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Karen Ruane Blog


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thoughts on embroidery and tradition, cloth, stitch, hand worked embellishment using new and vintage cloth for embroidery. Online tuition available.
2017-08-22 11:51
  I've stitched a reverse for the piece with pom poms, this piece. More has been added since yesterday when I took these photos and I'm hoping by tomorrow to have this completely fin… Read More
2017-08-21 11:49
The title is misleading because there's a little bit of lace thrown in here too, sorry. The cloth piece from yesterday has been cut and layered with a little lace ready to be hand embroid… Read More
2017-08-20 11:34
The cloth here is a base of silk muslin with a silk mix laid on the top. When finished this surface will be used to create small stitched samples for my ''artist book'' collection. I ha… Read More
2017-08-18 11:52
It's not pink gingham and it's not an artist book. It's a little bit of doodling on some vintage cloth followed by simple embroidery to enhance the doodles  along with a few''kind of… Read More
2017-08-16 10:49
A large silk and gingham pin pillow, festooned with sequins, the first finished piece from the collection I showed you here.   This one is a keeper. I know what you're thinkin… Read More
2017-08-15 09:46
I was playing with my artist book yesterday afternoon, fiddling with a button to be more exact, trying to decide where I wanted to put it. I got there in the end. Once I'd started I decid… Read More
2017-08-14 10:49
Do you know how hard it is to think of a title for a blog post every day? No? Just me then? ''two more'' was the best I could come up with today. It could have been ''embroidered scraps'… Read More
2017-08-10 11:55
A few ''randoms'' today, recent images of work in progress, work completed and everyday creative stuff. The large piece of silk with gingham and embroidery is damp stretching. That is… Read More
2017-08-07 11:51
Bullion knots and sequins on paper, or a page to be more specific. This artist book will be put together sooner rather than later but for now I am taking advantage of the pages being loo… Read More
2017-08-06 11:58
The sample/swatch book, collection idea evolved from the online class ''embroidery school''. The collection created there can be seen in this post. I got so much pleasure from creati… Read More
2017-08-05 11:49
I've been embroidering buttons for class......shhhhh, don't tell them they haven't seen them yet. (these aren't those) The buttons for class are unseen as yet but as it would happen, one… Read More
2017-08-04 12:10
Yesterday, in an effort to reconnect with embroidered cloth as opposed to pages, I worked a little more on one of my sample swatches. I speak about that collection here if you aren't fami… Read More
2017-08-02 11:44
Attaching tiny stitched samples, not much more than scraps but embellished scraps, scraps with embroidery, torn paper, beads....attaching those to pages for my ''artist book'', pulling… Read More
2017-08-01 11:48
The folded pocket with folded hankies in a seam secured with sequined bullion knots.....this one.....I have progressed it. Sequins have been added to little circles of cloth which were al… Read More
2017-07-29 11:59
Studies in stitch, embroidery, pockets, pillows, buttons, toggles, cross stitch, sequins, bullion knots and in the case of this piece, cutwork and hexagons. This will be a folded pocket… Read More
2017-07-28 11:44
Continuing the ''artist book'' obsession...yesterday I stitched a few papers together. I will hand embroider on some of this paper, maybe adding pom poms or buttons or sequins too. Small… Read More
Loopy Buttons And A Base For A Pouch
2017-07-09 11:48
Finally I can show you the pieces that have me salivating, have me itching to obsessively stitch bullion loops and sequins to a gingham and silk surface....my work from class. The… Read More
2017-07-06 11:55
Cast your mind back to this post. I speak about adding embroidery to the reverse of my work, not to cover the ''wrong'' side but to enhance it, to recognise it as a valid aspect of my em… Read More
2017-07-05 11:49
If you look at this piece here, when I last shared it with you, you should be able to see the difference in embellishment from then and now. I worked on this a little whilst I was away… Read More
2017-07-04 11:47
The sample with the chain is new.....you have seen the others before. My collection of stitched samples for my own artist book is growing, all be it slowly. If my other artist books are… Read More
2017-07-02 12:47
A little sample, a tiny sample which I embroidered yesterday evening instead of unpacking suitcases and attending to laundry.....why not.  I am reconnecting with my own personal ''ar… Read More
2017-06-27 15:32
A quick hello from Spain where it's hot....and hot and thank goodness for air conditioning at siesta time which for me is stitching time.  A little glimpse for you of the tiny amount o… Read More
2017-06-20 10:40
The first two images are my holiday essentials....I say that yet there's a big but.....I have never, ever stitched on holiday before. Poor light, wrong chair, no time, too busy doing… Read More
2017-06-17 11:58
Yesterday I had a hankering to bead page edges, it's a new addiction and seeing as how pages and page edges come in useful for artists books it's not a waste of time either. I have prom… Read More
2017-06-15 11:40
  My latest finished artist book.....there is a very short video here, a silent movie of me turning pages.  The early stages of the next ''artist book'' are happening already… Read More
2017-06-14 11:51
Gingham, pink, cross stitch, silk, sequins and bullion knots......sampling for a drawstring bag,  a pillow, some toggles and perhaps a few buttons too. This is work which has been… Read More
2017-06-13 11:46
I had a very productive afternoon yesterday. More lace cloth was created, another piece to add to my ''veil cloth'' and more pages were filled in my artist book from class. The book is f… Read More
2017-06-12 11:39
When you saw this two days ago these were separate pieces.....I couldn't help myself, I had to join  them. Piping cord, patterned cloth and hey presto. Joining these has made me anxi… Read More
2017-06-11 11:55
The three most recently completed pages from my latest artist book.....it's coming together. I think I have five more pages to fill now. I shall miss this....but never mind I will just ha… Read More
2017-06-10 12:11
Last time I spoke about this piece on here I only had one surface created on which to hand embroider....I now have two and they are both shown here. Neither piece is finished in terms o… Read More
2017-06-09 12:02
Applique on this swatch header is now complete...five motifs each created using pleated cloth which has then been embellished with bullion knots and turquoise beads. This is one of four p… Read More
2017-06-08 12:00
Three images today of bits and pieces which were on my table yesterday, being used in my work, ingredients for classes and which don't normally look half this tidy......I tidied up and ar… Read More
2017-06-07 11:44
I know it must seem to you like this is taking an age to come together......it is, these things can't be rushed. Slowly,  steadily, considered, carefully.....pages are being filled… Read More
2017-06-06 12:00
New stitching on paper to add to old stitching on paper to create a new page in a new artist book, a much bigger artist book. I bought this A3 sketchbook in order to mount paper based s… Read More
2017-06-05 11:46
It's still swatch central here, most days anyway. Other things happen too, pages or paper pieces, artist books and the like but swatches are what I have the most of, all requiring head… Read More
2017-06-04 11:47
It's a big day tomorrow......it's the beginning of the final week of''artist books'' and the start of my new class, ''studies in stitch''. It's going to be a busy week, I will be… Read More
2017-06-03 11:35
Last night was all about pink, pink sequins and pink ball buttons. Another header is taking shape for another swatch and the ball buttons may go along the top edge. I say may because I'… Read More
2017-06-02 11:51
The gingham piece....I have added to it since you last saw it. One or two flowers, a few cross stitch hearts on stalks, filling blank space and getting my head in pattern mode for ''stud… Read More
2017-05-31 12:17
Three hours on a Tuesday night......a header, white cloth, vintage lace, two seams, beaded bullion knots and buttons secured with pink and lemon bullion's. I can't tell you how much I… Read More
2017-05-30 11:48
Something new....well partially new. A header has been attached to one of my new samples. It's attached with trailing gimp, bullion knots and some tiny little flower/sequin things. The… Read More
2017-05-29 11:50
So, yesterday, after the indecision, what did I do. I put the kettle on and gathered some cloth, just to look at, to fondle, to become excited by. I then made the first videos for the ne… Read More
2017-05-28 11:53
Stitched paper, embroidered scraps of cloth, hanging tags, sequins, pages, papers....so many surfaces and textures, lots of layering, ripping, rearranging. The past week in class, in Art… Read More
2017-05-27 12:10
This surface was put together around a fortnight ago. I think you have seen it before when it was minimally embellished. Last night I worked on it some more although there's still a long… Read More
2017-05-26 11:42
The second header, I showed you the first one yesterday. This one has vintage lace, vintage pom poms, cross stitch and added blingy bits. Am I allowed to say how much I love these swatc… Read More
2017-05-25 11:57
In theory I have added a header to one of my swatches. (the flower heads on gimp stalks with a sequin and bullion knot seam attaching it to the main piece) The header should allow me to… Read More
2017-05-24 11:53
  My ''artist book'' from class.....it's coming together but there is a long, long way to go. I'm guessing here, because I can't remember off the top of my head but I think I nee… Read More
2017-05-23 11:55
It's someones birthday today so she is most likely off somewhere eating cake.    The past week or so in picture.....see you tomorrow.  Oops! I opened this one early… Read More
2017-05-22 11:52
The day before yesterday I showed you the first of these experiments in surface design, my first attempt at kick starting my brain to gather ideas for patterning for use in my next class… Read More
2017-05-21 11:51
Patterning from the piece I showed you yesterday has been altered, rearranged and a new piece has been created to live alongside the first piece. As I said in yesterday's post, this wor… Read More
2017-05-20 11:55
This piece has been on my mind and in progress for a couple of days now. It's finished as a piece of embroidery but it hasn't yet served its purpose.  This is the start of explorat… Read More
2017-05-19 11:53
My collection of hand stitched pages for my next ''artist book'' is slowly growing. These pieces are being created in class and next week we begin to put our books together, it's all get… Read More
2017-05-18 11:45
Yesterday was a sewing machine day....well, maybe not a day but a couple of hours. Paper strips were stitched along with fabric strips. The paper strips will be for my stash, nothing will… Read More
2017-05-17 11:48
Slowly but surely my latest collection of embroidered swatches are getting nearer to completion. These two pieces have new edge embellishments, soft Suffolk puffs for one and a double han… Read More
2017-05-16 11:53
The reverse, the side which shows all the knots, the loose threads, the mistakes if there are any (there usually are). Back it, cover it with cloth and create beautiful edges? Or not. T… Read More
2017-05-15 11:58
Lace, paper, collage, stitch, beads, pages and a safety pin. Not bad ingredients for a little bit of play are they?  Can you tell I am in ''artist book'' mode today? I am gathering… Read More
2017-05-14 11:54
Yesterday I spoke about how useful my sewing machine is to me, how it has become an integral part of what I do. Today I can show you exactly what I mean with these images. This surface w… Read More
2017-05-13 11:55
I never used to be a huge fan of the sewing machine, it was avoided at all costs. Then I discovered what an amazing tool it could be if I used it to suit me, for very specific process. No… Read More
2017-05-12 10:45
I'm still on edges, swatches, seams, adornments. Yesterday I raided my stash of hand embroidered buttons, puffs, fastenings. (last image) The four buttons on the edge of the narrow swat… Read More
2017-05-11 11:52
Here's where I am with my ''artist book'', the new artist book I am making in class. This is one third of my pages but they aren't full, they are a long way from full. This one will be eq… Read More
2017-05-10 11:55
The past few days....embroidery, artist books, new threads, lots of essentials spread out on the table and an hour or so spent looking through old ledgers, old design work for ins… Read More
2017-05-09 11:49
  Yesterday, a video about a swatch. Today, a video about another swatch....it's specifically the edges, the progress of swatches, the plans for taking swatches forward. The first vi… Read More
2017-05-08 11:50
I had been looking at this one for a few days, wondering what was missing...there was definitely something missing.  Hankie corners, reverse prairie pints, lace edges, overlays, la… Read More
2017-05-07 10:34
Artist books, always stitching scraps, always layering and adding bling. Sequins, beads, gimp, embroidery..... Over the past five days or so these little pieces have been put together usi… Read More
2017-05-06 11:42
You last saw this piece here, a week ago. Then it just had two circular embroidered areas....pockets of sorts and one straight line along the bottom with added beads. I said then I was s… Read More
2017-05-05 11:54
Foggy? No and I can't explain why the pictures look as if they were taken through mist....or is it just me? Maybe I need to clean my glasses.  Yesterdays piece with a pretty button… Read More
2017-05-02 11:47
My edge marathon is progressing. This one has sequins on a lower edge, the sides as yet are untouched as are the seams on the reverse.  Whilst I embroider and titivate edges I am a… Read More
2017-05-01 11:51
This is what I have been up to in class, in ''artist book'' class. Paper has been stitched to paper, paper has been stitched to cloth, stitching beads and gimp and knots has been going on… Read More
2017-04-30 11:46
A soft scrim and cotton lower edge, minimal embroidery , embellished with hand knotted gimp. If you look at the edges here, the ones completed, they give an idea of the number of edges… Read More
2017-04-29 11:52
Pocket.....a piece of fabric attached onto or inside something which can be used to carry items. Pockets on a swatch. The lemon and white one is evident, the flowery one? the pleats, th… Read More
2017-04-28 11:46
It's been a week of stitched swatches and artist books, samples for class and creating new surfaces for my next cloth swatch book. I've had boxes opened rummaging for that one thing… Read More
2017-04-27 11:55
The double cord on silk with lemon bullion loops securing, that has been made for an edge. Trouble is I can't decide which edge. I initially created it for the piece with the folded han… Read More
2017-04-26 11:35
Edges, the edges of embroidered fabric swatches.  Earlier in the week I was speaking about more folded hankie edges. They will still happen at some stage but for now I have resiste… Read More

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