Mabel's RSN Certificate - silk shading

[Serinde]

Nice bright light so did a bit more - thank you DH - some sampling to replicate a particularly tricky patch of greyish yellowish pink (the greyishness is almost impossible to get, but so be it) and further progress on the petal.

You may need to learn to dye your own thread...?

[Mabel Figworthy]

Thanks Luca - I do have a very good lamp which works for a lot of embroidery but I find that the shadows any lamp throws are much more defined and in-the-way than natural daylight. I've never been able to use it for goldwork either - the sparkle is just too much!
The stitching for this particular module is so fine and detailed that I find sticking with what daylight I can get is best, and even then it's tiring. One of my tutors said she never does more than 45 minutes of it in one go, that is her absolute maximum. As I tend to need a cup of tea by then anyway, that wok out all right

[Mabel Figworthy]

You may need to learn to dye your own thread...?

Not sure that would be allowed for the Certificate, they like things to be "standard" for your first four modules. Perhaps for the Diploma ?

[Serinde]

Of course they do.

One thing I learned in the colour theory courses I've taken is that colour changes depending on the colours around it. That greyish yellowish pink might not be greyish yellowish pink at all, but the result of your eye filling in a greyish yellowish pink colour (tone, tint or shade) that isn't actually there. Have you tried separating that colour out from its surrounds? Using either white or black paper to separate it off (if that's possible) might start to give you a clue?

Here's an example where the darker bundle of threads changes slightly, but the lighter bundle remains the same. It looks as if the light bundles are different: the bottom looks greyer and the top looks pinker. They are the same bundle. All to do with the eye.

[Mabel Figworthy]

That's a very clear example Serinde! Yes, one of the things we learn in this module is how colours influence each other, and how, by inserting a possibly unlikely colour, you can make others look right. There is an extremely bright yellow I'm using which on its own looks far too bright to be used anywhere in this tulip, but is effective in lifting the mustard yellow which on its own would be just a little bit too dull.
With this particular shade I did wonder whether actually introducing a warm grey, just one or two stitches, might work. I may do another sample. Unfortunately the next few days are going to be fairly hectic and then I'm off to the Netherlands for most of next week, but I'll see if I can get a few samples done before my next class on 20th December.

[Mabel Figworthy]

I've done some sampling!!!! Not very much, and it was quite enough, and my edge isn't particularly neat, but it's the first silk shading I've done since the accident.
(More detail on FoF)

[geekishly]

Great color choices!

[Mabel Figworthy]

Finished the leaf! And there is also some progress on the petal that I hadn't posted yet.

[Serinde]

that's one impressive leaf! and the colours are lovely altogether.

[geekishly]

So beautiful!

[Mabel Figworthy]

Progress is slow, but it's happening! I'm down to the last petal

More detail on FoF.