The wrapping cloth series evolved from my research into motherhood and the role played by cloth in the lives of mothers and their children for centuries. Cloth protects, wraps and envelops yet can also serve as a thing of beauty containing precious memories and traces of those who have gone before. The Wrapping cloth series is created using traditional techniques of hand embroidery and fabric manipulation giving recognition to our mothers and grandmothers. it is my wish that these pieces serve as a tribute to my female predecessors.
I needed to place that paragraph at the top of this post. I am beginning to feel a little like a one woman promotion machine at the moment. It's important to me though that you know what really drives me and that kind of sums it up.
My wrapping cloths started life created from silk, you can see some images of those here and here. Silk both then and now signifies precious to me, for the women referred to in that top paragraph any scrap of cloth was precious so I evolved. I evolved in terms of materials and I keep the same techniques, the traditional techniques constant in all my work. The cloths I create during my embroider, embellish, create class are born from the first paragraph and I don't think that will ever change but now I use scraps. Scraps of found cloth, old cloth, mixed with a small amount of new. The first cloth was for my daughter, the second one will be for my mother. I have started that one already, it is the white in these images. The other cloth, the coloured and patterned cloth is for me, as yet unfinished. To me it demonstrates that pattern and colour can signify my motivation equally as well as white.
It is my hope that anyone taking my embroider, embellish, create class, with my guidance, will come to feel the connections I feel whilst creating adorned cloth, whether it be a white cloth or a coloured cloth. Emotion has no colour, it is only us that can see it in any form.
12 comments:
After reading this description, of the class, how can anyone that can hold a needle not want to take part. With each stitch you will be creating a heirloom that will be cherished and loved. Thank you for sharing your passion and igniting it in us.
Deb
I am so itching to take part in this, keeping my fingers crossed there is still a place when the purse strings loosen in January. Beautiful cloths, as always <3
Hi Karen,
Can you comment on what use these cloths will have when complete...other than just being precious?
Thanks,
Sandy in Bracknell
Sandy, previously these cloths have been bought as gifts for infants and for use as baptism shawls. My daughter has hers draped over her bed, purely as a decorative object which is how I display my own at home. They are also used as heirlooms, not functional but merely something to hand down and be treasured.
In a very nice way, I am jealous of your new students. I am sure they will be well motivated to create something precious, fun will definitely be had by all
your last sentence says it all. the class was wonderful and your message was definitely there stitched right into the cloth.
wrapping cloths are indeed a treasure to all of us. Yours are divine.
Karen,always when I see your beautiful pieces I think..how do you manage ? It's a slow process but it looks like you make every day a new piece..it's inceredible !!
Your creations are always so beautiful and unique, with soul and warmth!
Hugs,
Tatyana
I'm sure your female predecessors would be proud of your work!
Silk? Ooooh - dupioni - my favourite fabric in the whole world! I must do a stash dive and see if I have any white left.
thread... stitch... connection... mending. The needle is mightier than either the pen or the sword, I think. This is really beautiful work, Karen.
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