Monday 24 March 2014

Needlequest - 24 March 2014

Yesterday I got a 'commission' from my French friend who is getting married in July and for whom the 'shampoo bottle' design will be the basis of the wedding card.  I'd asked her, as I usually do when friends get married, if she wanted something for the wedding (a ring cushion), a souvenir of the wedding (a sampler type of thing) or something for the home.  To my surprise and delight (as I usually end up doing cushion/pillow covers for the home), she and her fiancé requested a ring cushion when I saw them yesterday, so I've been thinking about designs and so on.  She tells me they've chosen yellow flowers as the nearest thing to a theme colour (they're keeping things simple), so I have that to go on.  I thought I'd do something along the lines of this cushion I worked 9 years ago.  This sort of thing isn't meant to be practical beyond that it needs room for the rings to sit, and can be as ornamental and fancy as one likes, so I'm going to have great fun designing this one!

So, how are you all getting on with your Needlequest projects?  I'll be honest and say that I haven't done a thing this week.  Oh, OK, I did select the colours for the butterflies, but haven't got to doing any as yet....  At least the above has some goldwork elements... Anyone else got anything to share this week?  I hope so, as Wendy has made the terrific suggestion that I post a selection of links to others' work.  There aren't anything like enough submitted to make that worthwhile each week, but why not towards the end of each month??  So, please do leave a link to your project, whether or not it's completed, and I'll do a list of them next Monday.=)

Something else I want to ask about it how participants feel about the subjects/themes for the Needlequest.  Whilst I know that many people who sign up for challenges don't actually take part and for many that do, they run out of enthusiasm fairly early on (I've done both myself - more than once!!), and we only have about 15 people who signed up anyway, but links have been very thin on the ground, especially this month and last.  This month has been really problematic for me for one reason or another, but I've usually been trying really hard to have something to post almost every week so that there's a post open here for folk to leave links on and, as I'm running the challenge, I need to get well and truly on with it - LOL!  It's often a little disappointing to not have anyone else's work to see though, so have you any thoughts?  Problems with the topics?  Suggestions?  I know some prefer not to showcase until they've finished a piece and so links are more plentiful later in the month, but I still thought I'd take this chance to survey the Needlequesters and see what they think.  I'm concerned there's something 'wrong' with the challenge, thus the low level of checking in, so I'd like to know what you who are taking part think.

I have got SO much stitched stuff to get done over the next few months that it's rather a nuisance to have already lost so much time to illness and exhaustion as well as my interest needle having swung very firmly over to 'Chinese' etc of late.  I find that it goes from one extreme on the scale to the other, either completely or to some degree.  Although I never entirely lose interest in either and the needle's been very much on the 'embroidery' side for several months past, it's been pulling me off towards my other big interest recently...  Well, it's better than being bored.=)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

10 comments:

Elaine said...

Nothing wrong with the challenge at all! I have put my Goldwork bird on hold for now, I really wanted to start a new crewelwork kit to make a bag :)

Wendy said...

that is a gorgeous cushion, I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

I'm happy with the challenge and enjoying it! I think my problem is that I work full time so don't get time to blog in "real time", I can only take photos at the weekend as I don't see daylight during the week. I then find myself scheduling posts. I'm terrible at progress posts as I've often finished the item by the time I come to post the progress, so might as well just show that!

Having said that, here's my progress post for this challenge:

http://thecraftersapprentice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/making-start-on-gold-work.html

I don't think the post of the finished item is scheduled to go up until the end of the month

Rachel said...

I know I'm not Needlequesting, and probably don't really have anything to say, but maybe some projects are harder to show progress on than others? No one wants to post "Progress" photos when the progress is barely visible!

Annette-California said...

Absolutely gorgeous wedding ring pillow! love Annette

Elisabetta Sforza said...

Wow! I adore it!
Elisabetta

Renee said...

Your ring cushion is gorgeous!

I do hope you are feeling better soon. (You have done a better job of posting recently than I have!)

Best wishes,
Renee

EvalinaMaria said...

It is beautiful! Can't wait to see what you will be stitching next.

Erica said...

The ring cushion is just beautiful! Elizabeth, the challenge is not working for me for two reasons...life has got in the way of embroidery lately, and I don't find the whole 'link' thing is working for me. There have been few from other stitchers and although I did post one on Stitchin Fingers, there was no acknowledgement from anyone in the group that the photo had been looked at...may be the options I chose on Stitchin' Fingers were not great, but I simply don't know.

zenuwpees said...

FELICITATION le coussin est magnifique j'adore Marie-Claire

Anonymous said...

Hi Elizabeth, thank you again for the monthly hosting of the Needle Quest, I'm enjoying so far..

For me, (I hope you don't mind) I usually link it up at the end of the month, cos by then *Crossing fingers* I will and hope to have finished the piece. I must say, because of joining the needle quest, I've cleared out most of the UFO which has been hanging in the basket for sometime. So big Thank you +plus the motivation too.

This is mu link for gold work:
http://prettylittlethingsinabox.wordpress.com/2014/03/30/needle-quest-marchgoldwork/

I love the picture of this post. What exquisite strawberries and flowers.. you're really inspiring.. :D

See yah next month.

 
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