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







Tuesday, February 16, 2010

my latest obsession

I'm early today. Have you heard the expression 'up with the lark', well I was up before the lark. I am expecting a washing machine repair man, very specific on his arrival time.....between 8 a.m and 6 p.m. thankyou! At least I have things to do while the dirty washing pile is growing. My latest obsession, binding edges. I have even removed the piece I had mounted with the card header in order to bind it's edge. It will have to be remounted when I have finished as will this other piece, they will look better though, trust me.



I have also made this little piece of whitework to go behind the cutwork I am planning to add to the piece I showed you last time. Just to make it a little different I have placed some frayed muslin on top of the silk before I set to work with the french knots.




Now then......I started something when I mentioned workshops!! I have had so many e-mails, comments here, comments on facebook, so much input and advice. I am really grateful for it all and the majority seem to think online classes would be best. I can see the advantages, wider audience, once set up an easier delivery. However the disadvantage, I am a total technophobe with minimal interest in I.T apart from what I need to keep this blog going. People have mentioned Ning, Google Wave, Yahoo groups, all chinese to me. I really don't think online is for me, I much prefer hands on, face to face demonstration. I am not completely ruling anything out yet, I have had offers of help setting up online but it will all have to be considerd and the plan was for this to take shape and have serious effort put into it after the Contemporary Textile Fair. I mentioned it last time to hopefully get ideas to mull over, well I certainly got those, thankyou.
I am enjoying my week off for half term. Progress is being made on all my pieces for the fair and I have been catching up on some sleep, well apart from today and my obscure appointment to get my washer fixed. It's good to be at home, nowhere else I would ever rather be.

12 comments:

meri said...

Now I understand what was that frayed thing I saw on flickr...but I go on asking behind?
can wait what exquisite work is coming...

I understand you very well about on-line workshops - I much prefer face to face too - but as a far away reader I regret...

Tina said...

Your work is sublime. I do not think that I would ever have the patience to do all the French knots that you do. I love the way taht you have made white on white look so interesting. I know that when I open your blog that I am in for a treat.
Thank you for the inspiration.
Tina

Dolores said...

What a treat to stop by and see what you are up to. I love the french knot piece. I'm glad you have time to devote to stitching this week - except for the annoying bit about waiting for a repairman. I do hope he shows up and doesn't cancel...

connie said...

I too love binding, I love the look of it and I love adding it to pieces. It just completes things. Your work is incredible as usual.

I hope you figure out what you want to do as far as Workshops. Online would be nice since distance is an issue but I agree with you about the Face to Face. Oh, and don't forget you can't feel things on line... :-) Good Luck!

Jane said...

I finally got a machine last Friday after hand washing since the end of November. I can't tell you how much I appreciate having a machine again, hope you don't have to wait too long for the repair man to arrive. I find it relaxing hand sewing bindings, hope you have fun and enjoy the rest of the week

Cerejeira said...

I much prefer hands on, face to face demonstration.
I totaly agree with you, there is a much more efective way of doing this.
Anyway if in London count on me.
Have a nice break.
http://cerejeirastudio.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Wow.. FRAYED muslin! Very nice!

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

Hello Karen,
Yes courses in person would be best, as I like you would not enjoy the online courses for the reasons you give unless someone did the I.T for me!

Victoria said...

That crisp white binding is icing on the cake... lovely.
I hope you do find a way to teach, and only wish I lived closer, as to see you and your work in person.

Amelia said...

obsessional tendencies often leads to beautiful work :) !

As for classes, as you know I'm in the process of launching my on-line art course (getting there - ho hum!) but the one thing i haven't included is stitching and textile work, as I agree it needs more hands on demonstration as it can be tricky.

Having said that I have learnt to do some stitches by watching video lessons with close up's of the hands at work. You could use a webcam etc and do workshops on line like that, but of course you have to want to!!! And these suggestions, I am sure, aren't new to you!

Good luck whatever way you do it, you have inspired me to go off and learn more and I'm currently working on pieces (when I;m not on the computer!!!) that include stitches on painted canvases - interesting!!

Amelia.x

CJ STITCHING AND BLOOMS said...

Hello karen, I love the beautiful ribbon you added to your lovely piece. I always enjoy seeing your creations. I received my A-Z Whitework book yesterday and so enjoyed looking at it and the whole while I was thinking of your creations. Hugs Judy

Anna said...

I just found your blog
And I am amazed!!! so beautiful!
I just do cross stitching but this is something I want to learn now...thanks to you!

I like to ask you if I can use some photo's for a post on my blog?
with a link back to you ofcourse?
you can find me here:

http://artfulldelight.blogspot.com/

gr.Anna