Honeymoon Portrait Framed 1 October 2015

[Allyn]

I love the detail coming out.

[vanessanjf]

Looks great

[Lulu22]

Fantastic update

[richardandtracy]

Thank you all. The teeth are the area with the highest colour count - 43 in a 10 x 10 square and it has slowed me down somewhat. The previous highest I've had in a 10 x 10 square was 21.

Regards,

Richard.

[AlwaysGoofy]

The details of this piece are amazing. You did a fantastic job on creating this chart. I'm looking forward to more updates.

[richardandtracy]

Have to confess I had very little input into the chart - except writing the chart creation program itself. I'm not very artistic, so try to automate things as much as possible - that way I can't do something horrible...

Regards,

Richard

[Lizzieh]

Amazing!!!!!!!!

[karen4bells]

simply amazing!!

[richardandtracy]

After a week or so's work, where once again I've not had as much time as I wanted to sew (for this read the fact that the cats are sleeping well, so I am too, and not getting woken up at 5am).
Here's the chart sheet cross reference:


I finished page 9 of the chart, and found the area around the teeth less problematic than I expected, despite the fact that there were 43 colours in 89 stitches... Phwee. Until coming to this forum I'd have staked my life on it being impossible to stitch that number of colours in an area 9.1mm square.

Oh. I'd better show the progress:

(no image colour tweaking this time, the stitched area is now large enough for the camera to be happy)
That worked out at 5388 stitches in 31 days, or 178 per day, and in plainer areas up to 140 stitches an hour. It is really starting to look like a photograph, and I'm quite pleased. To say the least...
I have now started on page 8, and hope to have made some good progress before going to see my dad just after Christmas - I want to hold this against a piece my great aunt did in 1921 for her City & Guilds embroidery project, and she was told it was 'museum quality' at the time. I have a lot to learn, but maybe, just maybe, my work is now adequate to survive the comparison and I can start to learn from the work of someone who taught embroidery at the highest level.

Regards,

Richard.

[Mabel Figworthy]

This is a stunning project! Having been away for a bit this is the first I've seen of this design and it is just so effective on that dark background - what a labour of love!

[Oriettait]

Richard it is awesome!!

[Allyn]

That looks fabulous!

[tiffstitch]

Utterly fantastic detail! And beautifully stitched as well. It must be a good feeling to know you're 100% responsible for the creation of this piece.

[rcperryls]

This is lovingly beautiful! I think you are doing an awesome job!

I would also guess that somewhere is a chart that uses 89 colors in 89 stitches. And probably more than that if any of the stitches require blended threads. I suppose it is conceivable that you could get as many as 178 colors that way.

Carole

[richardandtracy]

...I would also guess that somewhere is a chart that uses 89 colors in 89 stitches. And probably more than that if any of the stitches require blended threads. I suppose it is conceivable that you could get as many as 178 colors that way. ...

Gaah! That would be impossible...

Thank you for all your comments. I feel my stitching has undergone a step change since coming to this forum, and I can put it down to everyone's encouragement and enthusiasm here. Thanks.

Richard

[richardandtracy]

A two week update.
I got the eye done before popping to my dad's place over the weekend, so he was able to see my current work, and was able to recognise my wife from the picture (which is a relief!). Working on page 8 of the plan:

Then the picture:


Now, as to what I have to compare with. Please forgive the photography, it's not my strongest point. My Great Aunt did this embroidery in the late 19-teens or early 1920's for her City & Guilds Embroidery certificate. When she finished, she was told it was 'museum' quality by the examiners, and it's streets ahead of what I can do... at the moment.
The picture is of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. The design was thought up by my Grandmother (a History Teacher, and received her degree in the first year London University gave degrees to women).

The area photographed is about 18" square.
The detail of the background behind Henry's head is below. The threads are all couched silk bundles:

Henry's head (his hair is my grandmother's hair, as my great aunt couldn't find any silk fine enough):

And Elizabeth's head:

Details of Elizabeth's horse's mane - just look at all those colours in it...!:


Now, I ask you, how is anyone ever going to get close to something like that...!

Regards,

Richard.

[rcperryls]

Awesome!

Carole

[Mabel Figworthy]

That's TWO stunning pieces of needlework you're showing us there - your wife's portrait looks beautiful, and as for your great aunt's work, well, I 'm not surprised the examiners were bowled over, what a super design and wonderfully executed!

[Allyn]

Wow . . . . . just . . . . . . wow

[Ayasienna]

I am speechless . Both pieces are stunning. your Grandmother work is something to aspire to. it may take quite a bit of time but you'll get there eventually.