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, July 26, 2010

waiting in the midst of chaos

Things are still far from normal here. Before my husband decided to launch himself head first into a pile of scrap metal and old bedsteads we had plans to titivate our house, not massive plans but plans all the same. If I have it in my head to titivate then titivate I must regardless of injured spouses. So things have been moving slowly in the titivating department but we are getting there. The kitchen is done, the lounge is done, finished about 5 minutes ago actually. The bathroom? Well that is going to have to wait, never mind, can't have everything. It has been like living in a squat these past few days and not a very high class squat I might add yet amongst all this chaos....my table. A little oasis of embroidery, my giveaway piece, a crazy patchwork piece and two pieces waiting for bag frames......and still we wait. This piece is for the second bag. Neither of these bags will be available as they are both ordered but if you have a hankering for a smaller purse this is still languishing as is this. I think I may make more clutch bags, if my frames ever arrive and they are o.k. I will order more.
In the meantime I am still on white silk, no pictures yet because the weather has been apalling and with the best will in the world I can't titivate and embroider at the same time.
I do think though that Mr and Mrs Karen need a day out somwewhere nice, a little break from the squat and the mangled face problems so on wednesday I am off to York. I have never been to York before. When I was at school they went there on a trip and because of something SOMEBODY else did I wasn't allowed to go. If I'm guilty I hold my hands up, this time I was innocent, it was nothing short of an injustice. So if Barrow In Furness Grammar School for Girls won't take me I will take myself!
(can you tell I have waited years to purge myself of that injustice....it feels good!)

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

You will love York. It will be worth the wait! Have fun.

Kaija said...

I should be replying to your e-mail instead of this, but I'm scared of my e-mail when I'm on a creative mood. It will steal all my time, so here I am now. Everything looks beautiful as always! But you know, the thing that excites me the most right now is that you just taught me a new word! Titivate! Pure awesomeness. I want to titivate everything.

Heather Woollove said...

Hahahahaha, Karen...you are SO funny! Poor thing.
Have a wonderful trip and enjoy being 'away from it all' for a bit!!
XXO-

Jan said...

And that school in Barrow in Furness should hang its head in shame ,wonder if the guilty one ever thinks about the injustice to you GRrrr! as ever your work is just beautiful ...love Jan xx

Cath said...

Just found your blog, I've been watching all your projects here and I just want to say: you're very talented, love your work! Really inspiring :)

Jane said...

I have always loved York. My mum took us there when I was about seven on tickets from Weetabix. It was such a joy to take my boys there last year. We went twice and are due to go again.
That embroidery is beautiful

deanna7trees said...

me too, Kaija. I've never heard the word titivate and I had to look it up. I love it. It sounds like something having to do with atoms and electrons. I will use it from now on. You see how much you are teaching us, Karen, besides showing us your beautiful work.

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

Have a lovley trip to York I have yet to visit...one day.
Lovely stitching as always.
M x

Unknown said...

Karin, you're like a breath of fresh air! I love the pink and red ginham, especially with the little green flowers - it lifts the whole piece up to the next level.
My mother always talked about titivate when she was doing her make-up. I thought it was a dutch word because her parents were dutch immigrants to South Africa.
We are also 'titivating' our house at the moment. I am busy repainting the kids rooms and from there I hope to move throught the rest of the house. No big changes just some freshening up: painting etc.
Hope you have a great time in York! I don't know anything about York except that it has some Viking history. (I learned that from my son's history assignment!)

Jacky said...

Hi Karen, so lovely to back online again. Yes, our internet connection died and we were without it for four weeks!!!! Can you imagine that!
I so missed visiting my favourite blogs and have so enjoyed reading back through posts I missed and seeing all the wonderful stitching you have done.
Thanks for visiting and checking up on me too...you're a lovely online friend.

Jacky xox

Gina said...

I am so impressed that there is embroidery amid the chaos Karen. Enjoy your time in York.

Sarah said...

Found your blog accidentally and love your work, you really do well.

helena said...

I HATE INJUSTICE!!!
Karen, sometimes we can't do something in one moment but later, when we have the possibility, we can apreciate even more the thing. Go and have a nice time. ( sorry about my bad english)