The week we stitch the gold pumpkin on the upper right. It’s one of two metallic pumpkins in the piece. In keeping with the metallic paint, one of the threads used is a Kreinik metallic, 202HL.
The pumpkin is stitched in Horizontal Akita, below. This stitch has motifs of four stitches that can be placed horizontally or vertically. I used the horizontal version here to emphasize the shape of the pumpkin.
Damasks with Metallics
Metallics are powerful threads, they attract attention. This can make the difficult to use in damask patterns.
Try to avoid using only metallic in your damask. This is for two reasons. First, an all-metallic area will be seen before other areas in the design. Do not use this outside the focal point. Second, while there are color families and shade variations in metallics, usually they are too close to make the damask patterns easily seen.
A much better choice is to combine metallic with a non-metallic thread, as I did here. The non-metallic thread dilutes the metallic’s assertiveness and helps it to play well with other aspects of the piece. It still stands out from the areas around it but it doesn’t shout when everyone else is whispering.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
What other threads did you use?
On this pumpkin the other thread was an overdyed silk pearl from Colour Complements.
Keep stitching,
Janet