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March 22, 2020 whimsicalstitch

Yes, today’s #stitchingsunday is another angel. I promise it uses a different stitch than the last angel on the most recent #stitchingsunday. :)

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 Pinterest account. Visit pinterest.com/whimsicalstitch/whimsicalwednesday for a library of all #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.

Today’s stitched sample is a skirt from a sweet Melissa Shirley star angel. It uses Petite Silk Lame and Sundance Beads (size 14/15) (on 18-mesh). Click here for the original blog post that includes a couple variations. In addition, this stitch can be found on pages 164 and 165 in my book. (I renamed the stitch to Oblique Diamonds to be consistent with similar stitches in my repertoire.)

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 has a book for you! Mary’s Whimsical Stitches is a contemporary how-to collection of more than 250 stitches for stitchers regardless of skill level. The book includes updated and sequenced diagrams from this blog, all-new stitches, and a chapter on the basics of needlepoint. For more information, visit here.

whimsicalstitch.com also sells Stitch Guides and Stitch Concepts for Melissa Shirley Designs, Zecca Designs, Sandra 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! Happy #stitchingsunday!

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!

The Original 2 Sisters

February 23, 2020 whimsicalstitch

Today’s #stitchingsunday comes from one of my favorite pairs of sisters. They’ve been stitching and making me (and a lot of other people at Aristeia) smile and laugh for a very long time and I adore both of them.

Today’s stitched sample is a background on an adorable Rebecca Woods angel ornament. The sisters flipped the stitch 90° (to the right) and used Petite Silk Lame (on 18-mesh). Click here for the original blog post where, coincidentally, the stitched sample uses the same color thread as today’s much better stitched sample.

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! Happy #stitchingsunday!

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!

Cold Weather Requires Full Coverage

January 15, 2020 whimsicalstitch

It’s a bleak 30-45 seconds between waking up and getting the heat turned on these days, even here in So. Cal. So I think I need to extend my streak of full coverage stitches so I can get warm over here.

This is an oldie but goodie and from long before #whimsicalwednesday was a twinkle in my eye. This is so from so long ago, hashtags were still pound signs. And for those of you with a keen eye, Santa is NOT flying. He is part of a tree skirt from our friend Melissa Shirley. Since I stitched the background in same stitch in every panel, some of the Santas look wonky if you don’t look at them as part of the whole skirt. (And I would do it that way all over again.)

The stitched sample uses Very Velvet (black lines), Frosty Rays (yellow lines), size 8 Kreinik Metallic (gray lines), and size 16 Kreinik Metallic (turquoise lines) on 13-mesh. Clearly, it’s a great stitch for clothing. You can lighten it up with silk floss (black lines), Flair (yellow lines), Petite Silk Lame (gray lines), and a Kreinik Metallic (turquoise lines) for trees or a roof. I love the diagonal stitch across the top of the smaller Scotch squares. I think that is a really elegant touch. The stitch sequence is black lines followed by yellow lines. Cover the yellow lines with the gray line and cover the gray lines with the turquoise lines. Someday I would like to see a bead for the turquoise lines. I think that would be a darling doll dress.

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, Sandra 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!

Oldie but Goodie

October 27, 2019 whimsicalstitch

Today’s #stitchingsunday revisits a great all-purpose open stitch from 2016. It’s a personal favorite and I’m proud of my restraint because I don’t put it in every single stitch guide I write.

Today’s stitched sample is a background on a cute little Debbie Mumm watering can. It uses Elegance (black lines) and Flair (turquoise lines). (The gray lines were not included in the stitched sample.) If you click on the stitch diagram, you’ll be taken to an earlier version of the diagram that includes several alternatives you could use instead of the Smyrna Cross in the center. Click here for the original blog post, where you will see another cute variation for this 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, Sandra Gilmore, Purple Palm, Maggie, and Patience Brewster, 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! Happy #stitchingsunday!

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!

Layered Loveliness

May 9, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch is another background from a sweet small piece. I love how the Flair expanded to fill the space so it looks like a full coverage stitch.

The stitched sample uses Flair (gray lines) and Elegance (yellow lines) on 18-mesh. Using Flair as the base thread is an atypical choice for me. In most cases, I use two stronger threads.

A semi-brief tangent on base threads (the gray lines in the diagram). My go-to base threads for layered (and tramme) stitches are Very Velvet, Perle Cotton (size 3 for 13-mesh and size 5 for 18-mesh), Grandeur (for 13-mesh), Elegance (for 18-mesh), and Kreinik Metallics (size 16 for 13-mesh and size 12 for 18-mesh). Each of those threads is well-defined and strong. Strong is important because, in most cases, the base thread adds height and definition to the accent threads (the threads on top). With any of these threads, the stitch is fairly open. I say most cases because there are times I throw all of this out the window and use surprisingly light threads for layered and tramme stitches, like I did today.

So, back to today's stitch. Since this is a typically open stitch, it would work really well for many architectural elements that can handle the texture (of the layered threads)...think roof, floor, ground covering, rug. For these stitches, consider using any of the base threads I mentioned above and cover them with something a little different, as stitch combos are not all matte and metallic. Don't be afraid to incorporate threads with a less than smooth finish. Ideas for accent threads include overdyed floss (or wool), Rainbow Linen (one of my favorite threads for a roof), or a subdued metallic such as Silk Lame or Petite Silk Lame.

Traditional matte and metallic combinations would make great clothing, sampler, or large flower petals. I love Elegance and Flair (as illustrated above). I love the idea of Very Velvet and Fyre Werks (or Neon Rays). Another idea is to add a bead to the single open intersections between the pairs of yellow lines. That would up the glamour level quite a bit, especially for a flower petal.

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. Click here to see the 20 newest guides and click here to see the entire collection.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Please enjoy!

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!

Sweet Subtlety

May 2, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Welcome to May! This month focuses on fun stitches I've used in some recent and not so recent projects. Today's stitch comes from a background of a Melissa Shirley floral still life from several years ago. It's a riff on a go-to darning stitch for me.

The stitched sample uses Elegance (gray lines) and YLI Shimmer Ribbon (aqua lines) on 13-mesh. As I mentioned earlier, this is a from a floral piece. I selected this background because I wanted the background to be subtle so the all the flowers, silk ribbon and otherwise, could stand out.

Thought starters for other areas include ground coverings (say snow, sand, or grass), water, flooring, or wallpaper. Consider stitching it on the horizontal for any of the those, as the canvas dictates. You can adjust the number of empty columns in between the blocks of darning stitches for a denser (or even lighter) take on this stitch.

I love the mixture of thread textures and finishes in the stitched sample. More often than not, I use a matte and a metallic. Consider using two matte threads, one overdyed and one solid, for the grass or floor. Combining metallics for an area like snow can be tricky. My advice is to mix metallics with different sheens and different shapes. Examples include the combo of Flair and Kreinik, Silk Lame and Kreinik, or Neon Rays and Petite Silk Lame.

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! Please enjoy!

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!

My Village Rocks

April 25, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch comes from our friend, Ruth Schmuff. The core element for this stitch is from one of my current favorite stitches. I love how she multiplied and flipped it around to make it more compelling. Needless to say, I wish I thought of it.

The stitched sample is a bevy of fun threads including Soie D'Alger (green), Petite Silk Lame (gray), and Gloriana Silk (overdye). This is from Ellen Giggenbach's Fantail from bedeckedandbeadazzled.com (available here). It's part of a small hill behind a beautiful leaf.

Clearly, this is a stitch for a larger space. It would make a beautiful coat on a large dramatic Santa stand-up. It's a perfect ground covering as you can use the middle stitch (the turquoise line) to add a second color or texture. Add a bead (over two rows on the vertical) to the open 2X2 center, mix it with a Petite Silk Lame (gray lines) and Kreinik (turquoise line) for water. If you are #teamfullcoverage, add an Upright Tied Cross to the open diamond and a Smyrna Cross to the 2X2 section for very glamorous clothing, border, or flower center. There are a lot of ways to play with this 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. 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!

#whimsicalwednesday blog