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This is the second of my long running projects to be started, and I will rotate it monthly with my 'Luis Royo: Luz' image. I hope to finish in late 2019 or early 2020.

Gryff was a Maine Coon Kitten who was born on 29 May 2009 and died 3 May 2012 from a heart attack. He was a gorgeous pedigree Maine Coon, and was my wife's favourite cat of all time. He was friendly, chatty and not terribly bright. Wherever he went he gave a muttered commentary, even when trying to hunt (meant he wasn't all that successful!). We simply adored him. He loved the snow, and one of the best photos I took of him was in December 2009, when we were all in the garden, and he was just about to bound off to join the girls in a snowball fight.

I decided to stitch this picture as a gift for my wife, and on realising I simply could never keep it hidden until it was finished, I gave the chart to my wife (as a promise) for Christmas 2015.

So, onto the chart. The chart page plan is as below:

There are 115 colours (of which 103 are blends from 156 thread colours) in the 449 x 285 picture. There are 98984 stitches out of a possible 127965 stitches. The fabric is Zweigart 28ct white opal fabric, and is stitched with 2 threads of floss over 1 fabric thread in a half cross (2 over 1 tent). Anyway, only a week into it, on page 6 doing the dark shadowed snow, here is the resulting 600 or so stitches:

You can just about see the stitched pink outlines of chart pages 6, 11 and 12. To give an idea if the real size, the Chart pages are approx. 2.5" x 3.5".

Not a lot of progress, I know, but along with a week of toilet plumbing, I think progress is not too bad.

Regards,

Richard

I'm really pleased you've decided to stitch this wonderful Moggie picture! When you showed us the picture originally a while back several people thought that he'd make a good subject.

Perfect fabric for a Perfect Puss-cat!

Great start!!! I am so going to love watching this one develop. A wonderful and loving gift indeed!

Carole

That is a stunning photo of a gorgeous cat. It sounds like that charting will do him full justice and I can't wait to see this one develop

I'm so glad you're starting this one. I can't wait to see it grow - I know it will be beautiful!

Thank you for your kind words.

I have a horrible feeling - which will put a slight dampener on the picture - that it will take longer to stitch than he lived. Ahh well, cannot be helped.

Regards,

Richard.

I've been looking forward to you starting this one.

richardandtracy wrote:Thank you for your kind words.

I have a horrible feeling - which will put a slight dampener on the picture - that it will take longer to stitch than he lived. Ahh well, cannot be helped.

Regards,

Richard.

It will keep the good memories that you have alive. He went over the bridge to live in the land of the forever young.

Wow Richard that is some undertaking but it is going to be glorious when it is done. How lovely to gift it to your dear wife when it is done.

Oh good, this will be a fun SAL to follow. How is the 28 count treating you so far?

It's tiny. However being short sighted, I can see very close up without glasses, which helps a lot.

Regards,

Richard.

A little update.

Finished page 6 of the plan (snow in shadow + twigs) and am now on to page 12.

Have completed about 3000 stitches, or about 3% of the project. The progress is as below:

Photo taken in daylight, then have had to do some serious colour adjustments to correct a serious blue colour cast - possibly not that successfully. There are 4 stitches of solid colours in this page, and I've not got to them yet. All the rest are blends.
The orange/brown stitches towards the bottom of the image are the first signs of Gryff's tail starting to appear.

Still very early days in this project.

Regards,

Richard.

I am so glad you have started this one Richard. Like several others, have been waiting to see you start it. How fantastic it will be once you do complete it. You have made a brilliant start & I look forward avidly to more updates.

That is a very nice start to your project. All of the blends would drive me crazy, but the amazing details of your projects show the results.

You made good progress! The dark areas seem a bit dark, but so far, not alarmingly so.

Great start! This is going to be another awesome piece to watch being stitched!

Carole

Allyn, I agree the dark areas look a bit dark, but part of that is the none too good colour correction I've done. I think it'll seem less bad when the rest of the picture is done.

Thanks for your comments.

Regards,

Richard.

richardandtracy wrote:Allyn, I agree the dark areas look a bit dark, but part of that is the none too good colour correction I've done. I think it'll seem less bad when the rest of the picture is done.

Exactly. That's why I said I wasn't alarmed about it. Details in the shadow are discernible. When working on a white "canvas" you need dark to show light. Once you get the bright snow in there, it'll be fine.

Great start! I don't know how you've got the patience to do all those blends, but it's going to look amazing

A lovely update Richard and it is interesting to see Gryff's tail starting to emerge. A pretty update.