This cross stitch pattern of Still Life with a Skull is both exciting and challenging.  As with many experiences in life, the more challenging the process, the more satisfying the outcome.  Tackling a full coverage counted cross stitch pattern  may be different than other patterns that you have attempted.  It may be different in respect to length, complexity, or style.
 
Skulls appear frequently in the European still-life tradition, serving as reminders of the fleetingness of life. Cézanne tended to avoid such props, however, favoring more ordinary household items like napkins, fruit, and ceramic vessels. It wasn't until the last decade of his life that Cézanne began to include skulls with some regularity—perhaps reflecting a preoccupation with his own mortality. The smudges of orange paint across the eye socket are probably the result of this canvas leaning against another in his Aix-en-Provence studio.