A rare favour

I'm not normally one who would offer to stitch on a project (particularly unseen) for anyone else.  However, a friend from church had an aunt who was in the final stages of life, and she (the aunt) was very concerned about her unfinished WIPs or cross stitching projects.  So my friend asked did I know anyone who would be able to take on the task.  Before I knew it, the words were out of my mouth, offering to finish it, in the hopes that I could help fulfill those last wishes.

Fast forward to a week later, when my friend brought the kit to church.  Eek!!  The image was a very traditional 'icon' style, which is definitely not to my own tastes, although I love religious imagery, one of my many current WIPs is Bucilla's Mother and Child - which will eventually get (at least one) post of its own.  It also contained MASSES of metallic threads.  I've had experience of metallic threads in the past, and it was not a thing I was looking forward to revisiting.

Here she is, in her final finished glory, looking particularly iconic in a well-chosen frame from a local hardware store.  I actually enjoyed most of the stitching, as the pattern was printed on very large paper, so it was easy to read and highlight.  The metallic work, well, I reduced the amount of it to make it palatable to my own tastes, having tried a slippy metallic thread alternative I was still unimpressed and decided that I just needed to get on with it.

Have to admit, I'm quite happy with the result, as was my church friend.