The Second Background (Dr. Who) - Part Three

The Doctor and His Backgrounds

The last time we talked about the background for this piece, I was totally committed to doing the background in the same dark blue I used on the Weeping Angel statue design from the series. As you can see, I have switched to a lighter blue and added a second color to the mix.  The waves on the left side were threatening to take over the world, so I stopped and added little diamond shapes here and there to calm things down a bit.  I am also using a light brown, as brown and blue is a classic color combination.  How did I come up with the diamond shapes?  No idea!  It just popped into my head, perhaps because I was thinking of the Sonic Screwdriver that The Doctor has in his hand.  The current Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver has a screwdriver base but the head opens a bit like a flower blooming to show a glow inside.  The diamond shapes are a bit like looking at the Sonic Screwdriver head on I suppose.   I think that's where I go the idea, anyway!  (Yes, my subconscious is a dark and mysterious place.)

I also starting adding brick stitches (over four threads) to the right two thirds of the background.  They are a nice contrast to the wide waves on the left.  At least I think so.  After all, in the TV series the Doctor moves through time and space and I think my mix of background stitches conveys this movement between Earth's brown ground and the blue depths of space.

When you obsess over needlepoint, read all the magazines, study blog postings, watch the new things posted on Facebook's Needlepoint Nation, etc., well, you Get Ideas.  Your subconscious will prompt you to try unusual things occasionally.  The trick is to not fall in love with an idea, like I fell in love with the threads used on my Weeping Angel.  No matter how beautiful a stitch, how much you like threads, etc., sometimes they are just not right for a project.  Believe me, the project will let you know when something isn't right.  You will not be happy unless you listen to the project's complaints and rip out!

We'll see how this looks when I get a bit more of it finished.  I need to finish some of the black pants and add buttons to the Doctor's shirt plus add the gold of his suspendors.  I also am running out of the brown background thread so I need to mail order that.   Cross your fingers that I'm not going to have to rip out again!

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.