Ouch

Today's stitch comes from our stitching friend, Ruth Schmuff, of Bedecked and Beadazzled.  I adore everything about this stitch from the offset diamonds on top of diamonds along with the perfect weight of the gold thread.  (Oh, and I adore Ruth.)

I say "ouch" because creating this stitch diagram made my head hurt.  I relied on the stitched sample more than most diagramming projects.  

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 were two keys that helped me navigate this stitch.  First, I stitched the stitch in two distinct steps.  Add the diamonds first (aqua lines), followed by the herringbone accent (gray lines).  Understanding it is a herringbone stitch will help you navigate the crisscrossing threads.

The stitched sample is from a beautiful geisha project from Ruth.  This stitch would be beautiful almost anywhere.  The area will help you determine the thread weight required.  That said, one thing that drew me to this stitch was the lightweight metallic.

The stitched sample establishes it works well for clothing with Soie D'Alger and Kreinik Japan Thread #1.  For a heavier look for clothing (or a bag), consider Very Velvet with Petite Silk Lame.  Another heavier look includes Planet Earth Silk with Rainbow Gallery Neon Rays or Caron Collection Rachele or Rachelette as the accent.  I would love to see it as a floor with an overdyed floss or silk with a solid matte accent such as Rainbow Gallery Subtlety or even a single strand of Impressions. 

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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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. 48 guides are currently available and more are in the works!

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