For centuries women have used cloth as a tool of comfort and as an expression of beauty within their homes. Creating cloth for warmth, cloth for shelter, our female predecessors embellished these linens with hand stitch using laborious and time consuming techniques thereby enhancing the functional beauty of objects which enveloped and protected their families. Inspired by these women I hope my creations pay tribute to and recognise the devotion expressed in cloth by our female ancestors .







''the use of traditional often time consuming process alludes to the devotion of a mother''. c K. A. Ruane 2007







Saturday, May 24, 2008

I have made some progress with the second part of cloth eight. I would guess that I have approximately half of the embroidered cotton tape finished so I decided to attach this to the silk panel brefore I did anymore, mainly so I had new pictures but also to get a break from all the text I am embroidering.


I decided to apply the tape with running stitch. I always try to stay true to my motivation where I can and I think running stitch is one of our most basic utility stitches, it's also a favourite one of mine to do, really relaxing and not at all challenging.


There will be five strips of this in all to apply to the silk and again I am using the colours which match the vintage cloth I have appliqued. Just to get a sense of how it will look when it's finished I have placed both unfinished sections together. I think they will compliment each other really well, with the all over floral design of the first panel next to the more regimented linear pattern of the second.



On another subject....It was my birthday yesterday!! Happy birthday to me!! and I wanted to share some of the lovely presents I got, look, aren't they gorgeous!
Thanks everyone, I am really happy!



7 comments:

Victoria said...

Happy Birthday!

I really like the juxtaposition of the flowers with the long row of text... and the running stitches in the pink and green, lovely!

Kaija said...

Oh Karen! Happy belated birthday! (You should have given me a heads up :D)

Your new cloth looks really beautiful! I'm glad to see all that color! Basic things are really important: I use coptic binding all the time, and it's sort of like the mother of all western bindings. Stick with the running stitch as long as you like, it's just perfect.

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday! I like the running stitch, and the touches of colour

Ulla said...

Happy birthday, Karen! And I love your use of colour in this cloth. It is still you.

gunnelsvensson said...

Happy Birthsday Karen! I have a gift for you, an award, read my blog ;-)

Mrs.French said...

Oh my goodness I am in complete shock! Your work is amazing and like nothing I have ever seen before. Thanks for stopping by my blog, I am humbled by your talent!

jude said...

hey happy birthday, i have found a few old embroideries, maybe they can be a birthday present!