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, March 21, 2009

First of many

My first piece of embroidery for the 'Makey Do', a cushion front, not yet assembled but damp stretched and progressing well. I have gone back in time here slightly, back to using iron on transfers as an alternative means of surface decoration. Less time consuming, this should mean that I will be able to price these that little bit lower, the transfers are not nearly as expensive as the vintage cloths or as time consuming to process as heavy hand embroidery. It is still very effective I think, what about you?


My second cushion front is also taking shape, very much a work in progress it is nowhere near the stretching stage. Cushions won't be the only things I make but for the moment they are easy to pick up and put down, not mentally taxing and relxing to create. I have a feeling there will be many, many cushion fronts piled up before I eventually get the sewing machine out and put them together into the finished article, boy am I ready for my holiday! Three weeks from today I will be in Sweden, I can't wait. The plan is to come back mega refreshed, brave enough to face the Bernina!


Now I am going blog visiting...get the kettle on again! You all know, at least I hope you know, how bad I feel that I don't do more blog hopping. Well after reading this post from Jackie (who absolutely isn't referring to me) I can tell you that my guilt trippled.....will grovelling help??
Have an amazing weekend. x

16 comments:

Anti said...

wow. really nice!

Jackie said...

Not you!
Stop grovelling. I shouldn't have even said it.You have commented and replied.
When you drop a pebble in the cyber pool you don't realise how far the ripples spread.

Francesca said...

Thank you!

As always it's lovely visiting your blog. Those transfers are gorgeous. I love how they are just fragments and off-centre. Such a lovely combination.

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

Hello Karen,
Looks like you have been very busy, I do think the transfers work so well in the circles.
It's like looking through keyholes.
Lovely work.xx

hens teeth said...

There is something about an embroidery transfer that has a wonder graphic quality, it's a sort of art form all of it's own, though I think perhaps the art form is how you use them and beautifully so in this case Karen.

Ulla said...

The last picture is my favourite; a little colour but still peaceful.

Guzzisue said...

mmm... the transfers work better than I would have imagined :-)Lucky t=you, going to Sweden...enjoy.

jill said...

You have worked so quick or did you hide all this work when I saw you. It looks calm and peaceful. well done

Diane Cransac said...

Beautiful as always. The transfers look great. It is you touch that makes them so. YOu do such wonderful work!

gunnelsvensson said...

Your work is alwys so very beautiful! I don´t know how you have time to so so much lovley things! Don´t be sorry for not blogghopping so much, it´s take time..........read blogs when you need inspiration! I hope you have a lovely visit in my country !!!

Gina said...

The transfers work really well. Love the blue and white.

Jane said...

The transfers are just as intriguing peeping through as the embroidery. Like the green and the blue you have used for the seeding

jennyflowerblue said...

I like the transfers too, will they vary in intensity as you iron more images off? I can see these in a very serene setting and was wondering if you had thought of doing a wheeto series for families ;0)

Kel said...

This is wonderful
Well done

Jackie said...

Me again
I just looked at your stuff on the makey do blog and it looks amazing on that grey background.

Cerejeira said...

Beautiful!!! Where do you get all this inspiration from???