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
Progress from hankie class. One of these embroidered panels is for a needle case, the other for a layered and embellished bag. There's a lot of French knots here, a little bit of cross stitch and quite a few sequins.
If all goes to plan our needle cases will be finished later this week, the bag will continue for the remainder of class., more embroidered panels and layers of fabric edged with lace. That's the plan anyway.
Also this week I hope to make progress with my workshop kits for London 2018, a two day embroidery class. I spoke a little about those kits here. There are a lot of hexagons to stitch for that, a lot of ''grandmothers flower garden'' motifs to put together not to mention the embellished pockets I hope to make which will hold the workshop materials. That's a lot of stitching and not a lot of time to do it in. It will be here before you know it.
I'm not sure you have seen much of this pocket before. This one came together slowly in class. Vintage white hankies folded and embroidered on to a white silk base. At one edge there are three tiny pockets which fall into the seam, the hankie corners you can see on one side here are those pockets. There is a little floral applique on the surface and also decorating the lining. Tiny silk beads which I made are dotted across the surface.
I am having sleepless nights about transporting this one to France...there is a lot of potential for creasing here. I will most likely loosely stitch this one onto card with a couple of strategically placed tiny stitches.
Yesterday, good to my word, I doodled on some silk and I have begun the embroidery on that one. There is another pocket almost finished too so I feel like I am making real progress.
Another reminder now about my new class......
Stitching a Story
A story.....
a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader...
or....in this case....to record with stitch.
Stitching a story, a children's book, a little doodling, play, stitch on pages, stitch on cloth.
Beginning Monday May 2 for 16 weeks.
There will be a two week break after week 7 (from June 19 to July 4)
Actual running length of class will therefore be 18 weeks.
Two posts a week on a private password protected blog. A minimum of two hours video per week.
Access to all resources is permanent.
**you do not need to have participated in any of my previous online learning programmes in order to participate in ''patched pockets.''***
No prerequisites. Suitable for the beginner and the more experienced stitcher.
In addition to a private blog you will be given access to a private Flickr group where you will be able to interact with other members of the group, upload images of your work, receive feedback, give feedback, share technique, hints, tips.....
Previous online learning programmes I have hosted have resulted in the formation of a tightly knit group of like minded people who share the creative process in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. It's almost as if groups ''hold hands'' throughout. For me, this is one of the most appealing and rewarding aspects of these classes.
(I am also aware that some people prefer to work quietly with minimal interaction. That is OK too.)
There are no deadlines, no set tasks. You are under no obligation to create what I am creating. Many people in previous classes have merely taken notes in order to apply ideas to their own work. Please take as much or as little as you wish from this programme, tailor my demonstrations to suit your own creative needs.
During the course of this 16 week online class, using a children's book for inspiration and as a ledger (sketchbook) for design ideas I hope to develop stitched pieces on cloth which will be inspired by images from my children's book. Using processes such as stitching, doodling, collage, layering, cutting, pleating etc on the pages of my children's book, I will develop ideas upon and within those pages by allowing paper and page to become a vehicle for sampling and developing embroidery before beginning embroidery on cloth.
Stitch
Collage
Doodle
Layer
Fold
etc etc
The use of a children's book or any other type of book is not compulsory. It is quite acceptable to participate in this class at a level of your own choosing. For example, you may have no desire to work in a book of any kind, preferring instead to take information from video and execute your ideas directly onto cloth. That is 100% OK. I want you to take from this experience whatever suits you, whatever works for you.
This surface was put together in class a few weeks ago. Vintage white hankies, folded, secured with embroidery, a tiny pocket at the top edge of one, (visible in the foreground of the second image with a bullion loop edge) and applique petals, flowers.....
More applique will be added to this before I decide on my options for the reverse and the lining. I am hoping to finish it in such a way that the longest hankie drape extends beyond the finished edge, remains free just like the folds and drapes have been preserved in this one.
- See more at: http://karenannruane.typepad.com/karen_ruane/#sthash.qglOlHUl.dpuf
This is finished....when you saw it last it wasn't lined and it wasn't stuffed with wadding which is there to ensure it holds it's shape until I make a decision on what to do with it. I tried to photograph it standing up, which it does easily because of the boned lower edge. Getting a good image of that is a completely different matter though.
It's 15 inches tall (38 cm) . It's lined with Broderie Anglaise onto which I have stitched strips of silk Habotai and metallic silk tissue. You can just about make that out in the last image.
There are two more pockets in progress here.....smaller, flatter, no boning. You will see those just as soon as I get my fingers in gear and stitch.
- See more at: http://karenannruane.typepad.com/karen_ruane/#sthash.RY1hypyJ.dpuf
We still have pins, we still have tacking stitches and we don't yet have a lining but what we do have is a boned lower edge, a hand stitched reverse and a couple of decorative lengths of silk ribbon. It's almost finished.......the white hankie pocket being made in class. This is one of those pieces I am going to struggle to part with. You can't keep everything Karen I keep repeating to myself, after all....I'm keeping this oneand how many pockets does one girl need. (haven't we heard that before about pin pillows??)
(just to remind you.....this is how this piece looked last time you saw it)
Compare these images to these images......it's come a long way. The upper surface now has complimentary strips of silk habotai, metallic silk tissue and lace secured and embellished using gimp, bullion knots and French knots. This piece is slowly evolving over in class, one of many things evolving over there including buttons and pin pillows.
There is still quite a way to go with this one though. Two seams here still need bullion knots added and another panel is being embellished in the background to add to this later. It will then need to be backed...with what? and there is also a lining to consider. It might be a good idea to put the kettle on....
A little while ago I was gifted the most beautiful selection of vintage handkerchiefs. The lace piece here was the first thing I was inspired to make from these wonderful pieces. Last night I began the piece with silk and again, more of the vintage hankies. I am using the tiniest of amounts, sampling, sparingly cutting little scraps from close to the edge, saving every little piece I can. I hope my fairy godmother, my gift giver likes what I am doing with these. They may be different hankies but I see a link. Do you? I am so inspired by these pieces.....imagine how many precious pockets I could have in 12 months time. - See more at: http://karenannruane.typepad.com/karen_ruane/#sthash.wpgPcddn.dpuf
Well it feels like I've come home. I always feel that way when I'm working with white I love it. This isn't finished yet but I really had to show you. There are plain white hankies with a lace edge in here. The white space of the handkerchief body is being embellished with cross stitch whilst the lace edging is forming a seam, a delicate finish. I am also using some aged, thicker lace which is actually quite difficult to stitch on and some broderie anglaise remnants that I am adding embellishment to.I haven't decided for certain what this will be yet, it's the same size as the body of my pouches before they are made up. It was my intention to turn this into a pouch too but now I'm not so sure. I may just leave it as it is, a piece of white on white embroidery and I may well just keep it for myself too. I am going to tack another piece of white on white together later today so I am prepared for when this is finished. Get me getting organised!! I have also been good on the domestic goddess front today! So far I have been shopping (food, nothing exciting) I have put clean linen on my little boys bed so that it's all nice and snuggly when he comes home from America on wednedsday, I have washed clothes and put them outside to blow in the fresh air and I now have a pile of ironing ahead of me. Yes I am being a proper good girl today!! I will warn you though, it may not last!!
