The Kingfisher: A Study in Persistence
The Story: Some projects choose you. I was captivated by this design the moment I saw it, but I knew it would require a total surrender to the process. This piece represents a full year of my lifeâa daily ritual of focus that now greets me every morning in my corridor. It is a reminder that the most breathtaking results come from the steady accumulation of small, intentional acts.
The Scale of the Journey: This is the most ambitious embroidery project in my archive. To bring this vibrant bird to life, I dedicated nearly 1,000 hours over the course of a year. The complexity of the plumage and the depth of the background required a level of persistence that defines what “Slow Craft” truly means.
Technical Details:
- Dimensions: 54 x 64 cm.
- Composition: Over 170,000 individual cross-stitches.
- The Palette: A rich spectrum of 80 colors, blended to create the iridescent shimmer of the kingfisherâs wings and the soft focus of its environment.
- The Map: The project spanned 42 pages of intricate charting.
- Presentation: To honor the labor of the year, the piece was finished with a bespoke custom frame, designed to protect and elevate the work as a permanent fixture of my home.