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







Thursday, May 29, 2008

Well have I had a busy few days. I managed to get all the tape embroidered with text and applied to the silk panel last night, phew! Unfortunately the light for photographs is DREADFUL today..those of you who live in the northern hemisphere will know what I mean. So I hope these are not too bad to show you, they are the best out of approx 80 pictures that I have taken this morning. I did initially think that there wasn't enough going on with this panel that has the tape, but after I placed it next to the applique/embroidered panel I think it is probably just enough, a nice contrast. I now have to give some thought to how I am going to secure the pleats. I am thinking maybe buttons, maybe hooks and eyes, it will depend on wether I am up for hand stitched butonholes or not. Actually, I think I know the answer to that one already, almost certainly not. So, next time you stop by there may be some metal going on here, not a first for me but definitely a first for the blog, I will be interested in your reaction when and if it happens.




I have really had fun using colour in cloth eight and this has led to my being on a bit of a mission the past couple of days. I have embroidered another 'fragment' with silk and paper and also some little paper and silk brooches for the shop. They really are lovely (well I think so anyway) and remind me of antique keepsakes. I think I have found something new to do whilst work in progress is damp stretching!




My son is home from uni at the moment and my daughter is coming home for the weekend so it is busy busy around here, not much room to work either, but I am really looking forward to all the family being together again, if only for a few days. My untidy house is about to get a whole lot worse! I will definitely find a little corner for myself to work in though, it's essential for my sanity!

3 comments:

Victoria said...

These brooches are so pretty! I think this style would also look lovely as wrist cuffs!

My oldest is also home for the summer from college. It is delightful to have her home, however while she was away I extended my work area into her room. Of course I missed her, yet it was lovely to be able to spread out so! Now that she is back I am having a hard time re-adjusting to my old, rather cramped, work area!

Gayle said...

I love those little splashes of color! Your work is so beautiful.

jennyflowerblue said...

I love the intensity of those small pieces. I've just had a lovely lie in looking through some old needlework mags and leaflets (used for teaching in schools) from the 50's. They had transfers of sailors, dogs and budgies as the centre pull outs, quite quite bizare but somehow ace! Have a lovely weekend with your famiy. x