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, November 17, 2010

take a deep breath......

Lots of pictures in todays post, most likely quite a bit of waffle and definitely a little ranting so if you are of a nervous disposition then please switch off now! My internet connection died on monday morning, I rang my ISP and was, much to my disgust, informed that they could not get anyone out to have a look at it until wednesday, a whole 48 hours away. I bit my tongue, a very difficult thing to do when you want to rip someones head off and swallowed the fact that wednesday morning between 8am and midday it would have to be. Don't get me wrong, I am well aware that the individuals who answer the phone are but minor players in the service we do or don't receive from these huge companies, merely folowing a script and most likely subject to verbal abuse on a daily basis, not from me though, I always rise above it, I always maintain an air of ''I know it's not your fault'' when speaking to them and am 100% polite, the way I was brought up to be and the way I would expect my own children to behave. How frustrating is it though that the people who are really at fault are always innaccesible? Anyway, this morning arrived, excitement chez moi, internet back before midday.......don't you believe it. Midday came and went, 1pm came and went. I get back on the telephone, ''oh he's been held up'' was the response. Now I'm not stupid, anyone can have a glitch, a delaying factor in their daily routine, my daily routine has been up the swanny for 2 days so I think I have insight...but... and it is a very important but...the small print!! In the small print it clearly states that if I, yes me, fail to keep this appointment for any reason then I will be charged some ridiculous excessive amount. Right I thought (and by this point I had steam coming out of my ears although the person on the other end of the phone must have thought I was sainted as so polite and calm was I)  this is it. I calmy, no beautifully and  serenely actually, said, ''I understand that if I had failed to keep this appointment I would have been charged x amount of pounds. Well may I suggest that as the failure is yours my account be credited with the same amount'' not a question, more of a beautifully delivered order...and if they could have seen me I was also giving my telephone the ''stare of death''! Do you know what? It worked. So there's a lesson there, the little man (or in this case, embroiderer) can sometimes win.
Moving on, because of my lack of access to cyber space I have done a LOT of work. It has been a hardship though I can tell you. I feel as if I have spent the last 2 days doing cold turkey complete with blindfold and ear pliugs, horrible!! Here we have more white and gingham, these are panels that will eventually become cushions. I have 4 tacked together and 1 fully embroidered

and than we have 3 more pin pillows, gifts for people who shall remain namelss. I am just waiting for some new labels for these and then I can get them finished and sent off to Santa.

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It's the wedding on saturday, yes THE wedding. I now have something to wear, big sigh of relief. I won't be doing favours for the wedding which was announced yesterday, they couldn't afford me and I'm afraid I will have to decline my invitation too, can't go through the outfit hunt again. I have tons of people to visit and e-mail, it's amazing how your inbox fills up after only 2 days, I will get to you honest just give me a little time. I will definitely be getting back to you Mary Anne, I'm intrigued!!

19 comments:

Jane said...

Good for you. If they're late, it is very easy to pick up the phone to let you know and apologise, there is no excuse for bad customer service.

These are going to be some very beautiful cushions.

Elizabeth said...

Glad you are connected again to blogosphere. The work is gorgeous, love the colors of the pin pillows.

Have a relaxed evening while you visit your friends.

Gina said...

Glad it was just the ISP ( I know, "just"!) but I wondered if you had a relapse of your illness so I had it in a different perspective. I know how it feels to be cut off from the internet too though, and it's not a good feeling when it's not by choice! But we benefit by all the eyecandy!

Lois Evensen said...

Hi Karen,

First, I have to empathize with you about lack of your Internet connection. My Honey and I are at sea more than half of every year and connect via satellite. You haven't lived until you've tried to upload pictures via satellite.

The work you accomplished while off line is gorgeous as usual. :)

Best,
Lois

jill said...

Do you want me to boycott them, I'm very good at doing that. I always do it politely as well. Beautiful work as well

Suztats said...

So glad your isp problems are solved and you are back online. I love the white--especially those circles and the beautiful cutwork! Yum!

sylviesgarden said...

Isn't it annoying when you don't get a service that you are paying for? Well done for staying calm and for standing your ground.
I love all of your work as usual but I am particularly drooling over the one with the pink stripes and orange flowers. That one is very special.
x

fabriquefantastique said...

Hello Karen 'Mary Anne" is that rhyming slang? an expression I don't know....let me know when you have time.
great pics. of course.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Just one more instance of the squeaky wheel getting the grease - good for you for being nice but yet getting your point across and coming out a winner! Very proud of you. Oh so pretty pin pillows - but MUCH too nice to stick with pins (no WAY I'd do that to them).

deanna7trees said...

I wondered what happened to you. glad things are back on track. you sure did some beautiful work while you were gone. I was gone all day and can hardly get back on track with all the e-mail that has come my way, but I do love getting it. don't worry about responding, we all know you are busy, busy.

Anonymous said...

You certainly sublimated your fury into to some beautiful work, Karen - well done. When I'm irritated I break the thread!

John'aLee said...

I hear you girl on your ranting. I've been without internet too becuz we've moved. We have to wait for them to ship us a modem before we can get service here. Go figure! In this day and age of technology it doesn't make sense....that we all have to still wait on snail mail to get something like this.
I am stunned as usual at your work. Do you mind if I ask how many hours a day you spend on hand work...and do your hands get tired..or do you get sores on your fingers?

fabriquefantastique said...

LOL....my apologies to MaryAnne.....

jennyflowerblue said...

Hooray! Good for you girl. Thanks a billion for my scrim- I will share my thoughts as soon as I've had a proper fiddle. I don't know if it's just my job but it reminds me of medical gauze?

Heartwideopen said...

YUM! I LOVE the 7th picture down from the top!

;~) Debi

Jacky said...

More of your beautiful stitching...this piece is so pretty and reminds me of spring and picnics.

Good for you re: your internet problems. Such a *pain* when we are without our connection isnt it?

Jacky xox

Catharina Maria said...

All your work is so sweet and beautiful , love it so much !
Love ♥RINI♥ the Netherlands

Dolores said...

Gorgeous, gorgeous.
I really hope that they credited your account for the days you didn't have internet connection too.

nandas said...

i am new here ... from jude's blog... this work is fabulous! so so beautiful.