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Lovely update. So many different shades of colour in the cat already, it's amazing the difference in shades of thread & there's still a lot more cat to come. So interesting watching this each time.

richardandtracy wrote:I make sure that I stitch under the fishing line. With the thick stuff I have it's a real pain at the hole where the fishing line goes through the fabric, need to ensure that the needle is passing down through the fabric under the line, otherwise there is a risk of the needle being pushed through the fabric warp or weft.....

I get that, but what about on the back? When I tried gridding, I ran the fishing line 10 stitches on top and then ten stitches underneath (or 5 and 5, I don't remember now) so half the line was on top and half underneath but still defining the 10x10 squares. I could stitch under the line on top, but the line underneath would be trapped in the backs of the stitches and become part of the tension. I never got further than trying to stitch under the line on top, so it was a moot point, but it did occur to me that after the line was removed, some stitches would be loose because the line was no longer inside the backs of those stitches and my tension would be borked. Maybe I was overthinking things (I do that sometimes).

Hello

I have just caught up with this thread. Beautiful stitching and a beautiful Gryff looking majestic.
Keep up the fantastic work.

MM x

Very impressive.

Thank you all for your comments. Greatly appreciated.

Allyn,
It really doesn't seem to be a problem. The fishing line is is only 0.8 mm in diameter after all. About equivalent to pulling out a pair of threads. There's always that slack anyway, otherwise it'd be impossible to anchor the end of one or more threads in the normal way.

Regards,

Richard

That is a fantastic update on Gryff. It's such a beautiful picture to begin with, and every one of your updates makes wish I had a cat to snuggle up with in the evenings.

Good Gryff! That Maine Coon tail is coming through a treat.

[Groan]

It is coming on, as you say, just not fast enough for me. But.. there's only one person to blame, and I'll just have to put the hours in.

Regards,

Richard.

His tail is gorgeous!

After another two weeks of work, there is more of his tail to see. I have finished page 11 of the chart and started a few stitches on page 17.



That makes 21368 stitches from 98984, or 21.6%. This is indicating an end of 2020 finish at this rate!
It is remarkable how the last few colours made the whole page suddenly come together. It was a real pleasure to do.

I will carry on until the end of the month (only a few days away - where has the time gone?!?) or finish the bottom of his tail, whichever is later, before moving over to Luz.

Regards,

Richard

Oh! Do finish the tail!!! Gryff needs something to swish about until his next scheduled stitching!!!

Aaahh, lovely to see this cat again. So life like, feel you could almost stroke the fur & even more colours coming in now.

kingfisher68 wrote:Aaahh, lovely to see this cat again. So life like, feel you could almost stroke the fur & even more colours coming in now.

I agree!! Amazing detail!!

Surely you can't leave him with an unfinished tail...

You're right, I can't. I'll finish at the end of the month or when his tail is done, whichever is later.

Gryff was a bit of a scruff, as I'm sure most long hair Maine Coons are, but I do agree that you just want to run your hand through his fur. We found, though, we usually had to stop to get out snags etc. He managed to pick up all sorts of twigs & burrs in his tail when he bumbled around. His biggest twig was a 2ft length of bramble that lodged in the fan of fur on the underside of his tail. He was most indignant when we accosted him to remove it.

Regards,

Richard.

Looks amazing so realistic

Tails can not be unfinished. I think that might even be an international feline law! Beautiful work!!!!

Carole

Such amazing and beautiful work! I shall enjoy watching this one come along

Now that you've got more orange tail in there it is becoming more clear to me how well matched the mock-up is to your stitching. Congratulations are in order on your programming and stitching.

Lovely! Glad you're going to continue and finish his tail.

Off topic a bit, did/do any of your Maine Coons retrieve? Of the two retrieving cats I've met one was definitely a Maine Coon cross and I seem to have a vague recollection in the back of my brain that it's not an uncommon trait in the breed.