Stitching the Seahorse

I'm not exactly a "turbo-stitcher" like Gail is, but I'll get there eventually. This seahorse is, as usual with her canvases, delightful to work.

Threads used are entirely silk, as that's what was in my stash in the right colors (I love silk anyway). However, cotton floss would also be effective, as the colors are gorgeous and the pattern is busy enough not to need a lot of "fancies." I used for the white lines, the Renaissance Shimmer, as it needed a bit of sparkle - but not a lot.

The silver metallic is Kreinik #12 braid in the Vintage, as I wanted gleam and not sparkle in this instance.

In the detail you can see where I made smyrna cross "bump" stitches for small accents. This is an effect I enjoy doing when no more embellishment is called for - or "overkill" in texture. It's simply a matter of making the bump wherever there is a configuration of four stitches square - the lines point to them. Hopefully I'll have this beauty finished sometime tomorrow, and can start on the small, multi-color fish that I really look forward to - an incentive to finish the seahorse!!