#lady and the unicorn

[jolaunay]

A Farewell to Unicorns...

If you have been following me long enough, you probably know that about a year ago I have started a crazy cross-stitch project, see post here . I have posted updates here n there throughout 2023 with the tag #ladyandtheunicornproject . As every crafter & artist would know, when you embark on such a journey, it keeps lingering in the back of your mind every damn day that you don't work on it. I didn't touch it in months, then I finally found the energy to get back to it. This is the progress I made in a year, a little shy of 1.5 pages out of a 60-page pattern:

It just felt hopeless, the amount of confetti in this pattern is insane. And most of the time, it didn't even look like it made much difference. Then it kinda dawned on me; is this pattern the product of a pattern mill?

What it is a "pattern mill" you might ask... Some cross-stitch pattern shops on etsy simply use photos of artwork and convert them to cross-stitch patterns using free websites. They don't credit the artist, they don't pay a dime for the software, yet they profit from their work. The end result usually does not translate well to cross-stitch; lots of confetti, the project is unmanageable, kills the joy of crafting and when you're finished, it looks like a pixelated photo taken with an early 2000s phone camera.

After further research, I was convinced that my pattern is also from a pattern mill - considering the amount of money I spent on this project, it felt like a punch in the gut. My family will never have generational wealth & afford a vacation home on Rhode Island coast because of this fucking project! But hey, c'est la vie! You live and you learn... See related posts here & here

Sometimes, you just gotta know when to say "enough of this bullshit", cut your losses and walk away from a situation. For that reason, there's no point in working on this project anymore and making it my "Sagrada de Familia". So, I came up with an idea to finish it in an alternative way:

"Unfinished paintings are more admired than the finished because the artist's actual thoughts are left visible." This is a quote from Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, some important guy who lived during the Ancient Roman times. I think it is a fitting quote because it represents my vision of saying "fuck this" and not having the fallacy of the sunk costs. Finished it, framed it and now displaying it in my library room in front of another tapestry from the Unicorn series.

It gives me closure rather than disappointment for a project that I started with such high hopes & excitement. If I just put it in a bag and threw it to the bottom of a closet, it'd make me feel guilty. But this still makes me feel accomplished, because it honors the hours of effort I put into it. It turned into a nice little conversation piece with a story. I still love cross-stitching and will work on better patterns in the future. There's already enough to dread about in life. Unfortunate experiences shouldn't take the joy out of pleasant activities!

[tanuki-kimono]

[A mon seul désir] from the Lady and the Unicorn tapestry, vibrant modern irotomesode custom order made by Gofukuya.

[juliettecousin]

Long time no see, here's a unicorn lady ⚔️

[sleepingjuliette]

I'm a unicorn! I'm a unicorn!!

[mirtash]

Am I really the Last?

[okieduckie]

[2ghosts]

Marveling at his own boldness, he said softly, “I would enter your sleep if I could and guard you there, but I cannot come in unless you dream of me.

[carolgpr]

Have you guys watched The Last Unicorn? Maybe the new generation hasn't seen it, bc it's from 1982... I haven't seen it either (I'm from 95), but I'm very curious to watch this film. Lady Amalthea has always caught my attention. So, thinking about that, I decided to make this fanart.

[kubunnie]

[archerinventive]

A happy and sleepy Sunday to you all. ❤️

May your day be calm and cozy. 🤗

Get your own prints HERE

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArcherInventive

Model Credit (last photo): Chase Kingsford

[jolaunay]

Getting there, getting there!!! Just wanted to make a lil progress gif for panel 2. It has an insane amount of confetti and I'm trying so hard not to cut any corners. At this pace, I wonder how many years it will take me to finish this insanity... But hey, it's all about the journey, not the destination, right?

[setzeri]

I watched The Last Unicorn and the character designs were really nice.

[anxioussailorsoldier]

town baby daddy. he's basically working for the gerudo health department

[agentromanoffsir]

barbie movie felt a little familiar to me

[witchrealms]

(x)

[malvacae]

The last unicorn