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, April 5, 2009

Chinese knots

Sunday already? Where does the time go? I have two days of 'sick' time left then it's back to work wednesday, just for the morning, then just over two weeks holidays. My leg seems to be improving. To be fair it has yet to be properly tested, wednesday morning will give me a better picture. There are still too many of the horse tablets left though and the surgical stockings look less appealing with each passing day!!
I said I had been thinking about the edge of my latest piece and here is the result of all that brain energy, chinese knots. I haven't made any of these for such a long time that I had to read my book again!I don't have nearly enough of them yet so thankfuly I found some more piping cord in my stash and that is on the to do list for tommorrow. The actual embroidered piece is just about ready for damp stretching, a little more work tonight and another job for the morning. I really need to get out now, it is my son's birthday on thursday and I don't even have a card for him yet. There is also Swedish money to order......
What a lovely suprise I got on friday. Francesca from the delightful blog mrs elliot books gave me this award. I now have to tell you seven things I love and pass this on to seven other bloggers. Now I could list seven people, husband, kids etc etc but that would probably be considered cheating and any way it goes without saying. So here goes,
1.I love being at home. I would never rather be anywhere else.
2.I love winter, dark, cold evenings all snug and warm at home. Cold crisp days.
3.I love the sea. I was born and brought up on the west coast of England, now I am land locked yet wherever I go if there is a beach I am drawn to it and could sit and stare at the sea for hours.
4.I love the company of children. Not just my own but nieces, nephews, students at school. They have such a refreshing outlook on things and are full of hope and optimism.
5.I love folding, unfolding and folding again my vintage tablecloths.
6.I love the connections I have made with people through this blog, some very special friendships.
7.I love my little goldfish, no, I adore my little goldfish. I have such a desire to hug him, alas, I can't.

Now I have to pass this on. I really don't like this bit, afraid of offending and all that so you can all consider yourself tagged and I will pick a few specific blogs, those I don't think I have given an award to before.
Diane Wandering Far From Home
Phew......
I will be back midweek, embroidery damp stretched and smocked....promise. x

12 comments:

Greedy Nan said...

What a delightful idea you've done here - just how is this done exactly? I'd love to have a go myself.

Diane Cransac said...

THank you Karen, you're too sweet. I will have to ponder that question...I love so many things ^_^
I so understand your love of your goldfish. I once had an angelfish named Pomp. He survived a move where he was carried 'in the tank' with only 6 inches of water up a steep endless flight of stairs where he had to lie sideways the whole way. He was so tough! I cried when he died a few years after that.
The chinese knots are a great idea! I can't wait to see them used.

Jackie said...

I won a goldfish on the fair once. I kept him(?) in the plastic bag for ages , he even fell out onto my knee once but thrived anyway. Then I bought him a bowl and he died. I put it outside in the garden on an icy day and the water froze. When it thawed out many days later there was no sign of him.
Thanks for the award. Its my sons birthday on Wednesday. 24.

Jane said...

Thank you so much Karen.

I love those knots, can't wait to see you use them. Shame you have to go back to work, The schools round here have already finished. I was imagining you having an extra long stitching holiday

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

Hello Karen,
Thank you so much,I will have a ponder.
I do love being at home,cosy when it's cold outside too.
Not sure about hugging a fish though!
Hope you have a lovely holiday.x

Needles said...

Karen, so sorry to hear you haven't been well. I was in hibernation mode helping my oldest son move into a house of his own. Infections these days are just not something to mess with.

I have not said it, but just before i last visited, you posted the wee pillow tops with the seed stitch around the openings. I love the way that looks. It always amazes me how the simplest of things combined just right is so beautiful.

Gina said...

The knots are wonderful!

jennyflowerblue said...

Thanks for the award Karen! I have a book on Chinese notted jewelery that I haven't touched yet.....shoul really have a go! xx

meplusmolly said...

Beautiful embroidery, great knots!
Thank you for your lovely comment on my blog too ;0

Art4Sol said...

The knots are beautiful....I will have to look into learning to make them. Glad to hear you're on the mend...have a great week.

Victoria said...

Beautiful knots, Karen.
Congrats on the award! I love the image of you loving your goldfish, and wanting to hug him, how very, very sweet! And I love the sea, too... Hope to live near one some day.

(I remember as a teenager my parents took us to England and we spent a day by the English Cannel. When we first arrived the tide was so far out, we could see no water, something that we had never experienced on our side of the Atlantic. We walked out onto where the ocean would eventually be, and the sea bed was covered with the most lovely rainbow colored tiny butterfly clam shells. Magically, within a few short hours the tide had come in miles and there was sea for as far as the eye could see.)

Katy Swift said...

Congratulations on the award. I know what you mean about cold crisp days, and folding material. There's something almost therapeutic about it.

The knots look great, very intricate. Are they difficult to make?