Don't know if this has been suggested to you already, but putting a white cloth behind the fabric may make it easier to see the holes. Or shining a light underneath the fabric. I don't stitch on dark fabric very often (as in can't remember the last time) but I know others have tried the white cloth and/or the light and say it helps. Sounds like you have a lot to go with dark on dark.
Carole
WIPs
Star Wars Afghan:Chewbaca
HAEDs:
O Kitten Tree
Dancing with the Cat
Everything else "on hold"
2022 Finished: Star Wars Afghan: Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Finn, Rey, Poe, Han Solo,Darth Vader, BB8,Luke Skywalker
Nearly 2 weeks on since the last update. Finished page 8 of the plan on Monday, finishing the 6624 stitches at a rate of 157.7 per day, and have finished 14209 stitches of the 44060, or about 32.3% of the project.
Took the photo in our conservatory, and a fair bit of the sofa behind can be seen through the fabric. You'll also notice that some of our cats are moulting...
Have started on page 2 of the plan now (forehead) immediately above this page.
I think you are making great and beautiful progress on this! The detail is amazing and I love how the emotion that is so evident in the photo is perfectly seen in your stitching! Great job.
richardandtracy wrote:You'll also notice that some of our cats are moulting...
I would have thought that you, of all people, would know:
Carole
WIPs
Star Wars Afghan:Chewbaca
HAEDs:
O Kitten Tree
Dancing with the Cat
Everything else "on hold"
2022 Finished: Star Wars Afghan: Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Finn, Rey, Poe, Han Solo,Darth Vader, BB8,Luke Skywalker
Must admit there are times when I feel I should never do a cross stitch again after this one. Not because it's too hard, just that I so want this to be the best cross stitch picture I ever do, and the only way of ensuring it's not surpassed is by not doing anything more. OK, the feeling fades quite quickly, but it's there every now & again.
Wonderful stitching. Very lifelike. But blinking hard work I should think. I get what you're saying about wanting it to be the best. But you're too talented.....and patient by the looks of this, not to stitch.
richardandtracy wrote:Nearly 2 weeks on since the last update. Finished page 8 of the plan on Monday, finishing the 6624 stitches at a rate of 157.7 per day, and have finished 14209 stitches of the 44060, or about 32.3% of the project.
Regards,
Richard.
I am curious, how are you calculating your stitches per day, or per hour? Do you use an app? Or do you go back and count what you stitched for the day? I guess I could do that, mark my starting stitch a dfferent color so I would know where to count from, and hope I wasn't all over the board. Too late for today, but maybe I will try it tomorrow.
So many HAEDs I couldn't possibly list them all. Current favorites are Dragon Kin, Sea Unicorns (QS), April Fairy, What's This, Dahlia, and so many starts going on. Love to cross stitch! Find me on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/brekkana.kultiras
Thank you all for your comments. I know I'll keep stitching, but I've..
No.
I'll stop there. I don't do gushy & emotional. Lets just leave it at the fact I feel as if I'm the luckiest bloke alive having a wife like Tracy, & want to do the best it's possible to do with her portrait.
Brekkana,
My charting program specifies how many stitches there are on a page, and how many stitches in total there are (taking into account any left blank due to letting the fabric show through). So, I just note down the day I start a page of the chart and the day it's finished. Then it's a simple calculation to get an average number per day for that page of the chart, I don't do it on a daily basis. To find the total done so far, just add up the number of stitches on each complete page.
Made a week's worth of progress since the last photo.
Have done the forehead skin, and after getting on with as much hair as was needed to finish off the skin and emphasise it, I have started on the lower cheek.
It is really progressing, and is recognisable as my wife. I do find myself occasionally stopping and just looking at the picture in disbelief that it's something I've stitched up.
Oh my word, Well done Richard. That is awesome. Doesn't look like stitching at all This is really coming alive now. You msut be very pleased with all the work you've been putting in. Tracy's eyelashes are so delicate on this, amazing. I read what you said about wanting this to be the best thing you've ever done & I think it will be. Although I guess you will do other things after this I am sure this will be your all out winner. Not that it is a contest but you know what I mean. Look forward to next photo
Once in a while you come across a project and you think "that is just perfect". This is one of those projects. Deeply impressed and - hoping this won't sound impertinent - moved, because it is so obviously a labour of great love.