skater43 stitches Zelda games

[skater43]

So, recently finished a pretty hefty picture of an iconic line from AoL (shameless plug: http://www.spritestitch.com/forum/viewt ... =3&t=16476 ) so am ready to move onto the next game. My goal is to do a project for each of the Zelda games I have beaten. This would be both the NES ones, ALttP, both N64 ones, WW, TP, FSA, LA, both Oracles and MC. I have played some of Spirit Tracks and Phantom Hourglass and by the time I get through stitching projects for the other 12 games, I hope to have sat down and beaten them as well. So, that makes 12 games currently, up to 14 down the road. So far, we've done both the NES games and both N64 games (see: https://imgur.com/EIxsMhh https://imgur.com/voJoqnZ and https://imgur.com/mGjGXTG plus the aforementioned AoL thread). We're a third of the way done!

So, we've started our next project/game. AoL took pretty much a year to complete, so I was looking for a quick one to do next. Going with this pattern https://www.etsy.com/listing/653571828/ ... _active_14 Pretty small, but representative of FSA. Started it Monday and I'm already just about done with the first Link, so we'll finish this up the first part of February no problem. In fact, I more than likely will have it done to turn in when I pick up my AoL picture from the framers. Don't have a current WIP pic, but I'll get at least one up before I finish this. And I'll keep you guys posted here as my other projects develop, post progress pics, etc.

ALttP will likely be my next, next project. Have a pattern I like for it, have the colors set aside (although I thought I had all the colors I needed for my FSA project and ended up yesterday having to run to Michael's to grab a couple of colors I missed), looks like a fun one to do. After that, I have a WW pattern and one for LA, though the latter involves backstitching or French knots or some techniques beyond basic stitching. Which I don't know how to d, but that pattern would be a great opportunity to learn. Believe I've seen a MC pattern on this board that I may use, so that game is covered. Which leaves TP and both the Oracles needing patterns. Obviously, we're talking several months/a couple of years maybe before I get to them, so there's no an immediate need, but I'm looking around, just to have when I'm ready. Suggestions are welcome. Looking for something representative of the game, i.e. when you see the picture/pattern, you know immediately which Zelda game it is from/representing. Screenshot would work, though I'm generally looking for things smaller than my AoL picture. Enjoyed working on that, but at this point, I'd rather do more smaller scale works. Anyway, anyone has a link to a pattern or wants to put one together or something, let me know and I'll take a look at it.

I do also have a personal project involving LoZ that I want to do at some point. It involves a screenshot of the fight with Ganon, but I'm trying to figure out how to show all I need to, without doing the whole screen/having it be another massive AoL type picture. Working my way through the game, believe I just have dungeons 7 and 9 to go, to get the screenshot. Then we'll mess around with it to crop what I don't need, adjust things, create the pattern I want. And then we get to stitch it. But for now, we've got FSA to work on with ALttP in the on deck circle.

[skater43]

Had a chance to snap a picture of this in progress, so took it (the opportunity and the picture ). So, about a week in, we're a quarter of the way done. One Link down, 3 to go, though you can see we've got most of the outline of the second Link done. Same pen from my AoL picture is included for scale, just so we can see how much smaller scale this project is. If I pushed, I could prolly be done by the end of the month, but there's no need to rush things. But first part of February, I should wrap it up. While obviously still cross-stitch, this project is quite a bit different than AoL as far as challenges and ease of things and such. First off, this is 14 count rather than 18, so I can actually see the holes. We're also working on white Aida, rather than black, so that makes it easier to see things/where I'm trying to work. Much smaller scale, so don't have lots of extra material to deal with not involved with right where I'm working at the time. And as it turns out, each Link is the right size to fit in my hoop as you see, so there's minimal moving the hoop as I stitch. However, this is a more difficult project in that there are many more colors, and each color is only used here and there. AoL, I was doing bricks for weeks, so the trick was just keeping the pattern (more so on the side ones, where there was a set pattern, but it varied from column to column to give the angled look). Here, I need to look throughout the pattern to make sure I've gotten all of one color done, need to pay attention to where I am and all that. Not better, not worse, just a bit different than my last project.

[Firehawke]

That is quite the size change! The first Link looks great! Happy stitching!

[skater43]

Definitely. Go from a pen being half the size of one side to being as tall as the whole project. Just need to do Link #2's hair, so I'll be able to finish him up tomorrow and get started on #3. As I said, I could push to finish by the end of the month, but there's no need. But I'll likely have it ready to go to turn in when my AoL pic is done being framed. But after that massive project, I was looking for something much smaller/faster/easier. I do have the challenge of getting all the colors in the right places, but overall, this seems to be a much more relaxed project than AoL was. Enjoyed/am enjoying both of these projects, but definitely a different feel between them.

[skater43]

And we're done. Said it was going to be a quick one. Actually could have finished up last week/a few days ago, but had some stuff come up last week and really cut into my time to work on it. But we were able to wrap things up this week. Still waiting for my AoL pic to be framed, so I figure I'll let them finish that up before dropping off this one. No hurry on any of these, so I can wait to get them done. Still haven't figured out where I'll hang AoL, but at least this one will be much easier to find a spot for. Got the scale of the project in the last picture, so wanted to zoom in a bit to show off the colors and such here. From what I understand, a couple of the brighter/more neon colors are ones the DMC just created the past couple of years, so this is cutting edge stuff.

And I'll likely wait until tomorrow, but we've got our next project lined up. Next on the docket is ALttP and this pattern: https://www.etsy.com/listing/510666946/ ... _active_25 This is the same person that designed the MM project I did a couple of years ago. This one should be interesting. We'll be back on black Aida and 18 ct, so all the challenges that presented with AoL, though this is going to be much smaller, roughly 12 inches by 10. Lot of black nothing, so a lot that won't have to be stitched, but also lots of small individual items. Only uses 9 colors, so that's a bit of a change from FSA, but there's a lot we can do with those colors. Obviously a fan of the series, so picking a favorite or favorites is hard, but ALttP is definitely near the top of the list for me. So looking forward to jumping into this and seeing how it goes.

[Firehawke]

All the links look fantastic!!!

Can't wait to see your next stitching adventure!

[skater43]

First WIP picture of my latest project (with trusty pen there for scale). Obviously started in the upper left corner, until I realized I'd be having to count 80 gazillion stitches to figure out where the edge of the border was. So, I started doing a few of the items to use those as reference points to know where my borders are. So the plan is to basically do a bit of several items so that I can get my borders done or at least know where they'll be, then we'll go back and complete the borders and fill in other colors of the items and so on. This one's definitely going to be a few months, though not nearly as long as AoL. Especially because there's going to be a bit of a delay as we'll see below.

So, when I was picking up my AoL pic, I also dropped off my FSA one. Actually going to do something a little different in that in addition to the usual frame and matte, they'll be doing a border using some of the yellow thread I used to stitch the project. Saw a picture of the style on another project they did and I think it'll look good. And as I said, be a little different. So we have that in the works. In addition, while I was there, I was asked if I do commissions. Hadn't really thought about it. These Zelda pics are all for me, though I have done some cross stitch or needlepoint projects I've given as gifts or the GDQ prizes. But they really like my work and was hoping I'd do something for them. Said I was game, so getting a feel for what they might want, I came up with the included DK pic. It's long but short, think 150 x 50 stitches or so, so not a quick couple of week project, but nothing epic like AoL or even ALttP. I got a copy of KG Chart Pro because some of the patterns posted here use that, so I wanted to be able to view them. Otherwise, I really haven't used it. But I discovered that I can import pictures and have it throw out the colors I need. So I did that with this, rather than just blindly guessing/matching as I did with AoL, my Kirby pic, any ones I did off a screenshot rather than an actual pattern. It combined two colors that MS Paint say are different, but I plan to use this as a starting point, take my laptop to Michael's, see what colors the program says and then adjust from there. Framers and I haven't discussed whether I'll donate the picture, they'll donate the frame or pay me outright or those details, but we'll figure something out. But I'm excited about this. Tentative plan is keep working on ALttP trying to get my borders set until I have a chance to run up and get my colors for this, then we'll jump into this, but we'll see.

[Firehawke]

this is going to be a fun project to watch getting stitched up!

[Soychai]

Oh that’s looking like an awesome project! And Zelda turned out really nice too!!
What do you do with all your finished work?

[skater43]

Thank you. These Zelda projects are for me, so they're hanging on my wall. Frankly, wall space is going to be an issue going forward, depending on how big future projects are, but we'll worry about that down the road. FSA is small, so that'll be easy to find a spot for. ALttP will be bigger, so we'll see. Other projects I've given away. I've donated a prize the past three Games Done Quick and plan to continue doing ones for them. I've done 3 or 4 projects over the years that I've given to co-workers as gifts as they were leaving for other jobs/pursue their dreams. Couple of needlepoint projects I've done were actually based on doodles co-workers drew. I got a copy of the doodle, worked with my sister to turn them into patterns, then stitched it up and was able to show them their drawing, ask if they remember it, then show the needlepoint work of it and give it to them. The screenshot of the end of 1-4 from SMB1 was the first project I did or myself and I've enjoyed doing these various Zelda ones, but I also enjoy doing works that I can share with others, especially if there's a personal connection, like the aforementioned drawings. Speaking of which, I've hit pause on ALttP to work on the DK commission. Guess I'll get a new topic up for that once I get some work done/have a WIP pic to share. Made a bit of a goof near the beginning, but was able to fix it decently without having to start over/redo a bunch.