I had this converted to a mini so I could finish it quickly, in time for my daughter's 10th Birthday. It was a huge effort, stitching for hours each day, but I got it finished in only three months. I did cheat a little by using black Aida and therefore not stitching the thousands of black stitches. But the finished product looks wonderful and only a very keen eye would be able to tell that the black hadn't actually been stitched. Another glorious piece adorning the walls of our house.