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 4, 2011

home again....




I'm back. Did you miss me? Well I missed you but that's not to say I didn't have a wonderful time. Take That were AMAZING!!! my family are dreading the DVD coming out as it will be played on a loop for weeks!! I got my quilt, I went to New Designers, I visited the Tower of London, blown away by the Crown Jewels too...actually I got to thinking about the Crown Jewels...my ancestors have paid taxes for centuries...me thinks that should maybe allow me to choose just one tiny little thing from them...what do you reckon? I may put it forward as a suggestion to my MP. There was a little bit of shopping, a lot of eating good food and a thought that maybe I could do with a holiday to recover!!
Since I got back...late saturday night/early sunday morning I have been washing dirty clothes as if I am in training for the Olympics. I have been re stocking the cupboards and I am now filled with a sense that I need to get organised...yawn, yawn. I know that those of you who have been coming here for a while will know that I say it all the time but honestly I must, I really must!! Tomorrow I am going to try, sort some things out, throw some things away, tidy my stash, put all my sketchbooks and inspirational stuff, images, cards etc all within easy reach. I am going to make notes, copious amounts of notes. Make lists, lots of them...I AM, I AM, I AM.....
Back to today though and the images here.....I have finished the last piece of paperwork I was working on and it is now in the shop. I have started another one, visible here and I have kind of begun a collage as a task from my online art course. I am actually so far behind with that it's untrue...I skipped doodling so I sense a detention coming up.
The bottom picture is a small section of my dining table which is covered in all kinds of stuff. Books I have printed and assembled ready to post, postcards from New Designers...lots of things that need to be put away or we can't eat!! I don't yet have anything to give you this week so I may put a selection of the postcards together, we shall see.  Anyway, the washing machine is calling......four days? Four weeks worth of dirty washing, how does that work??




postcard credits
carrie osborne
gemma barlow
emma starkey
laura coulter
rosanna batchelor
jung hoon kim

15 comments:

Jane said...

I always thought dining tables were meant for storing stuff, or for working at, lol. Glad you enjoyed yourself

deanna7trees said...

welcome back.am loving the border in that second image, and the riot of color in the third.

Gina said...

I was at New Designers on Thursday Karen... my first ever vist and I thought it was brilliant. So much inspiration.

Elizabeth said...

Oh how I missed you. You posts always make me laugh and that's true this time too. You are so much like me, playing music or video's on a loop and family getting annoyed because they don't get it, LOL.
And than the stocking up, I just know what you are talking about. Lists are always a good thing but somehow they are never complete, do you have the same problem?!?.

Anyway I'm glad you're back.

Tammie Lee said...

It sounds as though you had a wonderful time, yea! and this piece, is gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

Washing breeds. It's the only conclusion I've come to that makes sense. The male and female items fall in love in the washing basket and indulge in some procreational dressmaking (to misquote Terry Pratchett). Voila! Four days washing becomes four weeks.

Lois Evensen said...

What a great update from such a busy lady. :) I always enjoy keeping up with you and your projects.

Hugs,
Lois

jill said...

Stunning paperwork I just can't believe the protestations when you had to do it in Uni, that and your drawing skills which are both so fine. And Take That well what can I say, I also will be first in the queue for the DVD

fabriquefantastique said...

As you know I have always enjoyed your work, but I also like the way your personality shines through your blog.

Linda Carole Bloom said...

Yes, of course I missed you. I have been dying to tell everyone about my interview on Shabby Streamside Studio!! Here:
http://myshabbystreamsidestudio.blogspot.com/2011/07/linda-bloom-antiques-for-newborns.html
And I got such nice comments too!
So excited! I listed 5 more bonnets and a new rose teddy - It's not mohair, so I could sell it for less, but the next will be mohair - there's nothing else like it.
Glad you had a good time and have fun getting organized - I cleaned all day today and ran all the dog beds through the washer! Love, Linda

Joanna said...

Welcome back!

Iceni UK said...

Hi Karen, your trip sounded wonderful. Yes, we missed you. Love the pieces of work, how you manage to do so much and still do washing!!!! :) then there is ironing..... :) :)You must be so organised......

Jackie said...

Welcome back. And wow! Its sold already. You remind me of someone. Glad you enjoyed Take that. I haven't been away and have 4 months ironing to do. Today is the day. You sound fully refreshes and re inspired by your weekend away. Lucky you.Glad you enjoyed it.

Anonymous said...

I've noticed a multiplicational tendency in the washing basket, too. Never mind - you clearly had great time!

Suztats said...

So glad you had a wonderful time! I get the music loop.....settling into the melody, feeling it in your bones, and finding the flow ...... heaven. Welcome back!