just knots

Lots of knots, the Bullion and French kind. My love of French knots is well known but I have had a kind of re awakening of my love of Bullion knots thanks to Deanna, (Deanna is ever present in Karen's world in case you haven't noticed) It was during one of my classes that Deanna mentioned she would love to know how to do them and would I show her...so thanks Deanna. They were long neglected here at one time and now they are taking over and are probably here to stay or at least appear frequently! It was because of my addiction to knots that I started my little group on flickr. Well it isn't really my group, I started it for everyone else who loves knots too, (knots of the embroidered kind that is) I have been trying to invite everyone I know but am convinced I have missed people out and also...you don't have to know me to join so I will mention it again here...just request an invite, simple as that...to do that click here and whilst you are there have a look at the amazing pictures that are in there already.

Finally...my wrapping cloth class embroider, embellish, create starts soon, May 1. I would hate anyone to miss out on that as there are only a few places left. We have had two fantastic groups so far who have created amazing pieces of embellished cloth, truly gorgeous embroidery. If you do want to read more and follow links to images from the earlier groups than just go here for all the information you need. Classes start on May 1 and the blog goes live this coming Monday so that people can familiarise themselves with the resources on there.

ruched muslin...

More  muslin, more paperwork, more creativity sparked by a love of lace. Paperwork seems to be popular, liked by many and sought after by a few. I am going to continue with this for a while. I have a few exciting things coming up and now may not be the time to change direction. I suppose paperwork is still  'me'. I like to think that it says Karen Ruane in the same way as my work on cloth does. Does it? What do you think? I use the same stitches, I am inspired by the same things, I still use white to the point of exhausting white.

Do you remember I was writing an article a little while ago? Well that is out on the first of August. I have also been asked to submit images for a book...coming out who knows when. I was approached last week about an online feature that requires images. I have been asked to do something In August that I won't say much about yet because it has me so scared that I may run off and hide before it happens...suffice to say I wish I had time to fit in a facelift first. So changing direction at this moment may not be wise....

Thing is though...here comes the but, isn't there always a but? I miss cloth, I miss cloth on it's own without a paper base. I miss hexagons. I even miss cutting out the templates for hexagons. So what to do......try and combine the two...we shall see how that works, if it's do-able. 

Meanwhile, this piece is listed.....I have a stack of card and a pencil at my side for template cutting, I am both excited and scared....and in need of another ''to do'' list.

scrunched.....

 

''scrunched'', great word. Could just as easily have been crumpled, crushed.......but definitely not ruched or folded or pleated. Just a handful of muslin randomly scrunched and added to a piece of embroidered paper. French knots have been added, edges have been added and I suppose it wouldn't be telling a lie to say that this piece is finished. I don't want to show it in its ''whole'' yet...I am waiting to finish more, show them all together. One thing for certain..this is so much fun and such a lovely project to work on. I can see cards, wedding invitations.....millions of uses. I don't think I am quite ready to go into the greetings card sector yet though so don't hold your breath.....

All in all then things got better after my strange Saturday morning. Paper has been pricked and stitched into submission and there was also a little bit of housework going on...namely cleaning glass in glass doors, 24 little windows per door...whoever thought they were a good idea!!? I suppose they do look nice though, at least they do when you can see through them and they aren't just a mass of fingerprints.......

muslin discs...circles...applique

Only three pictures today but may I tell you that is quite an achievement! Dark?? Ha! We have thunderstorms....now all we need is the locusts and we will have had the full set! 

I give you white....white muslin discs, appliqued onto cotton fabric. The early stages of my next piece...all damp stretched and beautiful just for you with a couple of prepared pieces anxiously waiting to be applied.

I got to wondering this morning, where would I be without French knots? Brings me out in a cold sweat just thinking about it. Can you imagine if they'd never been invented!!

In the background to all this white and all these knots I am being a very good girl. I have an article to write....oooo get me!! A proper article, all grown up and everything.... 750 words, now that isn't a lot considering the thousands of words I wrote at Uni but I can tell you after a few years the brain dries up. It's been...not hard but kind of a revelation...like how at one time in your life if you are expected to write thousands of words and it's a weekly thing you can work that way. It becomes easy..ish and then if you leave it too long the skill really does rust. I have enjoyed it though, not that it's finished but I am just about there and it really does feel like a big accomplishment. I am not going to say who it's for yet but if they like it and it does get ''published'''...(that's scary!!) you will be the first to know. They did approach me....so it should be O.K. I didn't hawk myself out as a literary master or anything...they asked aware of the fact that I am a hermit who merely stitches.........

I need to go now.....but don't forget my weekly tat clear out here incase you missed it yesterday!

edges....

I have been having a bit of an edge fest for the past couple of days and you know how much I love my edges! First bit of excitement came with the arrival of my silk bias binding....it is gorgeous, so soft. It has been loosely applied, pinned and tacked to two of my finished pieces. It is actually quite hard to work with (or maybe that's just me) as it is honestly so very soft so it doesn't ''stay'' if you know what I mean and it is quite slippery so this process is taking me longer than I thought. It is so gorgeous to hold though that I fear I may never do anything else again!! 

The muslin piece...I know I said it would look different the next time you saw it...it doesn't...but!!!! It is different, it has been applied to a square of 100% cotton. One edge is just tacked down, the other edge, the one you can see here has been  secured with zillions of French knots and I can honestly say that in real life it is very highly textured and so very lovely...if I am allowed to say that, blow my own trumpet and everything. The other edge will be finished in the same way before I begin the process of adding more embroidery to the rest of the cotton square. Now I can't decide what to do first...binding with the gorgeous silk bias? French knots on the ''frothy'' muslin? oh heck....I am so indecisive....

simple...

Muslin bags, very simple and white. I just felt as if I needed an extra barrier between the work and the dirt. The first two of these are now completely finished and ready. I'm sorry I can't show you the whole thing, I need to keep them to myself for a little while, just until the potential client has seen them. The backs are especially lovely I think, hook and eye fastenings, no embroidery but I just love the way the edges meet.

The third piece of this collection is almost finished too, a little more embroidery and then it can be damp stretched, backed and lined. I don't have a bag for this one yet, I ran out of muslin. No prizes for organisation there then!!