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, January 19, 2011

additions....

Since last sunday I have made four pieces to add to my throw...the piece I showed you yesterday and the one from the day before, both white. There were thirty ginham hexagons too, remember them? Then there was the piece I made with the applique cotton lawn...phew...sounds like a marathon but hasn't actually felt like one at all. Last night I joined all four to the main piece and oh how different they look...one section gained a broderie anglaise trim for a seam. That created a kind of petticoat effect which is so very pretty.

Yesterdays white piece was placed, together with the gingham hexagons at another edge, near to a row of tiny white buttons that I think may have been one of the very first pieces I made.
One of the pieces created with the fine cotton lawn has been attached to the cross stitch alphabet, I think it looks really good here, almost as if it was made with that in mind. I can assure you it wasn't, I wish I was that well organised!! Now I think I have only another two sections to make and then the backing can go on. Re the Marimekko debate...yesterday I wan't saying that my throw wasn't worthy of Marimekko, only that I wondered if it would ''match'', such a prominent and quite contemporary print on the reverse of something so homely...answers please...
I am making notes for my FAQ page....If you have any questions you think I should answer on there then please help me out. As for my ''secret'' project.....I  am going to be working on that as soon as I have pressed the publish button for this post...wish me luck!

10 comments:

deanna7trees said...

if you like the way it looks, it matches. whose to say it doesn't...i would go for it. it is looking magnificent. as far as the FAQ, i would love to know how you go about preparing your fabric for the x-stitch lettering.

Elizabeth said...

Good luck!!!!


hahaha!

sylviesgarden said...

Hello my dear, I really cannot wait for your magnificent throw to be finished although I know that I will be green with envy.
I think that you should use something more subtle than Marimekko. I love the paler colours that you have used so far and think that Marimekko would be too bold.
Good luck for the secret project.
x

Dolores said...

Stunning. I am enjoying the progress. I hope we all get to see the whole once it is completed.

Jane said...

It's all the layers and textures that make this such a wonderful throw.

Suztats said...

I'm loving your throw! Each piece has its own beauty, but when layered together--oh my!
You are a tease, Karen, with your secret project. Not even a hint?

Jill said...

I just love the way you have combined all the delicious elements of your work!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Secret project? Ooooh - I wonder what it is? I'll bet it's good. As for Marimekko - I have no clue what that even is, so my advice is to go with what you like because, after all, it's your feet that are going to benefit.

Karen Larko said...

Beautiful work! Love the tiny buttons and the colors look like Spring.

Anonymous said...

There's a fascinating underlying logic about the pieces as they come together that always intrigues me..