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







Monday, November 23, 2009

new stuff and fuzzy pictures

Back from Sparkle, exhausted, full of ideas and with memories of some lovely people that I met. Luckily I didn't run out of stuff so I will be having a shop update later in the week with new things and things I didn't manage to sell. I made these buttons and brooches before I left and would have hated for you not to see them, hence these pics. I took so many pictures of my stand but when I uploaded them they were mostly rubbish. The ones I salvaged are still a bit fuzzy but I thought you would want to see them anyway. First though, the new stuff,

I honestly took about 10 pictures of my new cloth but they were so blurred. This is the only decent one out of them all, not brilliant but it does give you a better idea of how it looks as a whole.



My only regret is not getting a better image of my fragments. They looked so good placed together on a white canvas. I am delighted to say that two of these were bought by a lady who told me she wasn't going to frame them, no, she was merely going to wrap them in tissue and put them away to look at now and then, I could have kissed her! A woman after my own heart, I knew I wasn't the only one. Thankyou so much lady with no name.

I have been off work today, I booked it ages ago knowing I would be tired, late home and all that but it's back to school in the morning and lots of things to do after that. My house has been neglected for weeks, I have enough dirty washing to keep a laundry going for months and I want to visit lots of blogs, something that I haven't had much time for recently. I will still be sewing but at a more relaxing pace and then of course there's the shop to sort out. More importantly though I need to put my christmas head on. I have so much to do for christmas that it's scary! Gift lists, shopping lists, card lists, decoration lists............oh my...and for some strange reason I have become fixated with colouring in! I have bought so many of these type of things and I want to do some, I am certain that when I start it will be addictive!
I will be back later in the week, might only have colouring in to show you though!!
If there is anything that catches your eye no need to wait for the shop update, just drop me an e-mail and I will see what I can do. Have a great week, it sure is good to be home. x

19 comments:

Jane said...

Lovely to see the photos. There is something very therapeutic about colouring in.

Janice / Dancing with Sunflowers said...

Ooo, Karen. It all looks so beautiful. I do hope Sparkle was the success you deserved. You've worked so hard and it's all wonderful. I meant to write and wish you luck before you left but had the flu. Have been seeing terrible images of the NW with all the rain and collapsing bridges and the like. I hope all is well with your family.
Janice. x

Jackie said...

I don't how on earth you managed to get those brilliant photographs but they are lovely.

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

It all looks wonderful and it is the best feeling when someone really appreciates your work.
Enjoy your relaxing sewing.xx

Joei Rhode Island said...

OOOh...They look like tiny cookies or candies on a tray....Yummy.
Stay dry...we've heard of your flooding even here in New England.

Claire said...

Congratulations on making it through Sparkle!! You deserve a day off after all that work I reckon.

Angela Smith said...

what beautiful beautiful button, they look like meringues. So much work

Gina said...

It all looks amazing Karen (Do I understand we can't say the beau... word?)Hope it was worth all the hard work.

Heather Woollove said...

If you're currently in a coloring mood, and you haven't yet heard of these books, check out the Rosie Flo coloring books...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0811865525/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=4608250347&ref=pd_sl_274f8f1t5j_b
They are quite entrancing!!
Heather
http://www.woollove-functional-fiberart.blogspot.com/

méri said...

So many wonderful things!
Your pictures are so clean - even when you say they don't...:)
Welcome back!

leilani said...

I've signed up to be notified when you put pieces in your etsy shop. I'm hoping I can afford one or two of your exquisitely beautiful fragments.

leilani said...

Oh Oh! The lightbulb just lit! Just read Jackie's blog and now I know what the "beau. . ." refers to and I used it!!!

Correct me if I'm wrong but if you had a nickle (don't know what the equivalent to a nickle is across the pond) for every time someone said your work was beautiful then didn't buy a thing you would be rich!

I do shows also, (one-of-a-kind wearables) and I know the feeling.

So please excuse me for using the b*&@#*#%l word. Geez, after that I'd better be able to afford at least one of the fragments!

JP said...

I am soo glad you had a good time and people admired your work - not hard to do - look forward to see if I can afford something from the shop - don't work too hard!

Katy Swift said...

I hope Sparkle went well and it's good to hear that people appreciated your devine creations.

Enjoy your rest with your colouring in.

x

jennyflowerblue said...

Welcome home; kettle on, feet up and go on, do some colouring!

Amelia said...

Hi Karen,

Thanks for 'popping over' and leaving an encouraging comment. It was great meeting you too. I have been most inspired and trying to teach myself to do some of those gorgeous flower stitches like those on the brooch I bought, but to no avail!!

I wish I'd bought those silk beads too!! Do I have to buy through etsy now?!

Will be visiting again!

Amelia.x

Victoria said...

Your booth must have been such a treat for the senses. I would have loved to see all that beauty up close and in person. Congrats on such a well done job and presentation!

Anonymous said...

I love your work. Can I ask what kind of findings you use for the brooches? I've been making some little embroidered pins myself but so far am not happy with the findings I've been using.

Mara
maradrogan@verizon.net
http://kleiosbelly.wordpress.com

Anonymous said...

they look like fancy cookies on a tray -I have enjoyed looking at your work -unusual.