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, August 22, 2011

embroidery





Monday morning, the start of a very busy week chez moi. Exactly one week from today my first online class will start. I am very, very excited about it and am wondering why it took me so long??? I got there in the end though......it's going to be great, we are going to make wonderful cloths together, hopefully white but maybe not, that remains to be seen...there is more information about it HERE and HERE incase it passed you by over the weekend and  you can sign up HERE.
So apart from all the planning and writing and videoing etc that goes with that I have been embroidering. I still need to keep my fingers busy of an evening.
I have been titivating my second toe wrap (remember? I started it in the distant past) and boy do I love all these edges. Puffs, loops, fabric beads.....so tactile and pretty. These things are all included in the class too...more loops and puffs and beads and maybe even prairie points...I am so excited it will be a struggle not to start now!!
******tr.v. tit·i·vat·ed, tit·i·vat·ing, tit·i·vates. To make decorative additions to; spruce up. [Alteration of earlier tidivate : perhaps tidy + (ele)vate.] ******

a little personal message now...sorry, just ignore this if it isn't for you. I mean, you can read it, it just won't make any sense.
Adele!!! I was so happy to get your letter and the photographs today. I too have lost your e-mail address but you can contact me on mine which is
contemporaryembroidery@hotmail.com
the pictures are truly stunning!!! Thank you so much x

9 comments:

Jane said...

I love you white on white, but it is always a thrill to scroll down to the photos and see some colour. It's always such a surprise and always makes an impact.

laurie said...

I am enthralled!! What is this going to be??!! It's stunning. To me it looks like the perfect gift for a baby girl, be it clothing or linens.

Suztats said...

Color! Yes! Pretty color against the crisp white is stunning! Watching to see more.

deanna7trees said...

oh, this will be a week of gathering all the cloth for this online class. i am excited. love all today's pics too.

Debbie G said...

Karen, I found your blog today and I am amazed by your beautiful work. However, I am not familiar with some of the terms. What is a toe wrap and what is the wrap that you are making for your daughter. I suspect this is the difference between American and British English! Thanks, Debbie. Dgeistweidt@yahoo.com. Www.debbiegeistweidt.com. Www.debbiegeistweidt.blogspot.com

Elizabeth said...

Great to hear you so enthousiastic!!!!

Enjoy your evening with your toe-wrap.

Carol Q said...

ooh so pretty Karen.

Anonymous said...

The contrast between the stripes and the square dots is delightful - well done!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

Why am I sitting here thinking of little bunnies all tucked in for the night? So cute!!