Wrapping up the Needlequest

Well, here we all are in 2015!  Seems like 2 minutes since all the mad Millenium celebrations 15 years ago (which were a year too early....), and only about 5 minutes since I was in high school in the late 1980s!!  You don't believe that time flies when you're a kid, but you soon learn it to be true, no?

Last post of the challenge for the Needlequest now.  Just two of us had a go this month, just Pamela, Dorte and I.

* I did the tiny sample of a hardanger motif you can see above.  The larger one is on 22ct hardanger fabric and worked in #5 pearl cotton, whilst the smaller one is one 40ct linen and worked in #12 pearl cotton.  It's about 1/4 in actual size so very much like a lot of dolls house scale stuff.  Although the dolls house is (usually) 1/12, the stitchery tends to be the right size overall, but 3 times too big in terms of stitch size.  Had I wanted to get this to be actual 1/12 scale, it would have needed something like 132ct fabric and I dread to think what gauge of thread!!

* Pamela made a lovely bargello scatter cushion/pillow against the time when she hopes she might have another dolls house.

* Dorte posted a lovely stumpwork finish for the November theme using the leaves she'd created during her Autumn theme work and her work thus far on the December challenge.

So, that's it!  Thanks to all who've joined in at some time or even just enjoyed reading the posts and updates.  I've found it quite stressful as I've felt I needed to have something to write about all the time, and it's just not practical to carry on like that just now.  Also, participation was good to start off with, but waned so much during the year that it was a bit deflating.  Maybe I'll do it again later on, but I won't re-run the challenge in 2015.

In case you're wondering what my hardanger motif was for, you'll soon be seeing in the first thing I expect to finish this year, a hardanger bookmark in these colours, the same ones as I used in my main needlecase:

I hope to be back tomorrow with the stitching review of the year post, so, until then, t'rar! :)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Needlequest - November round up and December intro - Miniature Work

Sad to say that November was a bit of a dud month for most of us on the Needlequest.  =(

* I meant to do the orange(s) piece and still will (with a new finish date of 3 Jan 2015 or before), but I didn't get to it last month.  Actually, apart from a bit of knitting, I barely touched a needle of any sort last month!

*  Pamela did a little bit on her stumpwork WISP, a pretty floral, but found she couldn't get into it either!!  However, she did get the piece she got back into commission during her first NQ month in May completed, a coloured blackwork alphabet sampler.

* Dorte did quite a bit of catching up and completed some leaves for the September autumn topic, which she plans to use on her stumpwork sample for the November topic, when she can get to it, and worked a fluffy thistle piece for the October 3D stitches theme.

Moving on now to the last topic of the year, which is miniaturisation.

What does miniaturisation mean?  Well, it can mean whatever it means to you, as is often the case.  The only requirement is that it's something smaller than usual.  For instance, those keen on thread painting may like to work a small piece like some of Trish Burr's miniature designs.  Perhaps try some half size cross stitch or another counted thread technique and finish it up into something tiny as well.  There are so many options!

A classic area of miniatures is, of course, things for dolls and doll's houses.  That's what I'm planning to do as, as many readers know, I'm hoping to get into miniature textiles production and sales in the near future, so I'm planning to use this month's challenge to help me develop some ideas.  Below you can see one of them in the shape of a tiny sample of hardanger worked on 40ct linen over only 2 threads as opposed to the usual 4 and in much finer gauges of thread than normal.  You can compare the size against this full scale 22ct piece.

I'm hoping to produce a few tiny hardanger soft furnishings in the fullness of time and a few other things as well.

Some time ago, Kathy of The Unbroken Thread blog (which I'm sure many of you follow already, and if you don't yet, I encourage you to start now), sent me these tiny samples of high count linens from her own fabric stash so I could get an idea of what they're like.  As she lives on the European continent, her counts are per centimetre, so I've measured them in the the more familiar (in much of the English speaking world) counts per inch and noted them down.  High count linens are fabulously expensive, so I greatly appreciate Kathy's generosity in sending me these samples!  Mwah, Kathy!

I also want to have a go at some 1:1/12 scale doll's house bedding and scatter cushions, as well as some tiny blackwork etc.  I don't expect to get all that in this month, but I have so many ideas that it'll be hard to get them in at all, never mind just this month, especially as I'm experiencing a language learning and writing fit at the mo and others need me for proof-reading a bit too.  The real proof-reading extravaganza will come in the spring when Sir's doctoral thesis will be being finalised for submission....

Finally, for general interest and information: I mentioned about the word 'mojo' last post, which some readers were unsure of, so here's the definition from good old Wiktionary:

mojo (plural mojos)

1. A magic charm or spell.
2. Supernatural skill or luck.
3. (slang) Personal magnetism; charm.
4. (slang) Sex appeal; sex drive.
5. (slang) Illegal drugs.
6. (slang, usually with "wire") A telecopier; a fax machine.

The idea in talking about "getting one's mojo back" for something, seems to have something to do with the first two definitions, perhaps coming from the idea that one could, by some magic spell or other, induce interest in oneself or others.  So maybe that explains why I'm not so keen on its usage.   =)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Needlequest November - Stumpwork

Here we are at the beginning of a new month for the Needlequest - the second to last one.  This month's theme is stumpwork.  A few years ago I wrote an introductory article to stumpwork (and ribbon embroidery) with some suggestions on how to get going etc, so some readers may like to (re)view that.

Stumpwork is terrific and is a favourite with many stitchers - just to look at and admire, if not to have a go at themselves.  However, this month's challenge is try it out for yourself.  How?  Well, why not have a go at one or two of the tutorials for stumpwork elements on Sew in Love?  I've tried to keep the materials needed just to things you'll already own - cotton threads, a bit of felt and maybe some beads in most cases, so they may be a good place to start.  You can, no doubt find some elsewhere too, if you have a good poke around on-line, in magazines and in books.  Your local library may be able to come up with something that will help you as well.

As with most styles, I suggest starting small and, if at all possible, with a entry level kit.  The advantages of a kit are manifold, but just take supplies as one.  Many keen stitchers have a good supply of fabrics, needles and cotton threads, but not necessary much in the way of beads, metallics, wires and so on.  A kit can solve this problem by providing you with everything you need for that design without you needing to go out and buy a whole pack of something you may never use again.  Also, kits often have good, clear instructions.  I learned a few good techniques using five of the old DMC kits, now long since deleted.  (If you're reading this, 'Emma Brodery' the DMC threads' blogger, suggest some new ones!  People want to learn raised work and, whilst they won't fly off the shelves like cross stitch kits would, I'm certain there is a market for them.)  Ditto (including the bits in brackets, just aimed elsewhere) for the old RSN kits, where the dog rose you can see above came from, and from which I learned the technique for my needlelace strawberry tutorial.

Originally, I had planned to work the Colleshill Collection butterfly and sunflower kit I have in stock for this month's NQ, but I really don't want three fair sized projects on the go at once.  It just gets too much, esp. when one other project is time sensitive.

So, in order to keep thins simpler, these oranges are the sort of thing I plan to do this month.  I've done a fair amount of wiring things before, but I want to have a go at using my paper/cotton moulds to make oranges etc.  I've had the things in stock for a long time, but have never got around to trying them out.  I don't think I'll do as many as five and probably not all the same size, (as I have three different sizes of paper/cotton balls on hand), but we'll see how it goes and how quick they are to work.  I have some ideas that I may want to use them for later on.  Kits/designs-for-sale sorts of ideas.

BTW, this is from Kay Dennis' "Beginners' Guide to Stumpwork"

I hope I can use some of these lovely coton à broder #16 shades that came this morning for my sample.  I got them on e-bay UK and was thrilled to find these 11 shades that I hadn't come across in this gauge before.  The two orange shades, and maybe the greens and even the yellow, may just come in handy this month.

What wonderful retail therapy stash shopping is!  20 days to the Harrogate show.....

November is also 'Art Every Day Month' as hosted by Leah Piken Kolidas, the lady who also hosts the 'Creative Every Day' challenge.  I'd forgotten all about it until I saw her post in my feedly earlier on.  Last year I was all gung-ho to join in and found it went like a complete damp squib for me, so I hope I can do better this year.  My first day's participation will be to relax with a little on my cross stitch later on, but I hope that I can revitalise my art blog during this month too and get some paper-based work done too.  I'll let you know if and when there's anything to see over there.

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Needlequest October round up and stuff about blogging

It's the end of another month and here's what I've been doing for the Needlequest challenge. I did a few more raised stitches and, as my personal goal was to learn five new stitches, I did these from a stitch dictionary type of book. They're all more or less new to me.

The second photo shows the 3D, raised effect of all the little samples I've done for this month.  Sorry the nearest sample is so blurred, but my camera can only cope with so much to focus on.=)

What about other participants?  Well, it seems I've been playing the game alone again this month, but Dorte has been catching up on some previous months' work.  She showed us some table linen inspired by crockery that she'd worked in both freestyle and cross stitch for the July theme, 'Crockery and Tableware'.  She also did a lovely painted floral, which she then picked out details of in stitch for the 'Fabric Colouring Techniques' theme from August.  Similar idea to my own piece, only much more impressive!!=)

Thanks for the encouraging comments about blogging, subscribers and so on.  I agree with pretty much everything that was said!  Thankfully, it's only a minor number who get impatient and won't stay subscribed to your blog if post numbers drop (yes, Wendy, it's actual subscribers/readers, not just page views - although that as well, of course).  It would show up more if I had a huge readership and would matter more if I was running my blog as a business, as some do, but it still makes me roll my eyes.

I'm like those of you who commented who prefer quality to quantity, and so I won't post padding posts ('fluff' as Rachel called them!!!) just to keep up quantity, or unsub from blogs that are infrequently updated.  I'm with D1-D2 in that I only unsub if the content becomes completely irrelevant to my interests and I stay subbed to inactive blogs sometimes for a long time in the hope the writer may start up again.  It doesn't cost any time, money or effort to leave someone who isn't currently posting regularly on my feedly list!!=)  Actually, I'm far more likely to unsub for over posting than under and I skip over the content of the majority of posts in my feed.  To be honest, I look more at the photos than anything else, although I do read some more carefully.  Which?  Not tellin'!!!LOL!=)

Thanks also for the kind words about my mum.  She's 81 now and in pretty bad shape, bless her.  Up to just before she turned 80, she was quite strong - even with emphysema, then she had a moderate level stroke and it was downhill from there through pneumonia and a fall down the stairs to the point that she really can't walk anymore and needs help with almost everything.  I don't expect she has much time left but, yes, we're trying to spend time with her regularly and also trying to make her last days of life as comfortable and pleasant as possible.  It's not easy to watch her failing like this, and it only reinforces the fact I long since learned from the Bible that we were never meant to die or lose loved ones.  We may say it comes naturally, but it doesn't, not really.  It also reinforces the fact that smoking is NOT a good idea!  All the things that Mum suffers under now, even the wholesale loss of teeth, are heavily related to 40 years of smoking.  Don't do it.  Just don't.

Onto more cheery things and Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show trip is three weeks today!  I'm enjoying counting down and hope to goodness that this year I won't have a bug when I go as I have the last two...=(

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Needlequest - 6 October 2014

I had a go at cast on stitches again last night.  The results were better than previous attempts, but still shaky.  Actually, this photo makes them look quite good, but it's a bit of a con, I'm afraid!!=)

My first idea was to do a cast on stitch rose, but I'd had enough after 5 stitches and I was very tired, so I just put some bullions in for sepals (2 out of 3 of which ended up with an extra wide loop at the bottom, grrr... also needs much practice) and a quick stem in its own namesake stitch - stem stitch.  Now what, if any, flower it resembles I don't know, but it at least exists.

I'm pleased to say there's been quite a bit of interest shown in this month's technique, even from stitchers who aren't signed up for the challenge.  A big welcome to all.  All you need to do is to post a photo of your challenge work on your blog or photo album or a social network page with open access (I don't use facebook for instance, so I can't visit your page to get a link if it's not publicly visible) and leave a link on one of my Monday posts here.  At the end of the month, when I do the round-up post, I'll include links to all the pieces I've been 'shown'.  So, feel free to get stitching and join in!

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Needlequest October - 3D Stitches

A new month and a new Quest.  This month it's 3D stitches, embroidery stitches that in themselves, without padding, wiring or other 'external' support, have a 3D effect.  They're not stumpwork as such, (although I have seen pieces worked from 3D stitches labelled as 'stumpwork'), but are often used in stumpwork designs.  They're also used prolifically in Brazilian embroideries, such as the only one I ever managed shown here!!

To be honest, I'm no expert when it comes to 3D stitches, so I'm looking forward to learning a lot over the next month.  I've tried some before and not got along well with them, so I hope to learn more and improve my relationship with ones I've tried such as bullions and cast on stitch.

Here are some other examples to whet your appetites to join in!  The first sample is mostly of ghiordes knot/turkey stitches, but there are also french knots in both stranded cotton and ribbon.  Yes, many knot stitches qualify.=)

After that comes padded satin stitch.  Although this has padding, it's an integral part of the stitch itself, being worked in the same thread.

Here's a dense bunching of French knots worked in metallic threads which provide some texture in the piece.

I can't quite remember the name of this fourth one.  Something like ribbed spider's web wheel.  It was one of the stitches back in 2012 in TAST.  Definitely a useful looking one, I think.  I want to have a go at developing it further.

More bullion and french knots in an old favourite piece.  I wish I could find more designs like this.  I suppose I should have a go at creating some myself...

So, my plan is to try and work a small sample each week, both developing my experience with stitches I already know and enlarging my repertoire

Blogging plans for this month are:
Mondays - NQ post featuring my 3D stitch samples
Wednesdays - WIPW post with the previous week's work on the Paradise Island cross stitch picture
Fridays - Update on the Helen M Stevens' Painted Ladies picture.
I'm not promising each one every week, but that's the goal.

What are your stitching plans for this month?  Why not leave a comment, with a link to your blog if you like, and share your goals.=)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Needlequest September round up

Well, I had hoped to complete half of this piece this month, basically all but the butterflies, so the autumn foliage and berries in keeping with the theme for the month, but I only managed a couple of mediocre-ly worked berries and let my piece gather dust - literally!  Things did not go according to plan this last month, with this or other things.

Speaking of other things, thanks very much to those who sent some comforting clucks and pats on the shoulder last time.  I really appreciated that.=)  I feel a lot better now.

OK, back on topic.

I'm happy to say that I wasn't working alone this month with the NQ as Wendy has been working on her 12 month hardanger piece and has completed the September block.  I'm assuming it's not that the blocks themselves are seasonal, but that it's meant to be a block worked per month?  I missed any earlier segments, so I'm not sure, but it's very pretty and was worth Wendy's hard work on it.=)

So, yeah, September hasn't been the best on a few fronts, but I'm still alive and kicking and hoping to progress my two current projects substantially, plus do some work on October's NQ theme (more on that tomorrow) and to be able to share more pretties with you all in the weeks to come.

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Needlequest Update - 8 September 2014

This is how far I've got with my latest Helen M Stevens' design - just the transferring and colour selection done.  Actually, that represents almost an hour and a half's work!  I used a new piece of white carbon paper to transfer the design, so there was a LOT of extra dust to remove.  Anyway, it was done finally and I was able to get down to picking out the threads.  As you can see, I've got Anchor (from several generations of packing type!!), DMC and Kreinik here ready to use.  Hope to get stitching on it soon.=)

I want to ask readers about thread storage etc.  Now, my problem is this:  My main stranded cottons (the complete set of Anchor ones) are stored in press top bags in colour number order.  This is very convenient for getting threads out for cross stitch projects, or other pieces where I'm pulling things out according to colour number, but not so good when I'm selecting shades for today's piece.  Then my storage for the few DMC threads I own is better, where I have them arranged by colour in bags.  How can I marry these two systems up so that they're useful for both?

Of course, I have the real thread shade card for my Anchor threads and I use it a lot, but it's better to hold a real skein against your fabric etc than a tiny bit of sample thread that doesn't often reach anyway.  Any ideas  Here's the solution I thought of earlier, which I would like your opinions on:

I thought of taking all my Anchor threads and re-sorting them according to colour families and making a list of the colour numbers which I would then attach to the bag in number order.  I'd also include my DMC threads in each relevant bag and on the shade number list.  I'd also create a list of all the Anchor shades (there's one on the shade card I can copy) showing which bag they were now in so that it would be a bit easier and quicker to find needed shades for counted designs etc.  It means several hours work, but could well be the half-way house solution I need.

Will that work, do you think?  Or can you think of a way to improve it?  Thanks!

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Needlequest - September theme - Autumn

As it turned out, there was only me working on the August technique of fabric colouring and, as most readers will know, I did some painting using proper fabric paints and also a little blusher on the raised work face!!  As I've published those very recently, I won't re-post here (I really haven't any time for blogs which keep on and on featuring the same shots....), and we'll move on instead.

'Autumn' is the theme for this month's Needlequest work.

A season is always a nice design theme as there are so many natural glories in each season to work with either as inspiration for creating our own designs, or in working someone else's.  

This blackberry and field mice design was fun to work and very English countryside in September - y.=)

So much colour is on display in nature this month with the leaves beginning to change colour on the trees, seasonal fruits becoming more readily available (and cheaper!) and much more!

I'm going to get going on this gorgeous Helen M Stevens' design showing Painted Lady butterflies near autumnal foliage and berries.  I need to get this one completed soon as it's to be a scatter cushion cover for a couple we probably won't get to see regularly for much longer!

I certainly want to finish before the view from the kitchen window is like this again: 

!!!

NB:  The Quest topics for the rest of the year have changed!  Please could particpants check out the Needlequest page to make sure they know what to expect and can see if and when they can join in.  I've changed two of the remaining three months' themes from design areas to techniques, as those seem more popular.=)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Needlequest Update - 18 August 2014

Hi!  Welcome to another week and another Needlequest update and piece completed.=)  This is a rather experimental small piece, but I'm quite pleased with the finish,

First I painted the whole flower using the paints I showed you last NQ post.  I was amazed at just how pearlescent the pearl paint is, even more than the metallic, I think!

I created the colours I wanted by mixing pearl, metallic and regular fabric paints together and, although one of the greens came out a little more lurid than I'd wanted, (I should have added red earlier than I did!) I was favourably surprised at how well I'd remembered colour mixing theory!!!

The next stage was to select some colours to stitch with.  I decided to use some of my new DMC threads for two reasons: 1) I bought them and want to use them; and 2) They're easier to select from as they're still all hanging around in clear plastic bags in colour groups, so I can just pick them up and see what I want straight away, rather than mess around with the Anchor colour chart and then fishing the skeins out of the box.  Oh, yes, there's another reason for choosing DMC for this project and that is that, as several other experienced stitchers have noted, DMC shades are brighter and just that little bit shinier than Anchor ones.  One project needs one type and another project the other brand.

Here are the colours I pulled out.  I used five of them - both yellows, both pinks and the brownest green, #580.

Here are the results, the top photo showing detail and the contrasting textures and the second shot giving an overview of the whole piece.

I just need to mount it in a card blank now and get it in the post to my brother tomorrow as his anniversary is on Wednesday.=)

Something for my fellow Needlequesters to think over:

I've noticed that techniques and styles seem to attract better levels of participation than design themes do, so I'm planning on changing the topics for two of the four remaining months of the challenge.  I'm going to leave September as 'Autumn' as that's a fairly easy design theme to work with and, of course, 'Stumpwork' will stay in.  Other than that, I'm considering two from '3D Stitches', 'Hardanger' and 'Miniaturisation' for the other two months.  Any preferences?  Also, as stumpwork and 3D stitches are related, which order should it all go in if we had both of those, would you say?

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Needlequest update - 11 August 2014

Here we are again, working on a new theme/technique and I decided to use the lovely hibiscus thread painting from one of Trish Burr's books as the basis of my first (hopefully, i.e. I hope I'll be able to do more than one) experiment this month.  First I did a quick pastel drawing of it on some light blue paper.  The contrast is greater in reality, but it does show up a little here.

I've prepared this piece of blue fabric to work on and am thinking of using these pretty, metallic and pearl fabric paints to provide most of the colour in the piece.

I'll do the leaf in non-shiny paints, I suppose.  The metallic paint pack I bought didn't include the red or green shades, which I thought was a shame, and they only do larger sizes (the same size as the pearl white) in those.  I wouldn't mind that in theory, but in practice, my paint drawer is already full.=)

After painting the flower, I plan to pick out some details in stitch and, all being well, mount it in a card for my big bro's 20th wedding.  As that's in just over a week, I'd better get on with it....  

I had hoped to have got further along by now, but I've been spring cleaning (OK, just pretend I live in the southern hemisphere if you're picky!!), and have been devoting my time to mucking out the bedroom, living room and my study.  Ugh!  All that dust under the bedside tables (nightstands) etc.  No small wonder I was sneezing, dealing with itchy eyes and a runny nose!  I've been allergic to large amounts of dust over the past five years.  Strange.  I never was before.

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Introducing Hanako!

Remember this exotic lady?  I didn't actually showcase the whole of her when I completed the appliqué and so on back in late Feb/early March as I wanted to save her and display her in situ.  Well, the scatter cushion cover she was made up into was finally finished on Wednesday, shortly after my posting the feather finish.=)

She's worked on white fine cotton lawn fabric, which was backed with another similar piece of white.  The appliquéd fabrics are Japanese imports bought in a fabric market in Taipei, Taiwan.  They were sold in either fat quarters or rolls about an eighth of a fat quarter in area for patchwork and quilting (which seems quite popular in both countries).  The background to the hands and face was painted using Colourcraft's fabric paints and all the outlines were put in using good old anchor stranded cottons.

Sewing this one up was almost as bad as all those trousers! I think it was too much at one time.  It was also the most complex scatter cushion cover I'd ever done, having a border with mitred corners on, plus piping.  It was my first go at mitred corners and three of the four came out very well.  The fourth just missed, but the gap isn't really glaring, so I decided to let it go and put that down to experience.=)

So, what do you think?  Was she worth the five month wait?!!

Here's the top corner of the back so you can see the pretty backing fabric.  I actually used the same one that appears in Hanako's obi.

I think I'll send a photo to the 'Inspirations' magazine team , because I got the outline for her from a back issue and they may be interested to see what I've made of it.  I'm considering sending a shot or two of the ring cushion to Helen M Stevens too.=)  Have you ever sent photos of your work to the designer?  What happened?

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Needlequest July round-up and August intro - fabric colouring techniques

Another quiet month for NQ participation, but here's what we do have for the theme of Crockery and Tableware:

* I finished up my little blackwork cup.  Thanks for the comments about wonky being OK, I appreciate your encouragement.  Having said that, I do prefer straight myself so, when I re-do and develop this design (as I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would), I'll straighten it up somewhat!!=)

* Pamela worked a cross stitch trim for a kitchen towel for her piece.  She used the design from an old favourite crock set as her inspiration and pattern.

* Dorte has posted photos of her finished up pouch made from the blackwork pieces she did for the May Quest and also an experiment textile sample for her line work for June.  She's been on holiday on the island of Rhodes recently and has posted some glorious photos.  The text is Danish, but the photos are universal.=)

My stitching plans for July with results follow:

* Finish the wedding ring cushion.  Done!
* Finish this Tudor Lady piece.  Done!
When those two were complete, then:
* Do the blackwork pottery sample for the Needlequest.  Done!
* Complete, or at least substantially progress, the feather.  Done!  (It'll be complete to show you on Weds)
* Make up the Hanako scatter cushion (and do my trouser alterations) whilst I have the machine out for making up the ring cushion.  Finally chose the finishing materials, but haven't started any sewing yet.

Had I not lost about a week in total to illness, I would easily have finished this list, so I do still consider it a victory and any and all pigs may take off at their earliest convenience.=)

So, onto August's theme: Fabric colouring techniques!  Time to experiment with anything and everything that will change the colour of your fabric.  Here are some rather vibrant samples from my C&G days:

Painted silk habotai ready for embroidery

A rather over-lurid fabric painted sample.  It was meant to be autumn leaves, but the vibrancy of the sky made it look more like a brilliant spring day!!

Hand-dyed fabric with some Broderie Anglaise stitching on it.

My plans are to try a bit more with fabric and silk paints, maybe do one or two simple flowers and stitch in some outlines.  I also want to try more dyeing of fabrics, both a few pieces to stitch on and also some clothes that have got stained and aren't wearable in their present state anymore.  I need to get a larger dyeing vessel first though, maybe just a big bucket!!

Other than that and getting the leftover sewing from July done, here are my plans for August needlework-wise:

* Start tropical island cross stitch (for WIPW)
* Work butterflies small piece (the one I planned for NQ April)
* Stumpwork face card for my niece
* 20th anniversary card for my bro

* Find a way to create a single image banner for my stitching blog (ideas welcome!)
* Try to mend Sir's jumper (doubtful)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Needlequest Update - 28 July 2014

I haven't done a thing stitchwise from completing the Tudor Lady a week ago until just now when I did a bit on my NQ piece for the month!  Nice to have a week off to devote to other things (like the huge wardrobe clear out that took place early last week!), but also nice to get back to it.=)

I transferred my charcoal sketch to a piece of graph paper and divided the parts of the design up into sections using the two six element blackwork filling patterns you can see here.  The idea was to reflect the shading by filling in more and more sections of the pattern.  I think it would work well, if carefully done.  However, I decided to cut the design right down and just do the cup at the front both in view of time and interest constraints.  It's only a challenge sample, when all's said and done, and isn't meant for anything else.

It's when you get to stitch the outlines that you realise just how wonky your sketch is!!  If it was for something important/serious (i.e. had I still been doing it for a C&G sample), I would have reworked the whole design to make sure it was decently symmetrical!!  Anyway, the next stage is to fill it in and I should be able to show you that for the monthly round up and next month's intro which is due on Friday.

In the meantime, if fellow Needlequesters have any links to post, esp. for inclusion in the monthly round-up, please leave a comment on this post by close of play on Thursday.=)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Needlequest Update - 14 July 2014

How are you getting along with this month's Needlequesst theme?  Here's the little work I've done so far (busy, as expected, on the Ring Cushion project).  The first photo is a black and white version of the Chinese tea crockery I decided to use.  The second photo shows it turned into a 'Charcoal and Chalk' sketch with Photoshop elements, which is useful in simplifying the tones in the pots as the red parts are the darkest.

This last shot is the quick charcoal sketch I made myself last night.  It isn't too bad for a very quick attempt, but far from accurate!!  I won't be really using this sketch to work from as such, but it did help me to appreciate the tonal differences in the pots, although you can't see them too well from my poor shading!!!

So, what about you?  How is your work coming along for this month?  Or any other Needlequest month.  Please leave any relevant links!=)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Needlequest - June 'Line' round-up and July 'Crockery and Tableware' intro

Not too many updates to share with you today.  It seems that only two of us joined in the 'line' challenge:

* I put in a whopping great 3 lengths/fronds on my feather piece, as well as filling in a few short satin stitches.  Not much, but it got my one and only UFO back to WIP status.  It's something....

* Pamela worked hard on a Japanese Kogin piece, on which you can see her latest update here.  Pamela definitely wins the productivity award for NQ June!!=)

And one update on catch-up:

* Dorte posted her beautiful blackwork results from the May challenge the other day.

So, onto the July theme: Crockery and Tableware.  What on earth can one do with that?  Well, as always, it's about what that theme says to you.  It could be a piece featuring some item of pottery in any stitched technique you like.  It could be a design of your own inspired by crocks or the pattern on them and, again, worked in any technique you like.  Check out one of Kathy Andrew's pieces inspired by the design on some Italian dishes.  (Kathy's is a terrific fine embroidery blog, by the way.  If you don't already follow it, do start!)

Of course 'tableware' could also be interpreted as table linen.  You might have a tablecloth in slow progress that you could work on.  Or maybe you might want to work on a napkin, a runner or a doily. Whatever the theme says to you is fine.  Remember, you don't have to complete it this month, you just have to put some time in on it in order to be considered as having completed that month's challenge.=)  Also, you don't actually have to even stitch something.  Even working up a design for possible later use could well qualify.

For me, I intend to do one of the samples set for the City & Guilds I course I did a little bit of back in 2008/9, which was to do a sketch of some pots and then interpret them in stitch using blackwork.  I plan to use some of our East Asian teapots and cups for that.  For the first fortnight, I'll concentrate on making some sketches and looking out some possible blackwork filling stitches.  Once the ring cushion is completed and, possibly, the Tudor Lady as well, then I can work up the actual stitched piece.

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014

Needlequest - 30 June 2014

I did it, I did it, I DID it!  I actually stitched on my feather piece!  Twice, in fact!  Here's the result - the bits down the right hand side.

I even quite enjoyed it and that really was a surprise.

Of course, it's not finished yet, but it is back in progress and I plan to put in two lengths/fronds most working sessions so that it'll move slowly, but surely, towards completion over the coming weeks and months.

My major priority over the next fortnight is the wedding ring cushion on which I stitched the first five leaves last night.  Look out for a post on that on Friday or Saturday, hopefully with quite a lot of stitching completed.  Handover is to be on Thursday 17th July and I'll have to run up a dummy cushion for the rehearsal on the 11th!

What about you fellow Needlequesters?  So far, I'm aware of only one joining in the 'line' challenge.  Leave any links today, if you can, (I'll search for others from the list just in case), and I'll do the round up etc tomorrow.=)

Text and images © Elizabeth Braun 2014