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







Sunday, September 13, 2026

Still growing.

 

It's ongoing.

It will be ongoing for quite some time!

It has grown.

You can compare it to the last time you saw it.

I'm working some single hexagons to fill awkward space alongside the grandmothers flower garden pieces. 

I didn't measure it today.

I will let that surprise me maybe in a couple of weeks.

***

In other news.

Three grandsons under five years of age means lots of mixed up Lego kits which means Nanna needs to sort it all out. 

Anyone want to give me a hand?


 

Friday, September 11, 2026

Pages, stitched papers.

 



Another distraction, something I have been meaning to do for goodness knows how long.

I have a large sketchbook to fill with stitched papers, mixed patterns, mixed weights, mixed finishes.

This is number one.


 

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Hexagon marathon

 

I can assure you this has grown since you last saw it.

It now measures, at its widest point, twenty nine by 12 inches whilst the latest small piece waiting to be added measures eleven by nine inches.

There was a passing thought to count the single hexagons here. It was fleeting ha ha.

Feel free if you want to do that....but let me know how many then I don't have to do it lol.

I only work on this piece a couple of evenings a week in between doing other embroidery.

It will take a while...a very long while.....a true labour of love in the making. 

Thursday, September 3, 2026

Sixteen pieces of pink gingham ribbon.

 


In my post yesterday I mentioned I wanted to make progress with my drawstring pouch.

Success! 

Sixteen pieces of pink gingham ribbon have been stitched at regular intervals around the outside section of the pouch. 

When this is finished they will be tied.

I also think I have sourced my lining cloth, that is ordered and on its way.  

Let's hope that when it gets here it is suitable. 


Wednesday, September 2, 2026

A handkerchief edge, a little lace and French knots.

 

This patchwork piece has been added to........the edge of a vintage handkerchief and a scrap of lace embellished with French knots. 

I will leave this piece for a little while now as I am anxious to finish my drawstring pouch. 

There are ribbon ties to sew onto that and a lining cloth to source. 

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Pages

 


Came across these this morning.

So happy I did! 

Friday, August 28, 2026

Framed

 

 

Three small stitched studies, surface design pieces from this recent design exploration collection.

 

 These pieces have been mounted in simple box frames without glass.

I now have a hankering to do the same with the larger piece in the image above. 

(top left) 

 


 

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Patchwork, gimp, French knots and bullion knots.

 

A little relaxing hand embroidery.

Small patchwork pieces, French knots and gimp secured with bullion knots. 

This piece has a base of silk dupion

I think there will be more of these small embroidery and patchwork studies.

After all, you can never have too many cloth books.

Monday, August 24, 2026

Pink gingham ribbon

 

Pink gingham ribbon for cords and drawstrings.

 

Saturday, August 22, 2026

Growing.....

 

Compare this to Wednesday...it's growing, maybe slowly but it's growing.

The smaller piece from Wednesday has been stitched to the main piece and there is a new small piece waiting to go on.

This is created from one inch hexagons.

At it's widest points the main piece measures twenty two by eleven inches, the small piece nine and a half by eight inches.

When I am stitching this I am tempted to remove the card templates from the central areas. 

Can anyone who knows about these things tell me if there's any reason I shouldn't do that?