Color scheme advice please!

[colliemommie]

Cross-posted to crossstitch

I've been asked to stitch an icon for my church (I'm Ukrainian Catholic, so icons are an integral part of the religion, and there is a tradition of stitched rather than painted icons from the time of Soviet rule, when it was illegal to worship). I have a gorgeous pattern of the Holy Family, drawn by a Ukrainian priest who did a whole set of icon patterns after the fall of Communism, to preserve the craft.

There is no key for threads, so I have to make a lot of decisions. (Within certain parameters. Mary always wears a blue robe with a dark red mantle overtop, for example, thats how you instantly know who it is.) I'm using as much silk as I can afford for the main colors, because the richness of the colors is similar to the painted icon colors.

My problem is with the tone on tone background. I don't really like the bright gold yellow with the greeny yellow pattern over it. I happen to have a good-sized piece of tan gold linen, and a skein of Belle Soie Sandy Beach that match beautifully.

Both material and fiber are a shade or two yellower than the picture.

So should I do the cross motif with the silk and let the fabric show through for the rest of the background, or should I choose two shades of brighter gold and have the background fully stitched?

If I do the subtler background I will still use a bright gold for the haloes and for the Eye (the circle top center).

I would appreciate any thoughts. Thanks!

Comments

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

I would let the fabric show through for the rest of the background, if it was me. First, because I think it would look nifty, and second, because you can always change your mind and stitch the rest of the background, but going back and unstitching it is not a good idea.

Not to mention that it cuts out a lot of boring background stitching, but that's just me [g] -- I've been cross-stitching for about forty years now, and my tolerance for boring backgrounds is commensurately low.

[sio.livejournal.com]

that's pretty! i'd try the background showing first. like the other commenter said, if you don't like it, you can fill it in.

[northernwalker]

I vote for leaving the background plain- I'm not a fan of that yellow/faded lime green look.