Stitching Memories

by: sakuraluna | Total views: 54 | Word Count: 798 | View PDF | Print View

 by: Caryl B. Grecia

Sometimes,
usual photographs look so common and boring. Converting your pictures
into charcoal or oil painting is a welcome change but then, a lot of
people have been into these crafts already that there are times when
these portraits too, look clichéd. There could also be a time that a
charcoal or oil painting of your photo does not look exactly the same
as your original photograph. I have been a witness to several charcoal
portraiture failure. Have you ever had your portrait done in charcoal
in which the result didn’t actually look like your image?

There’s
a new option to the dilemmas of boring photographs and failed charcoal
and oil (even water-color) paintings and that is the cross-stitch
portrait. It is converting a favorite photograph into an elegant and
artistic needlecraft. However high-tech the snapshot is, it will be
captured exactly, even the tiniest detail, in a cross-stitch portrait.

A
picture is scanned and then converted into a cross-stitch pattern. A
pattern looks like a chart of tiny squares on a paper. Each square
symbolizes a stitch. And stitches are the details of the pictures. It
is amazing to see a picture being converted into a pattern for
cross-stitch. A snapshot, especially a colored one is the faithful
replica of a person, a pet or of a significant event. In it, the image,
especially the skin of a person appears to be plain flesh-colored
(dark, fair, brown, yellow, etc.). But in a cross-stitch pattern, the
skin alone could have three or more shades of whatever skin tone the
person in the image has. Even an all-black hair could have shades of
gray, dark gray and light gray for more emphasis.

This is
due to the light reflections upon taking the picture. It could be from
the flash or the shadow of the sun when the picture was shot outdoors.
However, in a snapshot, it does not really matter because the focus
would be just on the image. But in a cross-stitch portrait, every tone
of the skin, every shade of the hair (whether plain colored or
highlighted) is considered. And in the end, the portrait is not only a
faithful replica but is almost exactly the original image of the
person, pet or the significant memory.

The cotton
threads used in cross-stitch give the picture its almost-real image.
Basically, the fabric used as a background is a woven linen depending
of the count, which gives the finished portraits the unique, handmade
look.

Snapshots are the mementos of a very special
figure or event in a person’s life. Take for example a wedding. Loads
of films are used (or if digital camera is used, the memory is all
occupied). There are unfortunate times when pictures get ruined because
a) liquid was spilled on them; b) kids tore them up; c) they get
browned being stored in the attic and more. However, a cross-stitch
portrait, if ever spilled with liquid could be sent to dry-cleaning (or
laundered even); it could not be torn-up easily; and should it get
browned, again, the dry-cleaners can see that it gets back to its
original colors (unless the fabric used for background is a black woven
linen). But, there would be a slim chance (to none) that these
misfortunes could happen because once a cross-stitch portrait is
finished, it is put in a frame and then placed on a wall for everybody
to see and admire.

Cross-stitch is one of the best ways
to preserve the most memorable moment of a person’s life. It is because
cross-stitch can survive time. Proofs of this are the unearthed
remnants from the year 500 AD. This could mean that when a portrait
today is saved in a cross-stitch, it could live up to 500 years more!

Cross-stitch
was a fad only for the religious, royals and the elites in the early
age. That is because cross-stitch was a symbol for status in the
society. Cross-stitch was considered an elegant, classic and artistic
needlecraft that even the famous figures in history such as Queen
Elizabeth 1 and Mary Queen of Scots (who, even in captivity) did
cross-stitch. It would be magnificent to put back elegance and class in
today’s technologically advanced homes and derive pleasures only the
religious, the royals and the elites enjoyed way back in time through
hanging cross-stitch on walls.

When a portrait is saved
in a cross-stitch it is like stitching the memories and the feelings
back to life along with the image. Every detail considered is every
minute of the memory treasured and labored with. And it is 100%
guaranteed that the outcome of the portrait is the exact image of the
memorabilia because of the accurate conversion of the photo to the
cross-stitch pattern.

Copyright © Sphinx Cyberworld Ventures

About the Author

The writer, Caryl B. Grecia, works for Sphinx Cyberworld Ventures. The company offers custom made-to-order cross-stitching services to those who love cross-stitch portraits but who are too busy to stitch. Their website is http://www.cross-stitchportraits.com

cross-stitch@e-mart4al.com

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