Karen Ruane

getting back to normal

Hello! How are you? How have you been? Have you had a good time? Was the big guy good to you? 

I had a great few days, domestic goddessing, kitchen, cooking, eating, washing pots.....loved it, really.  Good company, lots of chat too....I'm tired now though, I could sleep for a week.

I have made it to June in my little ''look back over the year''. I think I will be doing two together next time......can't leave any out! June of course was the month of this event......I remember it well.

There was a video too.....

 

Don't forget.....Embroidery school opens in just over a week!

tearing and stitching

These pieces, scraps of embroidered paper, snippet cloth, torn edges, delicate and fragile pieces were out yesterday for a little play. I was making a ''sample portfolio'' video for class and I was struck by how the light added to the fragility, to the delicacy, especially with the paper.

If you have been coming here for a while you will know I like to have a ''stash'' of this kind of thing. It's good to have a lot of these in various colours and combinations for when you need something extra for a page or a design sheet. It's very relaxing to pick up a few pieces, move them around, create a little composition which will come alive if you add a small amount of stitch, maybe a button or two...even beads. 

I am still looking, considering my images from yesterdays post before deciding where to take that work next, how to progress that collection.

Recently I have been itching to create some octagonal patchwork scraps and ordered templates, cut outs....had a huge splurge online. However.....I ordered the wrong size of everything which has kind of stopped me in my tracks but I hope to find a way round that and create something, anything octagon related later today. I will keep you posted on that.....

 

developing a colour study

More colour, more pattern, more stitch, more cloth. You will be seeing a lot of this kind of thing from now. I want to devote my embroidery hours to my ''happy cloth'', to my girls in ''wrapped and bound in stitch''. I can't always show you straight away what's happening over there so this is what you will mostly get, or variations of this. 

This work is good for me, it's making me think, making me investigate and discover possibilities for ledger work, for design work.  If I continue with this enthusiasm for long enough I will have a new portfolio, a pattern and colour portfolio. That's got to be a good thing. 

I started this as a means of refreshing my work for the re run of ''an embroiderers ledger.'' What you are seeing here, all the recent design based work on this, my public blog is happening in addition to unseen and very different work which comprises new video for ''an embroiderers ledger''. I can't show you that unfortunately but alongside this public work an equal amount of private, different stuff is being created too. Occasionally I am getting the two confused, I need to keep stopping to think which piece I am actually working on.....I even thought I had steam coming out of my ears yesterday I was so confused! A quiet five minutes contemplation put that right though.....

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pleats, spots...cutwork, progress

progressing a ledger

the beginning

Sample portfolio 2

Finished, complete, titivated, stitched together, ribbon added, delicate tissue paper added, listed in the shop. Yes, the second ''sample portfolio'' is no longer a work in progress. I actually put this together on Friday. By 'put together' I mean stitched the pages together, the samples have been created over a number of weeks, you have seen those evolve on here. 

Added to my 'to do' list now is another of these, they are so much fun to make. 

I have been working on my gingham coverlet too.  If you remember this post there were two separate pieces, they are now joined making the cloth much bigger and giving me a better sense of how it is evolving, what is still needed in terms of panels. Later today I will be doodling on silk in order to begin the next section.

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paper and texture

six samples

Then final piece is finished, altered and added to from here....there are six pieces now which will become my next sample portfolio. Putting it together will take me a couple of hours, adding delicate tissue layers between the pages, mounting these, tying it all with silk ribbon.....

I can't do it today....I'm going here. My sons band are playing. It's raining of course....it will be like Glastonbury all over again.

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this and that

pages

doodle doo and doodled cloth

as requested

I bet you didn't know I took requests.....yesterday I was asked to show detailed images of the pieces completed so far for my next sample portfolio. Your wish is my command!

The weather is against me, it's dull and dreary and wet making it difficult to get pristine images. I do hope these are ok.

blue and white

White silk, embroidery, buttonhole stitch, piping cord, lace, hooks and eyes....OK, just eyes! A tiny stitched sample placed on stitched paper. I love blue and white, always have. I think there are 36 French knots on the paper, alternate blue and white, the most simple of exercises yet so effective.

This is the first page of the next sample portfolio. I am so happy that so many of you wanted the first one from yesterday....thank you. 

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buttonhole stitch and colouring in

blue and white on silk

adding lace to white

Sample Portfolio

Finally, it seems to have taken me weeks. I was scared, I was anxious not to spoil it. I put it together several times before taking it apart and doing it again. Now...I am happy with it now. I do hope you like it, think it was worth it.

It's now listed in the shop.

coming together, a sample portfolio

The fear of this project left me long enough to put the first page together. This is the third time I have done it, two failed attempts to achieve exactly what I envisaged led me to this......it's a winner, it's staying like this, all I need to do now is add the remaining two double page spreads and a cover and it's a done deal. 

The two remaining double page spreads are ready. They need to be laid on here, attached with a simple spine. Delicate white paper layers will need to be added too and then I will be ready for the big reveal and the most huge sigh of relief.

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blue and white, paper and cloth

Doodle, gather create.

embroidered cloth and complimentary paper work

The contents of my  sample portfolios are taking shape. I now have enough pieces to put one portfolio together assuming each one will consist of six pieces in total, three cloth and three paper. I don't know when that will happen though. I am hesitant. There will be a lot of precise measuring and cutting required and there are still mounting decisions to make. Nervousness is playing a part too. When I put my first double page spread together I wasn't happy with it and since then it has been taken apart. I am a little fearful of making a mistake with these and having to undo them too.

I'm going to let them rest for a few days, come back to them, look again, wait for the spark.....