Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

Inspiration: Karen Ruane

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karenI got a sweet note from Meri of Agulhas da Meri blog suggesting that I feature Karen Ruane’s lovely work on Contemporary Embroidery blog. Meri says,

Exquisite embroidery! It is worth a detailed observation, I think.

I couldn’t agree more. I check her blog every day! Her work is so delicate, so unique; and her photographs are as breathtaking as her needlework. She’s a stitching goddess. Add her to your blog reader, too, so you don’t miss delicious tidbits such as the gorgeous puffs shown above. Look again. Each puff is about 1 cm in diameter (just under a half-inch). How tiny must those French knots be!

If Karen’s work is new to you, be sure to browse back through her blog to see the variety of works she undertakes and her utterly original approach. Time well spent, I promise.

And thank you, Meri, for the kind reminder.

Read These Next

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Cross Stitch Ice Cream and Frozen Treats

Summer is the time for sweet treats, whether eating them or stitching them. This collection of patterns is full of designs that are good enough to eat. Almost. 

This year of ice creams from Simone Balman Art is lots of fun, and you could also stitch up these treats individually if you’d rather. The full piece is 210 by 300 stitches, though it’s not full coverage. It uses 25 colors and comes out to 13.6 by 20.1 inches, or 34.5 by 51.2 cm, as shown on 14 count fabric. 

These mini Popsicles from Mariana Gonclaves ART as super sweet and quick to stitch. These would also be a fun border to another summer project. The full design is 43 by 46 stitches, which is 3.1 by 3.3 inches, or 7.8 by 8.3 cm, on 14 count fabric. 

Sam X Stitch has this fun sweet treat sampler, which again would be fun to stitch as individual pieces (maybe on napkins?). In all it calls for 18 colors and measures 153 by 153 stitches. That comes out to 10.93 inches or 27.75 cm on 14 count fabric. 

Another great sampler is this one with ice cream and other sweet treats from Cute Patterns by Maria. At 119 by 132 stitches total, working the full pattern would be about 8.6 by 9.4 inches, or 22 by 24 cm on 14 count fabric, and it uses 33 colors. You can also stitch individual designs, which range in height from 35 to 45 stitches, and in width from 11 to 28. 

This collection of four sundae patterns from Stichrovia would be fun to make for a kitchen or a teen’s room. Each pattern is around 40 by 50 stitches, so they should fit in a four or five inch hoop if worked on 14 count fabric. 

Or stitch up one of the treats from Stitch Chart Studio‘s collection of seven ice cream cross stitch patterns. These range in size and in number of colors needed, but most would fit in a five or six in hoop (and one in a four inch hoop).