Stitching Memories: Cross Stitch Portraits
By Caryl 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. •
About the Author
Caryl B. Grecia works for Sphinx Cyberworld Ventures
whose website, www.cross-stitchportraits.com features custom-made
cross-stitch portraits of your choice such as your wedding portraits,
baby portraits, favorite pet’s portraits and even your favorite
celebrity idol’s portraits. You can send emails regarding custom-made
cross-stitch portraits to cross-stitch@e-mart4all.com.
11/01/04
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