Two and a half days to go...yikes...it's exciting. 

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Thirteen

pockets, pins, buttons, thread and gifts of cloth

What do we have here? The story of a week, in pictures.

Top to bottom.

Titivations in progress, buttons, fastenings.

A wonderful gift of vintage hankies and vintage lace.

Pin tucking cloth for myself, for ledgers, for samples and a little pink work for class.

Pocket inspiration for my new January class.

Ditto.

A wonderful gift of Broderie Anglaise.

Lining and pinning the pocket from yesterday.

Ditto.

Drooling over my special button drawer.

New threads and a fraction of my thread stash.

Online shopping, vintage lace...so brown and stained when it arrived, now beautifully white.

Next week will be pink, I know it. I have samples to mount, samples to create......pink to stitch.

 

 

decisions

The knicker elastic from yesterday is consigned to history.....(well it's gone in my snippet jar which is almost the same thing) and while we're here I would like to assure you that my own underwear is very boring, not a frill in sight. (that one is for those of you who were asking)

I played some more last night, cut up an old piece of embroidery, added some lace. It's got a long way to go and I need more lace, different lace in order to vary this surface so this morning I held an impromptu audition.

 

four in progress

There are four pocket tops now, all in different stages of completion. I pieced another one yesterday because I had a hankering to see how the lilac circle cloth would look next to white and Broderie Anglaise.

I won't be picking these up again this week , I am frantically trying to finish my work from pocket class. Next week, my free week, I hope to make progress for sampling class and work on these a little more.

I am also getting requests for more Artist books.....big smile here......so that is going to start happening in the background too. My first little play pieces for that have been pieced this morning and I will share those tomorrow.

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the beginning....

a pocket, gimp and buttons

just pins

Oops, not a stitch in sight. I've been pinning the last two hankies together. This isn't all I've done. I've been playing with bling for ''5''. That should keep them busy for a while when they get it tomorrow. I've also been looking at ledgers, doodling and thinking about something new.

Later today I'm going to cut paper....how much excitement can I take? Actually, the cutting is the preparation and what comes next is very exciting. You may see that this weekend. Other plans?  Tonight it will be paper and bling, two separate projects, a couple of hours on each I think. I'm hoping to fit some of this in too on Saturday or Sunday, it's taking shape, it will come together quite quickly from this point, (I think).

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stitchery and doodles

still sampling the bling....

two down, seven or maybe ten to go....

a pocket on a page

I finished this small pocket last night. I gave it a flounce, a vintage cloth edge that is almost as big as the pocket itself. The vintage cloth also forms the back and the pocket has a lining. This one is a gift...shhhh...can't tell you who for I would have to kill you. There is no connection to this page from doodle doo...I merely thought it made a rather nice background.

I am looking forward to the rest of the weekend. I know that we established last week that I don't like Sundays but this one will be different, it is showing promise. I have the whole place to myself. My plans include the titivating of pin cushions, putting homework together for the girls in class and getting the second piece of my pocket from yesterday put together. In between all that the kettle will be on overtime...a coffee or two may be consumed along with some lovely new tea I want to try.

Technology is very trying at the moment...typepad still insists on putting comments in the spam folder. If you leave a comment and can't see it don't worry, I am checking the spam regularly. This morning my facebook page has gone all ''strange'' on me...not sure what's happening there but it definitely doesn't look the same as it did when I went to bed last night...anyone else noticed anything? It's a conspiracy...I just know it....

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this weekend

titivating