A Background Lesson.

This past weekend, I received a request to write an article for our "Ask a Teacher". I decided to write about backgrounds, which everyone knows can make or break a piece.

Ironically, I was working on this little name sign and using a wonderful piece of wool from Christine Little's dye book 'SkyBluePink with a Green Smell'. The intent was to create a Monet type garden around the letters and do some proddy flowers in the corners. But, wasn't working as a background behind the lettering - for all the reasons I wrote in my article.

The wool had too much of the same colour as the lettering - and even when I put in a dark line next to the lettering, the background wool was just too busy. I realized that this was not only a background lesson, but also a spot dye lesson. With a strong spot dye, you need to use it sparingly and in the right place. I realized that it would be much better behind the leaves in the outside border.

So I ripped out both backgrounds and switched them. It's amazing how quickly you can undo several hours of hooking, isn't it? But the moment I put a few strands into their new positions, I knew I had made the right decision.

Here's the before.

And here's the after.

Quite the difference, isn't it?

I am much, much happier with the result. The lettering is so visible and the little splash of Monet garden behind the leaves is perfect!

I will keep these pictures as a demonstration to go with my Background article in the future.

They really are worth a thousand words, that's for sure.

And a lesson well learned.