The Accolade Cross Stitch Pattern

Description

The Accolade cross stitch pattern was inspired by the 1901 oil painting by British artist Edmund Blair Leighton. In this gorgeous medieval scene, a young man is knighted before court by the beautiful queen. Witnessing the event are members of the nobility and her court attendants.

When I first saw this painting I knew I had to chart it right away. I simply adore the Queen’s long golden hair, flowing gown, red upholstered throne, and shimmering crown — as well as the young knight’s chain mail armour and bold coat of arms. I think you’ll be delighted at how much detail is captured in the charts and how much the finished piece resembles the original painting.

The Project

This is a large full-coverage cross stitch and measures 39.9cm x 68.4cm (220 x 377 grid size) when stitched on 14-count Aida cloth. The project requires 118 different DMC colours and you’ll be completing 82,940 cross stitches.

This is a challenging piece as there are a lot of very similar thread tones (especially on the tiled floor). The kneeling knight’s chain mail is particularly tricky and you’ll find a lot of confetti in this section. Apart from that, there are still large areas of full colour blocks.

If you’re a fan of the Pattern Keeper App, I’ve included an extra chart in your download pack that has been specially formatted for PK. You and I both know that PK is the best way to manage full-coverage cross stitch projects like this one.

The Series

I’ve charted all three paintings from Edmund Leighton’s Code of Chivalry series. The paintings were extremely popular at the turn of the 20th century and well-received by the Royal Academy. Now you can stitch them for yourself.

The Artist

Edmund Blair Leighton was a British artist who lived between 1852 and 1922. He is famous for his whimsical interpretations of medieval legends and romantic scenes in the style of the Pre-Raphaelites and Romanticism. If you an EBL fan, you’ll be thrilled to know that I’ve charted about 10 of his paintings into digital cross stitch patterns. Look for them in the store.