02/20/2020
more paper manipulation, artist book explorations
This is the latest piece in my 'pre class play' for artist book explorations. At the moment this is very much in it's early stages, there are still lots of pins and frayed edges.
How this one will evolve I'm not quite sure at the moment. There are a lot of possibilities for folding and even pockets here so I think it needs at least a couple more days of exploration.
I'm hoping to be well informed with regard to my new book forms before class begins so I can dive straight into the making, the pages, the artist books and embellishment with the group.
02/18/2020
my little book of sewing
My little book of sewing is finished......inside are tiny collar samples, rouleau loop samples, piped edge samples and French seam samples. I have lots of room left to put more samples in here but there's a problem.....the pages are so heavily adorned that I am loath to cover those up.
Have plain pages then I hear you say. Well yes, but once I start I can't stop.
The upside, as my sample pile grows I will have need of another little book of sewing. It's a win win.
I'm taking a couple of weeks out from embroidery school. That doesn't mean I won't be sewing though. I will be continuing my sampling from here and here ready for 'artist book explorations'.
02/16/2020
folding pages, folding paper, artist book explorations.
No, I'm not taking up a career in Origami. What I am doing is folding paper, testing page ideas, trying out page manipulation for my next class 'artist book explorations'.
This one is a sample. I am learning from this. It has inspired new ideas.
There's more paper to fold and a lot more stitching to do but if this is all I achieve I am happy....I love this just as it is.
02/13/2020
pages in progress
This page is 'in progress'. I'm thinking it needs a little colour to lift it and there is quite a bit of white space to fill too. The drawstring which flows across both pages is cut from a very old garment and still has the original cord inside which I love but which I also think may be enhanced if I was to thread a narrow piece of coloured ribbon in there alongside it. I will play with that idea later.....
Artist book explorations.
Begins Monday March 9 2019 for 8 weeks.
Online format.... Private password protected blog.
In response to numerous requests and following on from the success of my last ''artist book'' online learning programme I have created this 8 week online learning experience to which you will have unlimited access. Yes, one sign up, unlimited access...forever.
Join me whilst I sample 'artist book' forms, building samples and stitched pages which I hope to present in an unusual and unique manner.
***please note. I have only basic book making skills. I am hoping to extend these skills by 'testing' various forms of page binding using paper and perhaps cloth too. I am happy for you to be experimental and adventurous with your own books. I encourage the pushing of boundaries, the exploration of idea and thought.***
My role will be to demonstrate the creation of collaged and textured sheets of paper, cloth and embroidery, to illustrate the creation of stitched scraps for pages and to then share how a page can be adorned in order to enhance the presentation of your sampling before investigating and testing ideas for finished book forms. This in turn will lead to the creation of unique ''artist books'', a library of ideas and inspiration and a valuable resource for the future in terms of design and the extension of embroidery sampling.
In addition to a private class blog where all video and images will be hosted you will have access to a private Flickr group where you can upload images, view images from other group members and participate in discussion re the course, suppliers, relevant exhibitions, artists etc. You will also be free to begin your own discussion topics.
Images of my own ''Artist Books'' can be seen here. From viewing these images you will gain an appreciation of what can be achieved during this programme and beyond.
http://karenannruane.typepad.com/karen_ruane/artist-books/
Please note, certain tasks within this programme may require the use of a sewing machine.
Access.... Unlimited. Forever.
Materials required.... List sent upon registration.
***No prerequisites, suitable for beginners and the more experienced.***
You do not need to have participated in any of my previous online learning programmes to take part in this class.
02/11/2020
my little book of sewing, it's growing.
My little book of sewing is almost finished. My samples are made and the pages fully embellished. This class finishes on Monday of next week when we will bind our pages and place each of our samples inside this little book. More samples can of course be added later if I wish and they most probably will be, sampling this kind of needlework is something I wish to do more of, we have barely scratched the surface in class.
When this class has finished I am going to take a couple of weeks off from teaching and hopefully return refreshed and inspired to begin again with a short 'artist book' class.
Artist book explorations is listed here and all the details are below.
Begins Monday March 9 2019 for 8 weeks.
Online format.... Private password protected blog.
In response to numerous requests and following on from the success of my last ''artist book'' online learning programme I have created this 8 week online learning experience to which you will have unlimited access. Yes, one sign up, unlimited access...forever.
Join me whilst I sample 'artist book' forms, building samples and stitched pages which I hope to present in an unusual and unique manner.
***please note. I have only basic book making skills. I am hoping to extend these skills by 'testing' various forms of page binding using paper and perhaps cloth too. I am happy for you to be experimental and adventurous with your own books. I encourage the pushing of boundaries, the exploration of idea and thought.***
My role will be to demonstrate the creation of collaged and textured sheets of paper, cloth and embroidery, to illustrate the creation of stitched scraps for pages and to then share how a page can be adorned in order to enhance the presentation of your sampling before investigating and testing ideas for finished book forms. This in turn will lead to the creation of unique ''artist books'', a library of ideas and inspiration and a valuable resource for the future in terms of design and the extension of embroidery sampling.
In addition to a private class blog where all video and images will be hosted you will have access to a private Flickr group where you can upload images, view images from other group members and participate in discussion re the course, suppliers, relevant exhibitions, artists etc. You will also be free to begin your own discussion topics.
Images of my own ''Artist Books'' can be seen here. From viewing these images you will gain an appreciation of what can be achieved during this programme and beyond.
http://karenannruane.typepad.com/karen_ruane/artist-books/
Please note, certain tasks within this programme may require the use of a sewing machine.
Access.... Unlimited. Forever.
Materials required.... List sent upon registration.
***No prerequisites, suitable for beginners and the more experienced.***
You do not need to have participated in any of my previous online learning programmes to take part in this class.
Please allow 24 hours from registration to receipt of email detailing suggested supplies.
02/10/2020
page composition
Pages, playing with putting little compositions together, seeing how they live on a page, how they might be manipulated, altered in some way to add more interest.
I swear my brain is overloaded with ideas but lacking a plan. The best thing I think is to just keep playing and hope it all falls into place.
And a memory from when all this seemed so much easier, less angst ridden. Where did those days go?
02/08/2020
a table full of artist books
I have no idea how I am supposed to find a direction for my next hand made book as there are way too many 'book' distractions here. Discipline is needed. Choose an idea for a page, no need to think about the book yet, just focus on one page at a time and worry about the binding later, leave the final decisions until it's time to make them.
Focus Karen, concentration, discipline.
02/07/2020
sampling pages
I'm still playing with these pages, adding patchwork samples and trying to get the balance right, the balance I'm personally comfortable with, the white balance I guess. Nothing is fixed here, the hand made papers/pages aren't yet fastened to the white acrylic paper. I'm starting to think I just need to run with this, allow it to evolve, tweak it as and when I feel it needs more white or more lace along with more coloured papers.
The page here with the dresden plate motif is actually several pieces of paper held together with small tabs and securing 'markers'. That isn't obvious here but would be very apparent if replicated in acrylic paper making this collection, when bound, quite sculptural. Hence my decision to allow this one to evolve, not to push it.
In addition to this I'm beginning work on a 'folded' book idea. So far I have merely folded a large square of soft white, lace like paper. That has given me numerous 'frames' which I hope to fill with tiny stitched compositions. More ideas brewing....
I have spoken in the recent past about my desire to concentrate my making on book forms for the foreseeable future. I'm beginning to think there is a need for another 'artist book' class. That would allow me to explore these ideas in a more focused manner. We shall see.....
02/05/2020
page progress and a detachable Peter Pan collar
There are only two weeks left of my online class 'a little book of sewing'. This six weeks has been about creating unique surfaces to serve as pages which will hold samples of simple dressmakinmg techniques. My pages are almost finished. These really have been a labour of love and more time consuming than you could imagine. If I didn't have a deadline I might never finish these as I can always see another area for embellishment, more stitches, more beads or sequins, another edge of lace perhaps and on it could go....
This week, to add to the collars you have seen before, we created a simple little detachable Peter Pan collar. Fiddly? Oh yes....but worth it I think.
02/02/2020
more patching and stitched paper
I'm not sure where I am going with this one. There isn't enough white here for me. I think rather than reduce the amount of coloured and patterend paper the key may be to add more in the way of stitched white cloth as overlays, to add a couple of purely white pages? I'm going to keep going though, sample more patchwork patterns and think about lace and whites, both cloth and paper.
01/31/2020
collars
There were little collars on here just after Christmas. They were samples for my class 'a little book of sewing'. We have finally reached the point in class where we make our little collars and here are mine.....one of these has a little hand embroidery and applique on the silk.
Each sample for my own 'little book of sewing' will be created using this print and where appropriate this embroidered pattern. As for the pages....there's a long way to go with those but I'm making progress.
01/29/2020
patches, hexagons and paper
I'm not really skilled in patchwork techniques. I can randomly patch scraps, I'm not too bad with hexagons but beyond that I have no experience of 'patchwork' in any other form, the traditional form at least.
As 2020 is going to be my year of 'books' I need something to fill the pages of all the books I plan on creating so this one will hold and protect simple patchwork sampling. This is just the beginning, some cloth hexagons and a few paper ones. It's the putting together of the pages which excites me most and as each little sample is created I will try to shake that up a little, create something quite sculptural, perhaps even something which will never close properly.
You may also notice that I can't stop adding little scraps of pieced cloth too, not in patchwork form, just randomly assembled and embellished, an extra excuse for titivation.
You know I can never resist an opportunity to titivate.
01/27/2020
adding scraps and little bits of stitch
Scraps of stitched paper, scraps of cloth and lace....pieced together and stitched some more. My last two pages for the little book of sewing I am in the middle of. These are in progress, there's still a lot of stitching to be done and a lot of tacking to remove.
Earlier I was handling these and the other four I have . I was thinking I would be happy just to leave them like this, to pick them up and hold them every so often. Seems a shame to make them into a book.
(I can't take credit for the pretty, textured flowers....they were cut from vintage cloth)
01/25/2020
four hand pieced pages
This is what's been keeping me busy, pages for my 'little book of sewing' which we are working on in class. There are four here, I need six. Once these are embroidered they will be folded, attached back to back and then we will need to add more......yes girls....I speak about this in our next post so don't worry.
This photograph really doesn't do these justice. I wish you could handle them, feel the weight, feel the texture.
01/24/2020
A quick hello
Just stopping by briefly to let you know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. It's been a mad week which has involved lots of petrol and several white knuckle rides up and down the M6 in dense fog (I don't recommend it) I swear my car could find its own way up and down that motorway.
All I have to offer today are memories.....pretty memories though so it's not all bad.
01/21/2020
little book of sewing
This delicate stitching on lace and paper is my work from 'the little book of sewing', my current online class. In our second post on Monday I sent the class off to titivate pages and I'm trying to keep up. Out of sight are my samples of simple dressmaking techniques which I hope will live happily on this page and the other pages we create.
(forgot to say, this is part of a page, the piece with the lace and pink ribbon)
I have spent this morning battling seams and turning fabrics right side out. Suffice to say....I have a headache.
01/18/2020
this morning
It's been creatively chaotic here today. The table in this image is relatively tidy compared to the parts of the house you can't see.....yes house. The chaos spreads from my workshop across the whole of the ground floor.
It's fun though. I'm having the time of my life. What's not to love about creating pages, embroidering delicate papers and flimsy cloth all in the name of 'a little book of sewing'.
01/16/2020
design exploration
Ledgers a record of stitch, my twleve month design class finished earlier this week and I thought I would show you one of the last things we created as part of that course. Throughout this class we were studying pattern and colour in a sketchbook, a ledger, recording our sampling as we progressed. Occassionaly we would create a piece as an extension of that work but outside of the ledger.
As a result of those explorations and sampling I acquired quite a few stand alone sheets which along with needing relevant presentation also required a safe place to live....the supplementary folder. Each of these pieces is mounted in a way which allows them to fold to the centre both to facilitate safe storage and care along with enabling them to be lifted to view each piece individually.
I hope you like it.
My first online learning class of 2020 began this week. There is still time to sign up. Please go here if you would like to know more.
01/13/2020
three notebooks
Just looking, thinking. Three embroidered notebooks.
01/12/2020
2020 goals
This morning I have made the final videos for 'Ledgers, a record of stitch', the class which has been running for almost exactly twelve months. Also this morning, my new class began with the first post for 'the little book of sewing' going live. Yes, books again, ledgers, stitched pages, embroidered overlays, colour studies, stitch samples, compositions created with embellished papers.
Whilst making the final videos for ledger class I was saying to the group how this was 'my place', how I feel as if I am 'home' when working on ledgers, notebooks, artist books which led me to take the pieces you see today out of their cabinet and just gaze for a while, learn from them, drink them in, the details, the process, how one might live with another, how they might be moved forward, altered, extended, how past 'artist books' might inform future artist books and how I can challenge myself to extend these stitched pages, staying true to myself and my 'signature' whilst developing something new and exciting yet something which remains very much in the sphere of the 'artist book' aesthetic.
I'm just thinking reading this back, 'that's quite a challenge you have set yourself Karen'. Wish me luck.
(if you are registered for 'the little book of sewing' you should have received sign in details this morning.If you didn't receive those please let me know)
01/10/2020
sampling ruffles, flounces.
This is the start of another cloth book. This one will be different to my recent cloth books as I am hoping to sample simple dressmaking process on these pages, the pages will be more concerned with pleats, edges, folds rather than embroidery.
I'm working on these pages in conjunction with my new class which begins on Sunday. (you can read more about that here)
The new class involves the creation of stitched pages which will form a background for little samples of simple dressmaking techniques....and that's the link between class and this new cloth book.
So far I am excited by flounces. I'm not a dressmaker by any stretch of the imagination and my skills in that area are virtually non existant, hence the sampling but if you need a flounce I'm your woman!!
01/08/2020
notebook progress
Progress....another page, (the jury is out on this one) another page and the makings of a sleeve to hold it all together. I'm going to keep going before I come back to this 'iffy' page, come back, look again and on and on until I make a decision about altering this one or decide to leave it as it is as a lesson, as a learning experience of what not to do. Can't quite put my finger on what is bothering me about it but I do think I need something sweeping across in landscape format.
(careful Karen, you are part way to making a decision!)
Overall however.....I'm in love with this little notebook. It's a shame you can't handle it because you would get a better appreciation of how it unfolds and of the unpredictability of which page it will reveal when it falls open. The more pages I work into the more that will happen.
Whilst I'm working on this one I have started sampling for another cloth book. This morning I've been pleating cloth for that and aim to get the first page pieced later today. I hope to have something to show you from today's work later this week.
01/06/2020
notebook pages
Beading an edge, before and after. Some of these images were taken before I added the over long beads.
I'm continuing to embroider this little notebook, working on each page in turn until I can't go any further. There is a new page in progress although I'm not completely certain I have finished this one yet. I see space for detailed colour studies, stitched colour studies, cross stitch, French knots, simple running stitches.
01/04/2020
folding cloth
There are two videos today...a before and after. The before video is longer, I'm playing with embroidered cloth, folding it into a book form, considering my options for reverses, assessing the amount of embroidery required to make it all fit together seamlessly.
If you are registered for my new class, 'a little book of sewing', you should have received a pre class email from me this morning. If you didn't receive that can you please let me know.
Saturday afternoon is going to be about ruffles here...how about your Saturday afternoon?
01/02/2020
2020, my year of books......again
Books, sketchbooks, artist books, stitched books, cloth books, paper pages, sculptural books...the word 'book' doesn't suffice without clarification, not for me anyway.
In the title today I say 'again' because last year was a year of 'ledgers', the year before a year of 'artist books', this year...2020 will be a year of all of the above.
The images today, a bought sketchbook, notebook...delightfully small at only 5 x 31/2 inches yet so much potential for little compositions, tiny design explorations, cramming each page as much as I can. The only drawback if there is one at all and believe me it could also be a bonus....I only ever manage to work on maybe four or five pages before the little books become impossible to work in, before the pages no longer turn. On the plus side, with only five worked pages these little things come into their own in terms of their sculptural qualities, their unpredictability of which page will fall open each time I browse through it.
12/30/2019
ruffles
You would be forgiven for thinking you have come to the wrong blog when you see the images today. I must say....I am more than pleased with myself and my day couldn't possibly get any better. Who knew I could do this? Who knew I could hem a semi circle of dupion silk? Not me. It might be simple for some of you but for me...it's a first.
I've been playing with necklines and ruffles in prep for my new class. Don't panic, don't faint, it's not a dressmaking class, it's a book making class and I'm not giving anything away showing you this work because mostly the class will be about creating a little stitched book. The sampling I am doing is to help me decide what I want to place inside my little book when it's finished and you won't be surprised to hear.........I want to make these all over again.
12/27/2019
soft pages, soft cover....
Hi all. I hope you all had a brilliant holiday time and that the big guy was good to you. He was very good to me but as I'm always on my best behaviour that's no surprise. My guests have gone, I have my house back, my studio has been spring cleaned for the weekend (I have plans) and I no longer need to peel sprouts, it's a win win.
You may remember this post and the indecision re the cover for this little cloth book. I made a decision to go with the very soft, floaty lace cloth for the cover and it's all stitched together now. I posted a few of these images on Facebook before Christmas but didn't write the blog post...must have been peeling sprouts! Anyway, here it is and I can assure you it's well fondled.
Artist books are going to feature a lot here in 2020. Soft cloth books, sculptural paper books, investigative sample ledgers....I see 2020 clearly, I have plans. The year will begin with my new class which you can read about here and alongside that, privately, I will be sampling book forms in both paper and cloth. Snippets of those private sampling pieces will be shared here from time to time so please promise you will come back to see how I am progressing.
12/20/2019
Ledgers, a record of stitch.
This is the work I spoke about in my last blog post, the new design exploration I have begun in 'ledgers, a record of stitch'. I started this in our last private class blog post and hopefully the progress I have made since then will show the girls I'm not slacking, I'm focused, I'm on it. It isn't quite finished yet as you can see but I love how it's developing.
(those of you in class who haven't seen these videos yet...this is your Christmas homework!! only joking....no homework.....nice teacher....)
We only have two more posts left and this class will be finished. Miss you already....
I don't think I will have time to post again before the big day. I wish happiness, peace and health to each and every one of you.
12/17/2019
hand embroidery and ribbons
During my recent self imposed exile I continued to stitch. I worked on pieces for both embroidery school and ledger class in addition to sampling for my new 2020 class 'a little book of sewing'. Below are a selection of images from that time along with a glimpse for you of my early Christmas gift to myself from VV Rouleaux in London....ribbons and trims. (last image)
I don't know about you but at the moment my days aren't my own with preperation for the holiday season. Stitching time has been scarce but I am managing to work a little on a new piece for ledger class which is progressing well and I hope to share that with you next time I am here.
12/14/2019
books, pages, ledgers,
Last time I was here I spoke about my happy place...and to remind you here is the quote,
''this is definitely where I am happiest....in 'that place' embellishing little sketchbooks, tiny notebooks and ledgers with stitch, beads, knots and buttons, creating my own heavily embellished pages from self made cloth, creating fluffy, soft, white and lace like fabrics...yes, definitely my happy place.''
Today's images are an illustration of that. Looking at the last image which is how my table looked just before I turned the lights out and climbed the stairs last night I finally felt as if I had turned a corner.
The first class of 2020 is listed here. It won't surprise you to hear that it's book related.
12/07/2019
happy place
This is definitely where I am happiest....in 'that place' embellishing little sketchbooks, tiny notebooks and ledgers with stitch, beads, knots and buttons, creating my own heavily embellished pages from self made cloth, creating fluffy, soft, white and lace like fabrics...yes, definitely my happy place.
I am going away for a few days on Monday, here. If you sign up for my new class whilst I am away I won't be able to send you the supply list until Thursday 12th. I do hope that's ok.
12/05/2019
a cover?
I've been thinking about the cover for my next little stitched book, the pages I showed you last time....
I wish you could touch this piece, it's light as a feather, frothy, soft....
12/02/2019
embroidered pages
This pile of embroidered cloth will soon be transformed into a little cloth book. There is an embroidered cover planned which I'm hoping to line with lace cloth.
*****
Meanwhile, this piece popped up in my Facebeook memories today...happy memories indeed...my 'happy cloth'.
*****
View this post on Instagram
11/30/2019
realisation....
It dawned on me yesterday....the reason for this, the reason for my embroidery obsession and to some extent my titivated book obsession....
I just want to embellish, simple as that. I want to embroider, to adorn.
There doesn't have to be an end product, the satisfaction is in the stitching, the embellishment of cloth and paper. My little books are a vehicle to hold and protect that hand work.
This is what makes me happy. This is who I am creatively.
The images today....the creation of an embroidered sleeve to secure the pages in this little book. Is it essential? Probably not. Is it a reason to embroider more for this little book, to take that embellishment further? Yes.
I'm always looking for the next 'extra' thing I can do to my work. Can I embroider the reverse? Can I make a little pocket to hold this embroidered cloth?
That begs the question, do I know when something is finished?
Never would be my answer. If it can be embellished more, taken further then it will be, it has to be. There is no need for a 'finishing line'. Do what makes you happy Karen.
*********
A little book of sewing.
read all about it here
11/27/2019
potential
Hi, how are you all? Good I hope....
I've been chained to my sewing machine for days, barely coming up for breath. I love it so much, ripping paper and cloth, looking closely at the potential for surfaces which will be embroidered to death in my new mini class and which in turn will be made into pages. That's before we play with ruffles, pleats, edges and other such stuff for adornments.
I haven't made a decision yet on which of these pieces will make the final cut but for now they are all high up on the list.
There's more information about the class here if you didn't see it the other day.
Tomorrow I'm off to the Knitting and Stitching show. It will do me good to look around the exhibitions, the student gallery and who knows, I may even get a little retail therapy.
11/24/2019
A little book of sewing.
Thank you so much for all the reassuring comments on my last post, it means a lot. It helped too. I can't guarantee my head is completely free of unwanted concerns or little niggles but I'm doing my best to push all those to the darkest recesses of my wooly brain.
Embroidery has been continuing here, sampling and making is ongoing and I have been photographing everything since I stopped posting regularly so prepare to be bombarded at some point.
There was promise of a short class and here it is. The images are of my initial ideas and I'm not saying I won't vary in format from this little book but the pages and sampling will be consistent with what you see here even if the actual book format changes.
You can read all about it here but for now I hope you enjoy the images.
11/20/2019
making decisions
Over the past several weeks...how long has it been? It seems like a long time but it has gone in a flash. Anyway, over the past however long I have done quite a bit of soul searching, a lot of thinking about my work, a lot of questioning the validity of what I do, the standard, the creative successs or otherwise.
I have been attempting to test different methods of working, alien process, alien process which in no way left me feeling fulfilled or more importantly happy. The angst has been something I wouldn't wish on anyone and I want to thank a couple of people who have helped me throught this with support, suggestion and reassurance.....you know who you are.
The upshot....I can't change who I am creatively. I can't change what drives me. That would in no way result in me being honest with myself or you and if I can't even be honest with myself I may aswell leave now.
Over the more recent past, the more recent weeks of my sporadic appearance online I have been working on backgrounds and pages and little books, little vehicles to be used as display, as protection for stitch and sampling. Yes, artist books I guess but artist books which are created for more than the aesthetic, artist books which hold and protect be that stitches, buttons, samples, doodles............
The images here show the first page of a little book I began yesterday and a glimpse of old artist books along with a tiny snippet of a new little book which you will see more of later.
(the brightly coloured cloth is a vintage fragment, I can't lay claim to that one)
Without being dramatic....drama really isn't in my nature...so without being dramatic...being honest is more appropriate..... my self worth remains a little fragile. With that in mind, the fragility of 'me' and the fact I do need to earn a living and it's obvious I have no other workable solution to this, not one which makes me happy anyway I am going to list a short online course in the next week or so which will begin in the new year. I am easing myself back gently....
11/17/2019
Feedback
My feedback page has been updated today, in addition to posting it here it has it's own link at the top of the page.
Whilst I have been a little absent from this blog I have been responding to requests for private online tuition and also taking booking for 'studio days' in my little home studio.
The creativity continues.....
Teaching. Feedback.
I am excited to get my email from you every Monday and settle down that night to watch. Usually all in one sitting so that I have sweet dreams planning on what to do. I feel that you are speaking to me, so personal and I do enjoy your chitter chatter.
Thank you for all that you have done to make this an experience I shall never forget.
From now on each time I look at my cloth, I will remember you all and the happiness of being part of a great class
Thank you Karen, and to all the others in the group for your support, suggestions and encouragement.
Which I pour over -not saying but maybe there's some drooling too!
And this leads me into the biggest THANK-YOU imaginable for all your wonderful online classes you have had over the years.
I'm indebted to you for alighting that embroidery fire in me, making me think outside the box, pushing me to explore and combine.
11/10/2019
I think my future lies in paper and frayed cloth
The fog is slowly lifting......
11/06/2019
11/02/2019
hello
How've you been? I have missed this little space more than I can say. I wish I could tell you that I'm getting there or at least making progress but I'm not sure I am. I have been drawing, I have been painting, I have been trying to force something that I really don't think is there. The longer this goes on the more I am beginning to realise that I don't want to change who I am creatively. With that in mind I'm hoping it's a 'blip' this creative meltdown I appear to be suffering from.
There are two online classes ongoing at the moment and I have been focusing on those, trying to give my best to those...(I think I am but they can tell you better than me) The piece here isn't from my ledger class although you would be forgiven for thinking it was. It's inspired by my ledger class and it's an idea I have been working on for an artist book in a different form. In addition to this I have been thinking a lot about backgrounds....page backgrounds specifically but that's an altogether different challenge. I'm no painter....recent painting practice has confirmed that, painting actually makes me unhappy....brings me down.....truly deflates me. How to achieve interesting page backgrounds without painting? Print? I'm not a printer....the simple truth is I am an embroiderer, nothing else.....I stitch.
Reading this back I laughed out loud....confusion still reigns....good thing you can't see inside my head.
09/24/2019
paper, layers....
From the very start of this piece I never had a plan. It just grew, evolved and the result was this very impracticle artist book which would crease if you looked at it the wrong way, is difficult to handle and needs extra careful 'putting away' when I finish working on it. Last time it was on here I was planning on layering paper and lace to create 'linings' for the two large areas on the front. They are done now as you can see. After they are tied on I have no clue what will happen next, I'm as much in the dark as you are.
09/22/2019
filing pages with lace, cloth, stitch and dangly things
This little book is getting so full, so full it's hard to work on the pages now. Impossible is what will stop me though and for now we're not there. The little green 'donut' like bead which I added yesterday has been living here for a few years. I have several of those just waiting for their perfect place. They are supposed to slot onto a tubuar bracelet, jewellery, build your own collection of these kind of things to adorn your wrist in the manner of a charm bracelet. I prefer to adorn a page.
Embroidery school is two weeks 0ld now. Up to now we have made buttons, these buttons and these buttons.......it's not too late to join in. You can read more here.
A glimpse inside this book
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09/21/2019
delicate papers
This morning I played with this a little. There are two pieces of embroidered and titvated paper here. It's a mix of papers, delicate papers, lace like papers. There is lace here too, overlaid and embroidered onto the paper layers. The embellishment consists of hand stitch, sequins, tiny buttons, knots, trailing thread, trailing ribbon and then there are the hand made buttons. One piece was on here earlier this week, the piece with the orange ribbon and the ribbon tied hand made button from class. That piece is now attached to a similar piece of embellished paper with three hand embroidered ball buttons, (also from class) at the seam. The edge with the very pretty (and scarce..can't find more of those anywhere), the pretty lemon sequins and Guilloche stitch is only pinned at the moment. I think a simple running stitch will suffice in that area.
09/20/2019
plans and progress
Lots of things on my table again. You saw the little floral paper thingies yesterday I know. They are out now because they are hopefully going to help me finish the large paper disc piece in terms of ideas inspired by how they were put together. I'm thinking layers of paper and lace, discs, with embroidery and other titivations.
Then there's the buttons....the swoon inducing buttons we have been making in embroidery school. I gathered those together to assess whether I need to make more. What did I decide? Well the first thing I decided was 'need' has nothing to do with it, 'want' is the important thing and yes, I want to.
09/19/2019
studio time
I've been taking pictures as I work this past week, recording what I'm doing, keeping track. Mostly what's been happening is related to classes, titivating pages for ledger class, creating buttons and figuring out where to use them for embroidery school and then there's the cloth book. I've been thinking about that a lot, making plans for more pages and wondering how mnay pages there will be in total when I'm finished.
There's new thread too. A christmas gift which is only just being used properly. I will wind those onto cards as and when I use them. I did put these on my christmas list last year out of curiosity as I'd never used them before. They have glitter...a shocker for me but it is quite subtle and the threads remain beautifully soft despite the glitter.
09/18/2019
Ledgers, a record of stitch
This work, this page is the work I spoke of earlier this week when I confirmed my decision to hang in with my online learning programmes. This ledger is evolving perfectly within the forum of its online class. I'm meeting targets, achieving aims for the group as a whole and actually like this work very much. Whilst working on this and loving what was happening on this page I asked myself 'why am I doing this? 'who is it for'? and like I said the other day I am doing it for me but I'm also doing it for class, to feed that group, to hopefully inspire that group.
Turn that on it's head now....I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for the Ledger class. I wouldn't be inspired and motivated without the class. I often suspect I get just as much if not more from my classes than the group does. They keep me going, their enthusiasm and commitment to their creativity feeds and inpsires me. I would be nothing creatively without my classes, the motivation would wane I am sure and who would push me to crack on, test my brain, push my ideas...who?
09/17/2019
adornment
If you can't find the perfect button to adorn your embroidery......make your own. You saw these buttons last week and I have been itching to use them in my work. This is the first one. It sits on a piece of embroidered paper. I haven't a clue what happens next but for now this will do, it makes me happy. The ribbon ties make me happy, the loops at the edge of the buttons enabling me to tie them on make me happy and hopefully the girls in embroidery school will be happy seeing how you can use these little adornments, these little fiddly things which I suspect may have caused a few headaches at the start.
09/16/2019
my ledger is filling up.....
Each day I fall a little bit more in love with this ledger. Each additional stitch, each additional scrap of pattern, I love how it's evolving. Working in this book over the past few days has helped with my angst too, the angst I have been speaking of in my last two posts, the angst concerning the viability of my continuing with online classes.
The latest page for this which isn't shown here, (I will post that some time this week), that latest, most recent work confirmed for me that this is who I am. I can't become someone else. I don't want to become someone else. I like being me. I love my classes. I have a bond, an affinity with each person who learns alongside me whether they only take one class or twenty classes. The thought of not having that, of not having this 'life' is not something I can contemplate.
Working on that as yet unseen page made me think...why am I doing this? who is it for? and the answer? I was doing it for me of course but also I was doing it to fire ideas, create inspiration, ideas and inspiration to share with the girls in Ledger class. And they are inspired, they tell me they are inspired.
There has been feedback to my last little period of angst too, all of it positive, most of it asking me not to stop. Thank you for that. I honestly didn't post those thoughts for an ego boost. (and I haven't had an ego boost anyway, my angst ran too deep for that) I posted them because I felt I had to, to allow me a forum for thinking, deciding.
I'm not a quitter. I feel I have something to offer the world of embroidery and creativity so I'm going to pull my socks up and crack on.
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