Thanks, Hank!

And a very happy new year and new decade to us! I hope you had (or are still having) a wonderful holiday break. Let’s ease into the new year with a little pink.

Click on image to see on whimsicalstitch.com's Pinterest account. Visit pinterest.com/whimsicalstitch/whimsicalwednesday for a library of all #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.

Click on image to see on whimsicalstitch.com's Pinterest account. Visit pinterest.com/whimsicalstitch/whimsicalwednesday for a library of all #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.

Click on image to see on whimsicalstitch.com's Instagram account. Visit instagram.com/whimsicalstitch to see a library of stitched samples for select #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.

Click on image to see on whimsicalstitch.com's Instagram account. Visit instagram.com/whimsicalstitch to see a library of stitched samples for select #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.

There is a very good reason why the ornament in the photo is in my hand and not on my Christmas tree. Her name is Hank and she is an adorable demon. Her holiday adventures begin here (be sure to swipe to see the video) and include repeatedly climbing up the center of the Christmas tree (prompting its removal after six days), sneaking out the front door and exploring for over an hour before I realized she was outside (she’s an indoor cat), and breaking a brand new toy from her Aunt Gina within a couple hours of non-stop play. Did I mention she is an adorable demon?

But you’re here for the stitch. Oops…sorry about that. Today’s stitch reminds me of the Crown Stitch, a favorite stitch of mine, that I don’t use as often as I would like because of its sheer size. So this is a perfect solution! The stitched sample is a vintage Melissa Shirley ornament and uses four plies pink Splendor (black lines) and Crystal Braid (yellow lines) on 18-mesh.

It’s a great all-purpose stitch that works well for backgrounds (as illustrated), clothing, water, sky, or outdoor spaces. Instead of a contrasting element within a horizontal row (as illustrated), consider making each row a single color. Use two colors and/or thread finishes in alternating rows for interesting clothing. Thread ideas include Vineyard Silk and an overdyed wool for pants. Consider leaving an empty row in between columns for water with a lightweight metallic such as ThreadWorx Metallics or Kreinik Metallics.

This stitch diagram, along with all other #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams, can also be found on a Pinterest board here.

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IIf you like what you see on this blog, want to learn some very creative decorative stitches, and how to put them all together, whimsicalstitch.com sells Stitch Guides and Stitch Concepts for Melissa Shirley Designs, Zecca DesignsSandra Gilmore, Purple Palm, Maggie, and Penny MacLeod, and many more. Click here to see the newest guides and click here to see the entire collection.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Please enjoy! Have a wonderful #whimsicalwednesday!

A Note about Diagrams
I use color in diagrams to make them as clear as possible.  The primary function of different colored lines is to illustrate a stitch sequence.  For example, layering of colors demonstrates you add them in that order.  They can also provide ideas on how to integrate additional threads (one line for each color).  Or, you can use the same thread for all color lines.  That's where I encourage you to use your imagination for the space you are stitching!