Before I came, I had done a couple of projects. My first taking all of 2011:
My second, and first self charted image using Ryijy Stitch Designer:
Another:
The next one was a bit of a failure due to the thread definition file in Ryijy not realistically representing the DMC Beige swatch. This failure would almost certainly have happened with any commercial charting program too, as Ryijy uses the same colour definitions as the majority of commercial programs:
I have since discovered that it was an incredibly difficult image to convert due to the low tonal range & where the colours fall relative to the DMC thread colours. IWhile it seriously disappointed me, it didn't put me off & I tried again. I may even have another go with this image using my program to convert it and my thread colour definition file. Anyway, my next project followed on rapidly:
In 2014 my first here post was showing how far I had got with a self charted image (using Ryjiy Stitch Designer and printed out using my own chart printer software) that became the finished project below:
This was the best I'd done up 'til then, but I was vaguely disappointed with the colours & conversion and knew I wanted to do something more. Didn't know what I wanted, but something should be possible... More than 29 colours, didn't want contours, wanted more than Aida, more than 14ct.. What, I didn't know. Which is why I came here. There were people here doing incredible work and I got inspired.
My first new project after coming here was a slightly more ambitious one and a stepping stone to greater things.. I hoped. Uranos Drops:
More colours, smaller stitches, more interesting fabric, more complexity, yes, yes, yes! But there must be MORE possible beyond this.
Then with help from the amazing members here I grew my little chart printing program into something that could do its own conversion into DMC threads and after a little(!) work I got the portrait of my wife below:
Things were motoring & have been since.
Allyn mostly, but aided & abetted by others, persuaded me to add blended threads to my little chart program, leading to the first blended threads I had ever done which tested both me & the program to the limit:
Then my current projects, of which I'll only show Gryff:
I think my desire for 'more, More, MORE' is satiated now, don't think my skill can cope with further reduced stitch sizes, more colours or bigger projects beyond what I'm doing now.
Thank you so much for facilitating my progress down this path over the last 6 years. You have been wonderful.
Also, it seems amazing I've not yet been stitching for 10 years, having really only started in January 2011.
Regards,
Richard
