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, August 27, 2008

2 days and counting!

Sorry I have left it a little bit longer with this post. I start work on friday (YIKES!!) so I have been busy. I'm not sure what I have been busy with, nothing tangible in terms of organisation, my head has been all over the place! There has been a bit of embroidery going on though. I can always find time for embroidery. I seem to keep finding bits of cloth that are crying out to be cut, you know me, I love to cut! I 'removed' some of the circles from this piece and placed some silk, onto which I had ironed a vintage transfer, behind the holes. Next, some buttonhole and running stitch and hey presto, a pleasing little sample of cutwork.


I had intended just to leave this, put it in my sample book and get back to the crazy patchwork cloth, but the best laid plans and all that. I suddenly thought, 'handbag'. It seems I have caught the handbag bug. So this little sample has now been added to, extended, developed and we now have the front of a new handbag. There is all kinds going on in this piece. A lace edge, running stitch, eyelets, seed stitch, cross stitch. I think it's looking good, but more importantly I am having fun doing it!











Don't think I have forgotten about my cloth though, never. Can you see the cutwork peeping out here? That is the last piece needed to complete the crazy patchwork piece of the cloth. It is in the early stages, probably another good 10 hours of work needed before It's damp stretched, but I'm on it, trust me!





Now I don't know what I have done but I must have been a very good girl! I am definitely a really lucky girl anyway. Today I got the most amazing gift from Ulla. This is a 'back to school' present with the most gorgeous stamps.






I have Finnish chocolate, vintage lace, vintage threads, a Marimekko tin and an angel to take care of me! This has made me so happy, it is worth going back to work after eons of being a home maker if these are the kind of gifts you get! So thanks again a million times Ulla! You made my day.




















10 comments:

Gina said...

Beautiful work as ever Karen. What a lovely parcel of goodies too!

Needles said...

One more to go today. Best of luck to you Karen. I'll be thinking of you.

Anonymous said...

Karen this is your mum thinking about you as usual but paricularly as you prepare for Friday! good luck i know you will make a success of it as you do with averything you decide to take on in your life. love you loads.

Jane said...

What a lovely piece of fabric. It will make a lovely handbag. Good luck for Friday.
I've have two awards for you on my blog too.

Victoria said...

You never disappoint. Beautiful!
Best wishes for a great day on Friday!

Paula Hewitt said...

good luck for Friday. I particularly like the juxtapositio between the sqaures and circles in the first piece

Marty52 said...

I love your work, Karen, and also have given you an award. Please check my blog for the details!! Oh, and good luck with the new job!

Needles said...

Hey Karen, about the time I am writing this, you are probably just back from or at lunch. I think it is an 8 or 9 hour time difference. Here is hoping your Friday morning was absolutley lovely and that the afternoon is better and better.

Gayle said...

This is wonderful...and I think it is such a great idea to use the vintage transfers. Do you dream ideas? How do you come up with everything?

Anonymous said...

This looks stunning, glad you enjoyed your first day and hope you took the parcel with you to sit on your desk, so many thoughtful people. Lucky you so many awards.
Jill