Blue and Purple Stitch of the Month

I am trying to get my blue and purple SOTM caught up and have been working furiously. This first photo shows the couching row blank. Here is a close-up:

I felt the single strand of floss and metallic thread did not cover enough so I removed it and used two strands of floss and one metallic. This is with the couching completed:

And here is a close-up:

The photos really don't tell much. But do notice how the couching makes a huge difference in the entire piece. Covering up the white section really makes a difference in the coloring of the whole piece.