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







Friday, August 13, 2010

fiddling

This is how I have spent the last few days, fiddling and going nowhere in particular. I was hoping that merely stitching without a real purpose would fire the brain up, ha, no such luck! I made small things mainly because nothing seems to be moving from here so I kind of thought, ''what's the point?'' Making the puffs was a pleasure though, they are so cheerful, brighten stuff up which we need as it's so dark and dreary here. I swear it hasn't stopped raining for weeks. I don't even like summer but even I am sick of the rain now. The other tiny piece is a small, precious fragment to do as you wish with. I think it would be a great and delicate addition to one of my ''little books of embroidery'' alternatively you could use it to wash the floor! It would have to be a little floor though. Anyhow these are now listed and I'm not holding my breath!!Now I am wondering what to do next. I think when the neighbours snuck in with their washing in the middle of the night they left with my imagination. it's as if my brain has dried up, my batteries have run out. I will spend most of this weekend alone due to numerous factors, number one being the return of the football. Everytime I mention my team on here we get beat but I am going to risk it.....come on you blues!! I am actually very excited, I love football but I digress. A mostly solitary weekend means time and space for a project. Normally I would have it planned by now, be extremely focused with a plan of action. Nope, nothing. Let's hope it appears in the next hour or so. Any suggestions would be very gratefully received, who knows it might kick start something. Perhaps I could start a new line of designer floorcloths. What do you think?
p.s. sorry for the poor photographs, it really is very dark here, I kid you not.

14 comments:

hermionerose said...

Love the yellow! I have days when I don't really know what I'm doing and think that if I just make something it'll all be ok. Sometimes it does work!! x

twellve said...

i think your fiddling looks great. first thought that came to mind was that some of those details would make amazing baby booties!

Jane said...

Beautiful little fragments, to use them on the floor would be a travesty! Enjoy your weekend

Heartwideopen said...

I am so excited to see you do some fragments again! I love the blue embroidery. It looks cool and beautiful!
(;~o) Debi

Heartwideopen said...

I left a request for you through Alchemy. That should keep you busy if you don't have anything planned!
HuGGs!
Debi

Elizabeth said...

What are we gonna do? Karen without inspiration!!!! I'm in the process of making up my mind how to put you to work. Sent you a mail later. First have to get dinner ready, two hungry kids want to be fed.

See you later.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Fiddling and floor cloths? Yikes!! You asked for suggestions - what about something like a chatelaine?

helena said...

I think it's a wonderful idea. Look around you and you 'll find a lot of good motifs: the sky, the flowers, the houses...
Have a nice wwekend.

Dolores said...

The yellow is so bight and sunny. The mauve piece with the netting has a wonderful organic flow to it.
Floor cloths could be a lot of fun - very freeing.

Jacky said...

Oh those delicate little fragments...just beautiful with their lavendar/lilac embroidery.

I am sure you will find a project to fill your 'alone' time.

I barrack for the Blues too, we won today, so hope your Blues do too.

Jacky xox

Rachel said...

You are clearly having the same weather we are having. I recommend more of that lovely golden yellow - even in the dark it photographs well!

Victoria said...

Love those sunny yellow puffs!
And as for what to do next... sounds like you are in a bit of an incubation period, not sure yet what will be born, but rest assured something wonderful will come from it!

A time to dance said...

I love the yellow and I think your photos are lovely...in fact I was just thinking that when I read the section apologising for them...

meandering pearl said...

love the lavendar!!! smiles