I really must finish this piece.

Yes. I have been away for a long time, but I did at least collect some detailed pictures for my next assessed piece. That's my excuse for my absence anyway.

Really the work that is left is hard to do, fiddly and through many layers of fabric, but doesn't look like much.

It is all about sorting out spears, finishing shields, highlighting hooves, applying cording. The list is much longer than that! 

At present I am stitching the manes. It's a kind of version of turkey stitch. I will cut and trim each mane to give the finished effect. I have already done the tails in matching thread. I am using a gorgeous 30 wt silk thread (thank you Barbara!) for the manes and tails. It has a wonderful sheen - which doesn't show in the picture unfortunately. 

I have a target finish date of mid-July. That's my next visit to Tracy in Durham. I would like to be able to take the piece off the frame and mount it in July. That would give me a straight start for the next piece in September.