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







Friday, August 1, 2008

Lovely friday

It has been such a lovely morning. A little bit cooler, a little breeze and an exhibition visit that was definitely worth the effort. I have the link for you here, though unfortunately it doesn't give much away image wise. I honestly recommend a visit if you are near enough. Titled 'People Watching' there are beautiful figurative embroideries, ceramics, drawings and the most gorgeous dolls, very covetable and all I can say is that if I had already started work pennies would have been spent!
Now, back to business. My text has been cut up and is in the process of being pieced. These are just random shapes to insert into the crazy patchwork and at the moment they are only tacked to the templates. I love how they look though. Over the weekend I plan to get these added to the main piece and give some thought to what I still need in terms of applique and cutwork.



Back to my cupboards, and thanks for the input regarding this from those of you who have mentioned it, no tidying has happened but a couple of doors have been furtively opened to assess the level of carnage within and look what I found...
these are quite old pieces, well maybe 6 months old. Some of you may have seen them before and I apologise if you feel cheated by that, but..........................taking them out and handling them again has given me a dilemma, should I try and sell them as they are, or, should I cut them up and make them into something else.
Just so you know what they are, these are old napkins, chairbacks and things which were worn in places. What I have done here is repair them with embroidery or patchwork, I call them my 'reclaimed cloths'. Let me know your thoughts, I would really appreciate any feedback.


Now then, back to my tagging. I mentioned the other day that I had been tagged by Jenny Flower. I was so pathetic I couldn't even think of one fact to give you so I am going to try again. Don't hold your breath though because there won't be six!!!!

1. Following on from my last post.....I have the untidiest cupboards in history.

2. Again back to the same subject....It would be worth cleaning them out because some of them contain amazing treasures.

3. If I worked at a 'normal' job, with a salary, all my money would be spent at exhibitions or on the work of my blog friends.

4. I have done this once before so if you would like to take a look you will find it here.

I am supposed to tag another 6 people now, I have never done what I was told though, so please, if you want, consider yourself tagged, leave me a comment that you want to be tagged and I will mention you next post.

Have an amazing weekend!

8 comments:

jude said...

your reclaims are fabulous, even better than now i suspect.

Jane said...

They are beautiful, I always remember the embroidered chair backs when we used to visit my great grandmother.

green phoenix said...

Karen, thanks for commenting on the exhibition, I feel a bit funny going looking myself so it's good to have a little feedback!

Is the embroidered text done freehand?I sometimes include a little in my work but nothing on your scale, it looks great.

Threadspider said...

The reclaimed cloths are lovely-I think you should try to sell them as it seems a waste for others not to see them. But then again, they might turn into something even more lovely if you cut them up and add them to another of your crazy pieces....such a dilemma.

Anonymous said...

They're lovely. Why not put them up for sale?

Gina said...

I think your reclaimed cloths are beautiful as they are Karen.

Susan Elliott said...

Sell them!!!!

Victoria said...

I love your reclaimed cloths just the way just the way they are! What a lovely idea. You should put them in your shop!