Alucard Keychain Fob

Dear Reader,

I must confess that I have lately felt like an outsider, an interloper in these cross-stitch blog circles: Sometimes, I find myself hating Cross stitch! Yes! I feel just awful, but I am so impatient, and so much work goes into making things, and when it comes out looking less-than-perfect it is so disheartening!

I simply cannot tell you how much heartache this one little piece caused, Reader! It is a little like what I hear childbirth is like--really awful while it's going on but when you are done you have such a wonderful thing. And of course, you forget how awful it was and think it's nothing but just peachy and begin aspiring to do it all again. lol (Although on a MUCH smaller scale.)

Have any of you ever secretly hated this wonderful hobby?

From My Finishes

I made it as a birthday gift for our good friend Tak--It features a character from one of his favorite videogames (Castlevania: Symphony of the Night). It is stitched 1 over on 32 count Zweigart linen.

From My Finishes

At some point, I began despairing of my slow progress. "And it's only 21 x 47 in area! Wait...that means it's..." Reader, that means it has something in the neighborhood of 900 squares...and at 4 "stitches" each...well. I began to understand what was taking so long! But how does everyone else do it? Such patience!!
A closer view...

From My Finishes

The character's name is "Alucard", and he is the son of Dracula (get it?) and a human woman. So, Alucard is the protagonist, while Dracula is the main enemy of the game.

From My Finishes

stitching up the side was SO TEDIOUS! It was my first time finishing the back with anything other than more of the same linen, so I was woried it would not come out nicely, but this side was very clean.

In the end, I stayed up all night to finish it, and I almost sewed the keychain in backwards! Oh, me! I worked on it for several days, and even so had to pull an all-nighter at the end!

Date Finished: 28 February 2009
Fabric: Zweigart 32 Ct. Linen
Threads: DMC Cotton
Finish: Keychain Fob
Designed & Stitched by Me.