Beautiful hand embroidered image of order Loon with Cattails, cross stitch, nature, wildlife, Loon art, birds, wall decor, framed, ready to hang

This gorgeous piece of hand-embroidery features a meticulously detailed Common Loon floating in the water, amidst cattails and lily pads, To see and hear Loons in the "up north" wilderness is a special treat, with their eerie, yodeling calls and sleek silhouettes. They are aquatic, diving birds, and live on the water except to mate and incubate their eggs. Their striking black and white coloration resembles a crisp "tuxedo." They have solid bones, unlike most birds, which makes them less buoyant and more adept at diving. They also need quite a bit of distance for a successful takeoff from the water, which can be like order watching a small plane get "lift" on a runway.

This lovely image is framed and ready to hang. The substantial wooden frame is in a rustic style with a subtly distressed finish and a nice sheen. Framed, this measures 18 1/4 inches wide and 15 1/4 inches tall. The embroidered surface as visible is 13 1/2 inches wide and 10 1/2 inches tall. It appears to be embroidered on a backing fabric of 16-count "aida cloth." Since each complete cross stitch involves two passes of the embroidery needle, each square inch involves more than 500 individual stitches--quite a diligent effort and labor of love! As a little extra "pop," the Loon's head is done with some dark greens--nearly black--metallic thread that gives off a gleam reminiscent of seeing the sun shining on a Loon's sleek head and neck feathers on a summer day.

This would be a lovely accent for a Northwoods cabin or vacation home, or a nice gift for the Loon-loving birdwatcher in your orbit.