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, March 23, 2011

embellishing...

I'm early! Did I catch you by suprise?? The skirt hunt happened yesterday afternoon, found a spare hour and off I went. No prizes for guessing that it was a complete waste of time..came home skirtless. So I will have to get it online...should have just done that in the first place I hear you cry, well yes, I know that now. Ten availabe it says so I am on to it straight after this. I also managed to embellish a little bit of toe wrap two, the stripey loops bit. I am fiinding it quite difficult to work with the pale red plaid fabric, lost for ideas really on what will match it thread wise, that's why I have gone with the safe option of white. I had to include the cloth as it is in other sections but from now on the use will be very minimal, I don't like not knowing what to do with something.

Today is lining hook and eye cushion day. My duck feather cushion pads have arrived...yes you heard right...duck feather, very posh!! Last night I had a bit of a revelation whilst I was dropping off to sleep and it has led  to me planning on making another hook and eye cushion, the same yet different and that way these picky clients will have a choice of three. If they don't like any of them at least there will be very posh cushions chez moi! I am also booking train tickets today, off to London next friday for a long weekend and the M6 on a friday tea time appeals not at all...would rather stick pins in my eyes so the train it is...

15 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Seems everyone is making an early start. Spring is definitely in the air with all that energy bouncing around. Good idea to take the train. Enjoy yourself with your needle, I am doing the same!!!!

Joanna said...

How about some frills with the pale plaid, with a bit of lace on the end? Just a suggestion anyway.

Anywhere in England on a Friday afternoon makes me go cold. Hate it! Hate it! One of the reasons I am not going back to live in the UK. Rush hour where I live is three cars in a row and can occur at random times of the day, other than that the only traffic we see is when something is going on at the culture house or a funeral. As you can tell it is pretty quiet around here.

Heather Woollove said...

Karen--'came home skirtless' has a rather racy sound to it!! Giggle.
I love online shopping for clothing, too. Wise move about the train...and after all, you will get to see your beloved daughter at the end of your journey! XXO-

Jane said...

Have fun with the hooks and eyes, a hook and eye cushion sounds wonderful

Lois Evensen said...

Your reds and white today make me think of peppermint candy. What a happy thought! :)

Have a good trip.

Hugs,
Lois

fabriquefantastique said...

I like the way the straight lines of the check and stripe are used in softer rounded applications.
Bloody awful day here, snowing all night and still swirling and howling and cold......wish I were taking the train to London.

**EYE-SNACKS** said...

Hi Karen, these are lovely again!

deanna7trees said...

i do most everything online except for the thrift shops. glad you will finally get your skirt. not warm enough yet to go skirtless.

Anonymous said...

Glad it's eventually turned out to be good news on the skirt front!
I do like the way the green cross stitches echo the pattern in that pretty plaid, and the spots next door pick up the circular windows. Clever.
:-)

StitchinByTheLake said...

I am loving the red and white stripes! blessings, marlene

Suztats said...

So, i take it a 'toe-wrap' skirt is not in the picture? teasing!
I like the red and white, too!

Anonymous said...

I think the red plaid has been very successful as you have used it!

And yes, absolutely, London by road - a true horror!

Anonymous said...

As soon as I saw these I thought of childhood Christmases. An instant burst of happiness.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

So cheery with the red and white stripes! This would be my toe wrap for spring (and perhaps for Christmas too).

Jackie said...

Oh I wish you'd asked me about duck feather cushions. I bought loads a while ago( I distinctly remember it was the day John Peel Died) and never used them.
Meant to say I love the green here.