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







Monday, March 14, 2011

vintage white...

This happens regularly, working with colour for any length of time always sparks a craving for white. I feel as if I have come home with white, white is me. Despite the fact that toe wrap two is ongoing I just had to do this. I gathered vintage scraps together, a hexagon craving appeared alongside the craving for white and off I went. These are one inch hexagons, my favourite, so tiny. This may well find itself evolving into some kind of throw, not for my feet, maybe not even for me....we shall see.
Creating this piece purely in hexagons would take forever, especially with one inch hexagons and I like the contrast of ''rough'' un measured patching alongside the uniformity of the hexagon shape so I have also randomly pieced some tiny squares and rectangles. So far we are only tacked, no embellishment as yet. In fact you may feel cheated as there is no embroidery here, just piecing and cloth...I think that counts though.
and before you ask, no I haven't finished the hooks and eyes yet....I am on it though...honestly!

15 comments:

Jane said...

ooh, can you imagine, a whole cloth of hexagons

Anonymous said...

Certainly, the piecing counts. Especially given that you practically make the fabric before embellishing it!

Gina said...

If I work too long in white, I start craving color! We balance each other in that respect. I do love all white - I'm just not very good at putting it together myself.

deanna7trees said...

a great way to use up scraps of cloth. i am imagining a whole cloth of light colored hexagon shapes..........

Lois Evensen said...

I am that way with various projects. I have favorites, will stray away for awhile, then will just have to get back to the favorites.

Your white is always beautiful. :)

Suztats said...

sigh. lovely whites in the making. I don't know why I love your whites so much.....There's not one white thing in my home--not even a towel. oh, yeah, maybe that's why.......

Suztats said...

except white dishes.....and a fridge, stove and dishwasher, washing machine, dryer........ah, but yours I don't toil with!

Elizabeth said...

Beautiful whites + tiny hexagons = Karen

Have a lovely day.

connie said...

I love switching from project to project! Sometimes I think my avoidance makes me think things through and make good design changes. I love the tiny hexagons!

Gigi said...

So pretty, and white on white is so classic and beautiful.

mary k said...

I have received your little embroidery book. Thank you; I am more inspired than ever. Each time I look through it I find something new. I am in an Easter/Spring tag swap. I think I am going to do an embroidered cloth tag. I can't wait to try those praire points.
Love your use of the zipper on paper. I recently used a zipper on a fabric collage. I guess zippers are the hot, new embellishments.
Your white hexagon piece is beautiful. I don't know where you get the patience to do all the hooks and eyes. Happy stitching!

thestitchsmith said...

I stumbled across your work on Flikr. How amazing! You are incredibly talented. I am dying to know what a toe wrap is but couldn't go far enough back in your blog to find out.....

Carol said...

another stunner. I rarey use white, maybe I should give it a go.

Sheeprustler said...

Every time I see your tiny hexagons I think I should do some. Maybe when I have moved house and unpacked....

Magpie's Mumblings said...

White is scary for me to work on, but I surely do admire it. Maybe someday I'll succumb!