Sigh

August 20, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Sometimes you are so accustomed to doing a stitch that the most obvious variations evade you. Today's stitch is an example. One of my go-to small space stitches is the Extended Cross stitch. So when I was gently reminded of this oh-so-obvious variation, I felt like I found an all-new stitch*.

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.

The stitched sample is just that...a sample of what it looks like. I used three plies of Lorikeet on 18-mesh to give all of us an idea of the final result. This "tall" version is perfect for a tall, narrow space such as a chimney or fireplace legs. Flip it on to its side and it's an adorable basket. It's a sweet stitch that adds a little something something to an area without overpowering it. Everyone wins.

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

Be sure to follow whimsicalstitch.com on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

If 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 Designs, and Patience Brewster. 47 guides are currently available and more are in the works!

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

Stitch TV

August 16, 2017 whimsicalstitch

When I stitch by myself, I like to have some sort of engagement outside of the stitching. And that's where StitchTV comes into play. A show qualifies for StitchTV if it meets any of the following criteria: engaging, makes me laugh, not too vapid, something(one) is easy on the eye, or does not require intense concentration. So Narcos....not StitchTV.

However, Parks & Recreation is perfect StitchTV. And it just so happens that wallpaper from a room in a Parks & Recreation episode prompted this week's stitch. It's not necessarily a new stitch, but the wallpaper reminded me of it. And here we are!

For me, the most obvious uses are a background, tabletop, or floor. The different colored lines represent contrasting finishes in the same color or two completely different colors. I favor contrasting finishes but it truly depends on the area. The stitched sample on Instagram includes Planet Earth Silk and Rachelette on 18-mesh in very similar colors. As an extra bonus for those who may be adverse to the large open area, Instagram includes a second sample with the large center diamond filled! (And by filled, I consider one ply of Planet Earth Silk filling enough. :) Feel free to adjust the thread weight to reflect your preference.)

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

Be sure to follow whimsicalstitch.com on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

Open Squares

August 9, 2017 whimsicalstitch

I created* today's stitch for a beginning student. It was a great way give the student practice with the Continental stitch, stretch them a little bit with an easy decorative stitch, and add an element of style to the piece. Win, win, win!

The student used this stitch for the background of a cute little animal. You could add a Rhodes square in the 3X3 intersection for a smoother corner. The stitched sample is a background on a Scott Church Creative piece (in progress). It includes DMC Perle Cotton, Flair, and Trebizond Silk. This stitch is wide open. Use that openness to exploit beautiful canvas painting. This stitch could help define a grassy area or help highlight the painting in a beautifully shaded tablecloth. Don't be afraid to use a contrasting color for any of the threads. Have fun with thread finishes and color!

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

Be sure to follow whimsicalstitch.com on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

* Note on "creating:" This stitch may very well exist in a book or on another site. I can't pretend that I'm the first person to think of any stitches I share with you. I say "I created it" because I haven't stumbled across this stitch anywhere.

Going in Circles

August 6, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Circles are the most difficult pattern (for me) to replicate. Most traditional circle stitches are never perfect circles. The yet to be named stitch remains a current favorite. Today's stitch is a very close second.

The stitched sample is a sky stitched with Rainbow Gallery's Glisten from a Scott Church Christmas piece. It's sweet, simple, and allows other elements of the piece to stand out. A variation I would like to try (but have not yet) is to add a single bead in the center of the small diamond in between the circles.

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

Be sure to follow whimsicalstitch.com on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

Mistake? What Mistake?

August 2, 2017 whimsicalstitch

I was at a needlepoint store recently while a customer was turning in her project for finishing. (Note: the first rush of new threads for a new project and turning in that same projects are the two best parts of needlepoint, IMHO.) The customer shared with me that her snow stitch was a mistake. It was supposed to be all darning and ended up darning and backstitch. If this is a mistake, I want to be wrong. I think it's adorable.

The stitched sample includes Kreinik Metallics Tapestry Braid (size 12) and Flair (on 13-mesh) for an open look on snow, allowing the beautiful canvas painting to show through. As with many darning stitches, this would work really well for most architectural elements, such as a roof, wall, floor, or outdoor hardscape. For the sturdier elements, such as a roof, have fun with matte threads. Rainbow Linen, Petite Very Velvet, single strand silks (e.g., Pepper Pot, Vineyard Silk), or single strand wools would all work well. A lot of fun combinations can be made with those threads too. :)

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

Be sure to follow whimsicalstitch.com on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

All About Threads

July 26, 2017 whimsicalstitch

I introduced you to this stitch in one of the first #whimsicalwednesday posts to illustrate open stitches. Today's stitch uses a different set of threads and the stitch pops in a completely new way.

The addition of multiple colorful accents, including Cross Stitches and Smyrna Crosses, turns this stitch into something quite spectacular. The stitched sample uses Silk & Ivory, Frosty Rays, and Kreinik Metallics Medium Braid (#16). The heavier thread weights provide more coverage and more focus on the stitch than the shading underneath (unlike the original post).

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

Be sure to follow whimsicalstitch.com on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

If 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 Designs, and Patience Brewster. 45 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

Sweetie!

July 23, 2017 whimsicalstitch

It's a baby orange! Three threads. One bead. One small space.

Today's #smallspacesunday is another composite stitch. Part of the magic comes from filling in the open (and not open) spaces with unique threads.

The stitched sample includes City Needlework Silk, Very Velvet, Fyre Werks, and a Sundance Bead. An Upright Cross is added to the intersection where the threads meet. The diamond shaped open space is filled with a single bead and the square shaped open space is filled with another Upright Cross. A trifecta of orange goodness.

Composite stitches offer so many opportunities! Using the same primary design (from the aqua lines), here are just two more possibilities to fill the open areas.

Any one of these stitches work in both large and small spaces. Suggestions include pants, a hat, or a bag. They would make a wonderful architectural element, water, or greenery. It would also be great for a bird body, as you can add multiple colors to bring the feathers to life. It's just such an adorable stitch.

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

Be sure to follow whimsicalstitch.com on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

If 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 Designs, and Patience Brewster. 43 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

July 19, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Technically, this stitch is a composite of small stitches. However, there are too many elements to name that make it wonderful. As I was creating the diagram image, no other title that popped into my head after the first one seemed appropriate. It truly is everything but the kitchen sink.

Believe it or not, the stitch includes only two threads and one bead. The gray lines are Shimmer Ribbon; the black lines AND aqua lines are one strand of Impressions; the turquoise circles are gold beads. The best sequence to use (and I say this from experience) is to stitch the gray lines first, followed by the black and aqua lines, and end with the gold beads. Establishing the pattern with the gray lines will make the rest of it go much easier. I swear.

Clearly, this stitch belongs in a space you want to draw attention to. I used it on a dress. It would make a great roof, Santa bag, sampler area, or grass area (without the beads). It would also be wonderful as snow, but only if you want that snow to dominate the piece. Have fun with it. You can experiment with different sized beads for a more subtle effect.

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

Be sure to follow whimsicalstitch.com on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

If 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 Designs, and Patience Brewster. 45 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

Little Black Dress

July 12, 2017 whimsicalstitch

The good news is today's stitch is gorgeous. And easy. And looks fantastic on the stitched sample....which happens to be black on black. So, pay more attention to the diagram this week. And please enjoy and don't use my name in vain too much.

Did I forget to mention the stitch sample also uses two colors of beads? Oops.

The stitch is simple with Scotch Squares in alternating directions with a skipped row in between the squares. (Another wonderful example of how skipping a row opens up a whole new world.)

As you may have already inferred from the title, this stitch is from a little black dress on a recent piece. So, clearly, it is wonderful for clothing. Replace the bead with a Cross Stitch and you could have a fantastic floor or any number of architectural elements. Use a lightweight thread on a beautifully shaded body of water.

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

Be sure to follow whimsicalstitch.com on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

If 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 Designs, and Patience Brewster. 44 guides are currently available, including the brand new Passion Flowers and Royal Peeps, and more are in the pipeline.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

Which Way is Up?

July 9, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Today's #smallspacesunday combines of a wide variety of cashmere stitches...horizontal, vertical, and diagonal. It's quite interesting but you have to pay attention as the alternating directions are not the same pattern. One includes a full cashmere and the other is a diagonal cashmere..

The stitched sample uses four plies of DMC Floss on 18 mesh for a roof on a Melissa Shirley Halloween building. It would work really well as a floor, greenery, grass, or tabletop. Consider stitching one of the Cashmere columns in a second contrasting thread, whether that is color or finish. If I had to do this roof over again, I would add a complementary metallic thread.

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

Be sure to follow whimsicalstitch.com on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

If 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 Designs, and Patience Brewster. 44 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

#whimsicalwednesday blog