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







Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Suprises and sketches

I have managed to finish the little suprise I was working on for the person who shall remain nameless! I don't really want to show too much of it here, not yet anyway, not until it is firmly in the hands of the recipient! That will happen soon I hope, well as soon as I can extricate myself from the classroom long enough to buy some packaging. Now I want to finish my crazy patchwork cloth. I am getting excited because I am planning to do more research, maybe make some different stuff and I will feel better about that if the decks are cleared so to speak.
On these two pictures you can just about see my first tentative steps at drawing/sketching my way to new ideas. It feels strange picking up a pencil again after so long. There's not a lot of confidence going on, more fear, but I will persevere.

I really must mention my second guest post over here, take a look and also have a peek at the little feature they have done on me here.
And more shameless self promotion can be found here, something I found by chance.....thankyou dear ada!
Next post will be 200, yes 200!! I have an exciting give away planned.

8 comments:

méri said...

Congrats, Karen!
and thanks for the links

Threadspider said...

Can't wait to see where your next journey will take you. I'm circling round an idea too, but have even less to show than your pencil sketches.
Congrats on the guest posts-may they also lead to new ideas.

jude said...

i really have come to realize the relationship between my sketching and my sewing. it is very healthy to do both and let them speak to each other.

Jane said...

The confidence will soon come. Looking forward to seeing where these sketches will lead

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

Look forward to your sketches.
I find my drawings are sometimes just like stitches.

Victoria said...

Congrats on all the blog features, they are wonderful!
I love seeing the sketched elements next to your work.

Ulla said...

Thank you, Karen! I'm honoured to be mentioned in your guest blog with such great artists! (and secretly wondering how I ended there).

ginie lee said...

Hi I'm new to your blog and just wanted to say how much I love your work , it's truly inspirational! It's been a while since I last embroidered anything but I went out yesterday and bought some gold plated needles! Hope I've not forgotten how to use them!!