karen ruane: A growing hand embroidered cloth.

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

Friday, April 10, 2026

A growing hand embroidered cloth.

New panels have been added to this cloth, this wrapping cloth.

You haven't seen it for quite a while because I have been concentrating on paper lately but I often have the urge to go back to cloth and when that happens this is the piece I pick up.

There are two new panels, one a hand painted and embroidered piece, the other plain white Broderie Anglaise which will be embellished with patchwork flowers.

I think this is almost finished in terms of the embroidered, front surface.

Now I have to decide what to do with regards to the reverse.