Here it is, the second of the Attic Windows needlepoint series. I finished it over the weekend.
Mentally, and maybe even finally, I call it “Out of the Box” because all three stitches are variations of Box Stitches, The big square is a Scotch variation. The Watercolours is a Cashmere variation. The darker blue is a Mosaic variation.
But I struggled with this one much more than I thought I would because of the color.
The Watercolours, a positively brilliant blue called Tanzanite was my original inspiration. My first choice for light blue, a Silk & Ivory color, seemed dull, so I changed to Vineyard Silk. It has much more life and is just a bit brighter. For the solid blue, I picked a color of Impressions I thought was perfect. I stitched it and started the WC. You couldn’t even find the line, the colors were so close.
No good.
So I decided to rip out the WC and change to a darker, less brilliant shade, Night Sky. I stitched the whole thing and decided it was just boring and dull.
So I went back to my original plan and looked for an Impressions which would be different, somewhat lighter and bright. I settled on the one I used, which is a blue-violet.
But even after stitching it all, I wasn’t happy. The silk/wool combination of Impressions softens the thread and dulls the color. My color card has Soie Cristal on it, so the colors are more true.
What to do?
I thought about changing the whole area to silk, but I just couldn’t face ripping it out one more time.
This is a needlepoint problem which often occurs I think, especially when using a monochromatic color scheme. The colors often share characteristics beyond the color itself, which make the whole thing a little boring.
One easy way to rescue this is to add just a bit of an accent color. In this case, I outlined the divisions between the areas (what would be the seams in a sewn quilt block) in gold, using Whipped Backstitch.
It looks so right, you’d think I planned it that way, but you know better.
So, as they say, pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, and let people think you never, ever struggle with your needlepoint.
I’ve got the colors pulled for the next one, but a couple of projects to work on between now and then. I’m making it a reward.
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I am so honored that you stopped by my blog. I will look forward to reading yours. I’m so glad to find great needlepoint blogs. So far I’ve seen mostly knitting. Thanks for the opening into needlepoint blogs.
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