Honeymoon Portrait Framed 1 October 2015

[AlwaysGoofy]

The detail on your piece is amazing. As far as your grandmother's work goes, well, it truly is museum worthy. The perfect stitches in all of the different types of embroidery is phenomenal. Looking forward to more updates in the new year.

[richardandtracy]

Thank you.
My wife's portrait is coming on nicely, but it is salutary to see the difference in skill level between my Great Aunt's work and my own. I hope that one day I'll be able to do work of a quality that compares less unfavourably, however I now realise just how far off that day is.

I have been rather pleased with myself over my wife's portrait, but seeing something of such quality presses the 'reset' button at the point I need it. Real skill takes time and patience to develop, and I have only been stitching for 4 years now, and until May 2014 I didn't know how far it could develop - with all your help I am just beginning to get an idea. I have always known of my Great Aunt's work but had never looked at it, let alone thought about it (isn't ignorance a blissful state?). How I now wish I had talked to her about it. She died at age 96 twenty odd years ago, and I can only remember a sour little woman who never appeared to do anything and always had a cutting word just when it hurt most. Since she died I have come to sympathise with a lady who lost the love of her life in WW1, then had a ghastly horse riding accident after jumping a hedge & landed on a bit of agricultural machinery, and was injured in a way that prevented her ever having children. Then, with no husband & no prospect of having kids she had to earn her keep (never having expected to have to) and spent her life teaching children embroidery and piano, the only things she could do. Also, she could see her younger & less pretty sister marry an army officer, go swanning around the world and apparently have an easy life (not that that swan wasn't paddling like fury under the water). No wonder she turned a bit sour.

It seems life is nothing more than a series of lessons that we must make the best of.

Regards,

Richard.

[Carole]

I love the photo of your wife that you're stitching. It's so natural and carefree. Your stitching looks great on it

[tiffstitch]

Great update on your wife's portrait, and what a story about your Great Aunt. It is too bad that you can't talk to her about the work, but you can appreciate it more now, and that's something too.

[richardandtracy]

First update of 2015 for this project. Things have been a bit slow over the last two weeks. One of our cats (Fluffy) has been a bit clingy, and just doesn't sit on my lap, instead slowly creeps up my chest until it's impossible to move my head, let alone see the canvas. He then tucks his head under my chin & goes to sleep like that. He stays like that for hours if he can. And I seem to be stupid enough to let him.

Anyway, continuing to stitch page 8. Plan page index below

Current progress:


Regards,

Richard.

[millymolly]

great progress

[rcperryls]

Lovely progress!! Fluffy is doing a good job (do they ever not do good jobs?) of reminding you of your priorities. Besides, who could turn away so much loving cuddling, even for stitching?

Carole

[Brekkana]

I just want to say "Wow!" you are so very brave, doing a portrait, and it is looking very nice! I love your great aunt's embroidery as well, I could never sew that finely. Beautiful work, both of them.

[Allyn]

Gorgeous!

[Mabel Figworthy]

Good progress in spite of Fluffy - you're very kind to your poorly cat!

[richardandtracy]

Thank you for your comments.

Brekkana, it's not bravery making me do this picture. Cowardice is the more pressing reason. The boss was objecting to me stitching 'Pictures of semi naked women' (referring to this thread: http://www.crossstitchforum.com/viewtop ... =6&t=25792 & why couldn't I stitch a picture of her instead? So, opting for marital harmony, I sorted through my photos of the boss, and opted for the only reasonable photo I have ever taken. Most of the pictures I've stitched have been on black, so it wasn't very different, except in colour complexity & stitch size.

With regard to a clingy 'Fluffy', I think he's beginning to feel his age. He's at least 10, and could well be older, he looks 14 to 15 to me - he came to my dad's farm as a stray & we have no idea how old he really was. So, I think he just wants an easy life now.

Regards,

Richard.

[Oriettait]

Richard, your wife portrait is stunning!! you are doing a great job despite your cat attempt to slow you down

[Carole]

Lovely bit of progress there, especially considering Fluffy's help. You just can't disturb them if they're comfy, can you

[tiffstitch]

Excellent update! The more I see of this the more impressed I am with your chart program as well.

[lavenderbee]

Lovely work so far. Yes the shading is great. Look forward to next instalment

[RosemaryD]

Looking great, as always. Your great-aunt's piece is incredible - thanks for sharing it.

Rosemary

[Lulu22]

Wonderful update and your Great Aunts embroidery is amazing

[vanessanjf]

Wonderful work

[richardandtracy]

Currently stitching DMC 3371 (Black Brown) on black fabric for the hair as it's fading into blackness. It's hard to think of a more difficult combination to see. The concentration just to get the needle through the right holes is very, very high. I have about 50 stitches left on this page (out of 511), but there are 5476 stitches of this colour combination to go elsewhere once I've finished this page.

So, at the risk of repeating myself:


Regards,

Richard.

[lavenderbee]

Just read back & have seen your Great Aunt's needlecraft. What a stunning piece that is to say the least. Think it is the most intricate I have seen. And, even more so as she designed it herself. What a creative person she was. Sorry she had such awful things happen to her. Everyone has a story to tell & we don't often get to hear about their past when they are alive. I would have loved to taken course with Royal School of Needlework & was about to join a new course locally (4 years of it) when life changes meant we had to move. Glad your Great Aunt got an award for her picture as that was something good in an otherwise sad life.