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







Saturday, September 6, 2008

First things first....sorry for the terrible pictures! We have rain like you wouldn't believe and its as dark as the middle of the night even at eleven in the morning. I am so glad I can swim!! (just incase, you never know!) I really don't feel like I have created very much this week. I just can't seem to organise the work/home/embroidery circle at all. If anyone out there has any tips they would be very gratefully received here.
I am trying to put together a little something as a suprise for someone who shall remain nameless. The cutwork and text is the same as I have in the crazy patchwork piece, that's because I know they really like that combination. Instead of doing applique flowers though I have decided to add some transfer printed cutwork to give it another dimension.



None of this has been damp stretched yet, apart from the text, so there is still some way to go.




I have also been really lucky in the past couple of weeks. Three awards have found their way to my little blog. Now you know what I am like with awards and passing them on, so I am going to trawl blogworld sometime in the next few days to compose a list of new and exciting blogs and they will get a mention in honour of my awards. I am however going to mention the kind and generous ladies who gave me the awards. Miss 376 and Marty 52. Many, many, many thanks!!

8 comments:

Jane said...

Early days yet with work. Maybe after a couple of weeks things will begin to fall into place. We've seen some sun today which is a welcome sight after yesterday

Threadspider said...

Organizationally-forget housework until half term, apart from the absolute essentials like kitchen,clean clothes and toilets. Food shop on line-quicker, more environmentally friendly. Limit yourself when preparing lessons-otherwise it takes ALL your time . And the night hours too. Keep chanting "It's only a job" even when it tries to be more than that.INSIST on making time to do Your things.
I never tire of that lovely white silk work.

Ulla said...

Hi Karen, it amazes me that you have been able to do your silk work as well as going to work and living the normal life! I think the answer is finding the little scraps of time available and using them for embroidery. This means you can never put the work aside, it must be there ready to be continued.

Marty52 said...

Good advice from the others so won't add anymore... love these bits!

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

Hi Karen, My time is in the evening, I can get quite carried away stitching and then before I know it it's midnight!
I think some times house work just has to wait as threadspider says.
I find your blog so calm with your shades of white, beautiful.

Victoria said...

Lovely! The blue looks just great with the white.

I am impressed that you have done so much with just starting a new job!

Kelly Fletcher said...

Hi Karen. Just found your blog and really enjoying it. Will definitely be back. I'm not generally a fan of crazy patchwork, but your white on white take on the technique has me thinking of it in a whole new light...

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