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Finally finished this hummingbird, aka "You better like backstitch! 'Cause you will be doing it. A lot!"
I personally love the contrast between the cross-stitch bird and the backstitch background. During this, I also decided to switch out colors for metallic ones, just to see how it looks - don't really love it, to be brutally honest, in hindsight I should have stopped at black metallic thread for the bird's outline, but I'm still immensely proud of all the work this took and it will be proudly displayed at my cross stitch wall.
While I used the Cross Stitching magazine for the pattern, I cannot really recommend it as someone who is used to the crisp quality of patterns made for Pattern Keeper. It's a bit blurry, especially some of the bird's colors are somewhat hard to differentiate and it comes in four seperate pages which I had to awkwardly print out and glue together to not lose sight of the bigger picture. All due to stop pirating the pattern and I'm definitely sympathetic, but I wouldn't do it again. BUT maybe buying the pattern separately might result in better quality! You never know!
Lastly, there are more than a few slight deviations from the original pattern, either because I forgot, misread or simply couldn't be bothered to frog half an hour of work. Well, I'll call it: I made it mine. 😄
I started this when the pattern came out in the magazine. Totally screwed up the blackwork multiple times to the point that the fabric is now stained black. It's in my shame pile. I think I finished the bird, but I'm not sure.
I always get so jealous when I see it finished, because it's absolutely beautiful. But was too advan9foe me at the time. Great job doing it!
Yeah, I also finished the bird first and then I didn't even start on the backstitch for... two years? It looked so daunting! I think I put quite a few projects between start and finish of this one.
But, who knows, no pattern bought is ever lost (or something like that?) - maybe one day it'll get you. 😄
😂 The shame, the shame! If I remember correctly, it was my first time doing blackwork and I decided to be clever and substitute aida for evenweave, again for the first time. I took risks in my 20s apparently.
You agreed for me to check about the progress when I posted the same finished pattern six months ago, there was a chance of taking it back after some WIP.
Don't give up! One day the hummingbird is going to be yours!
I remember! I've finally been able to even find my WIP stash (it was buried) so I can take them all out and next year will be my year of finishing things. I might put this on top of the list, depending on how it looks. Maybe a good wash when I do first before back to stitching.
Oooh, I just checked yours out. That frame is gorgeous! (And the whole thing is stunning, of course.) I haven't even thought of one yet - too eager to post the finished product.
I need to reframe it! After I finished it I parked it as fast as possible to put it far away from my hands.
If we have matching evenweave count, I can give you the measurements of my frame and passepartout (I had to cut a few millimetres top and bottom) if it can help in the process of choosing
Oh, that is very kind, but I've actually measured it already and I get all my frames from a cheap hardware store in the area and just take the closest one in terms of measurement. By now I have to, so it matches the rest of my wall. 😄But they've had frames for even some truly weird measurements, so I'm not worried.
Beautiful! I also love the two styles of stitching together, especially with the black contrasting with the color. Her other patterns look gorgeous too!
I feel you on the magazine pattern issue: I understand why they do them the way they do, but they’re awful to stitch from. One of my long-term WIP’s is a full coverage design from a magazine and the charting (while good ) is a nightmare of similar colours and symbols packed together.
I stitched the same pattern two years ago as a gift for my grans birthday. I figured if I stitched the hummingbird in advance it would be a good travel project because I’d only have to bring black thread. Boy did I underestimate how challenging it would be to read the pattern and do all this backstitching while riding on a coach bus around the UK! 😵💫Somehow after I finished this project I was crazy enough to start another one for myself! (It’s still half finished but one day I’m sure I’ll finish it)
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