Portrait of Ben-FMQ'd DONE!
 

I think I've got around 30 or 40 hours in this little 18" x 24" wall hanging..."Ben" is done totally in thread on a kind of mottled brown background using my DSM and both Isacord and Superior Magnifico poly threads.

Hope you like him!
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And here are some closeups of the background motifs I used. (There is a quarter in each pic to show scale.) All of the background motifs are based on a diagonal ½" diagonal grid. Some are pretty standard designs, some are my own originals (although I may very well not be the only person who ever thought of them).

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Wow! What kind of hard work. You have made a beauty. I can't imagine how you do this.

Amazing work! Only 30-40 hrs? It would take me that long to mark it!

All I can think of is WOWZER'S. That is really great work.

Unbelievable.............. you are amazing!! Love this thread painting. Stunning

I am speechless! WOW! Beautiful.

Wow wow wow what talent

Oh my goodness that is fantastic. amazing

Thanks :o. Actually I try to do as little marking as possible. Just marked a few guidelines for the mule head and then had to mark the 1/2 grid but not the designs inside the grid.

He is awesome. So is your quilting.

Your fan club president,
Deb

LOL Deb! Thanks

I want to pet him. You did a wonderful job.

well worth the effort! great job

That is one awesome quilt!!! Beautiful job.

Oh! I love Ben and all the wonderful quilting you did to create his picture. Absolutely awesome!

Truly amazing! You should feel very proud.

Holy smokes! That's awesome!

wonderful job

he is the prettiest mule I've ever seen. fantastic job

I love your work, it is totally awesome! If I might be so bold as to suggest an improvement, IMHO the only thing I can see it might need is to add a dot of white to the eyes.

So awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, I appreciate your suggestion. I know haven't got the eyes quite right, but white might be a little too much; I've been trying to figure out how to improve them and am considering some grey maybe... I'm actually planning on doing some "mule eye study" pieces to see what I can do with them.

Here's a zoomed-in pic of his eye from the picture I worked from for this piece. The eye appears very black and has the lash over it like I've done, but I feel like it needs just a little something. Just can't figure out exactly what or where...
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Oh, my goodness! Beautiful!

Beautiful!!! Tinker

Someday maybe I will get half that good. Really a work of art.

this is amazing! You are very talented.

Fabulous. You are so talented. I could never do something like this! The mule has such lovely soft eyes.

I saw the back posting first and was amazed and then came to this post. Amazing is all I can say! Thanks for the inspiration!

Your work is outstanding. Loved the back too.

Your quilting is amazing.

I wish i could bookmark your posting. your quilting is wonderful!!

Really nice...

Oh, I finally saw the front. It would be outstanding except the back is a total mind blower! I do a lot of designs that come from my head and my feelings, but there is no way I could ever come up with anything as wonderful as the back of this quilt! I'm so proud that this has evolved through quilting! You did a fantastic piece of art (twice).

WOW! beautiful work! Both the front and the back.
Laurel

wow, that is amazing. I am amazed it did not take you longer.

wow, that is marvellous, I would love to be able to try that!

Lovely needle worked Zen. Thanks for showing.
peace

Stunning. BrendaK

AMAZING! You did a fabulous job.