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, August 10, 2016

Pockets, panels and French knots





The final panel for my pink and gingham coverlet has been put together. Two tiny, spotty pockets have been inserted into two of the seams and one seam has been embroidered with a mass of French knots. That is my ''favourite thing of the day'', that seam. A smaller panel is also finished and damp stretched, you can see the applique and cutwork from that piece in the last image.
I do have a certain amount of doubt about posting this piece in progress for you to see as it can be quite repetitive. Perhaps you are fed up of gingham, fed up of pink. I do want to keep working on it though, to finish it, to be able to use it. I guess if you're bored with it you can have a holiday from me, go off somewhere, put your feet up and put the kettle on. I would completely understand......so long as you keep a bit of cake for me too.
Later this week I am hoping to buy some cloth to back this piece. I can't decide though, white or bright? I think I will have to wait and see what my options are when I get there. Ideally this coverlet will be backed, titivated and finished before the new class begins.....then  you will be seeing a wrapping cloth evolve, a bright and cheery wrapping cloth....at least that's the plan.

No comments: