Sky horse -finished!

[Fizzbw]

I've just started this design:

http://www.cross-stitch-pattern.net/Sky ... esign.aspx" target="_blank" target="_blank

A good friend of mine just lost her horse Marley - I loved him too and am also very sad about it - he was young and so alive, he reacted badly to an anaesthetic.

So I wanted to stitch her something in his memory - and I found this (free) chart. I'm being very brave, and changing the horse to a darker grey as Marley was dapple grey, and I'm going to try and put a yellow and pink cast in the clouds - the pink fabric will help. Its a bit scary as its not that easy to see where the horse ends and the clouds begin - so I hope it won't be a big disaster. I started the day before yesterday, I've stopped doing the horse as I'm down a few colours which will hopefully arrive tomorrow!





Now, if you are a sceptic sensible person, stop reading here

I've known Marley ever since my friend bought him - in fact from slightly before - he wasn't a happy horse when she went to see him and asked me to talk to him and find out what he was thinking and feeling. I did so and the first thing he told me was he wanted to be called Marley, not Harvey which was his then name. He then indicated that there wasn't much wrong that couldn't be solved with loving care. I then talked to Marley through the years, I've never talked to another horse with such an open heart, such a love for life, and such an easy connection. Later I loaned my friends other pony Doughnut from her and tried to contact him to tell him what was happening and how happy i was he was coming to live with me - but I couldn't talk to him because Marley was there everytime!! When I went to get Do, Marley ran up to talk to me in person.

When he died my friend asked if I could contact him - I did and got this wonderful feeling of him running, running, and he was surrounded by pink and yellow clouds. I told her. I then thought I should stitch her a little card with a galloping horse and stitch some clouds around him - so I googled "galloping horse" which I have done many times before - this time the above chart was the first link I clicked on. Felt very apt and spooky to me!! I hope to hell I don't mess it all up!!

Niki xxx

[Offe]

You can't mess it up after this. It is meant to be.

It is a beautiful picture!

[karen4bells]

So sorry to hear of your friend's loss! The design you've found is wonderful and the changes you've made to it look spot on!!

[Fizzbw]

Finally got all the right thread, so can carry on the horse - but here is some sky done!



Niki x

[coffee_freak]

[gyork]

beautfiul idea for your friend, and for you too, its going to look great

[Juel]

It's a sad story how you came to this project, but I think it's a great idea
I feel sorry for the loss of this wonderful horse and working a horse-design for your friend is a splendid idea
Looks beautiful already

[~threadbear~]

Big progress, looks fab!

[vanessanjf]

Great progress

[socialsue]

Looking forward to watch it grow !!!! Great job !!

socialsue

[XandraS]

Looking great

[Squirrel]

It was meant to be that you found such an apt design to stitch and I am sure it is going to help you both with the loss of such a beautiful horse. I am sure you will manage the colour changes very well and you are making great progress with it.
I love grey horses the best.

Sally

[charmagne_capalad]

Such a lovely project!

[Fizzbw]

Thanks guys. Slow going with the colour changes and the large amount of confetti in the head of the horse!



But it is coming together! I'm not too panicky about the margins of the horse as he is one with the clouds! Will think about bringing in some pale pinks and yellows in the clouds as and when I get to them! It is great fun to stitch this.

Oh - doing it on 16 count rose pink aida with dmc threads. I worked out the colour changes by sorting out all the orgininal colours and matching them to ones out of my boxes - rather hit and miss!!!

Niki xxx

[Carole]

The colours are looking great so I'm sure this is going to be perfect

[Nachstenliebe]

What a stunning project...
Faith

[Fizzbw]

More progress:



Might not get so much done the next 3 days - its Aintree and I'll be glued to the telly!

Niki x

ps - do people think I should frog the section on his chest? Its a more greeny colour and I'm not sure it looks ok - should I redo it in a more bluey grey?

[johannauk]

This is a lovely design and wow, you are stitching it up very quickly!!

[Mabel Figworthy]

What a wonderful idea to stitch this for your friend, and to change the horse in the picture to match Marley more closely

I can see what you mean about the chest, although it is always difficult to tell from a photograph. I think the only way to decide whether to frog or not is to ask yourself whether you would be happy to look at it as it is, or whether it would always niggle you. If the latter, I'd frog and restitch; this is such a meaningful project, you want to make sure you'll be happy with the finished result!

[Ceitidh]

Perfect picture for your friend and it looks great so far