I adore seasonal stitching. My first seasonal stitching love is Christmas. Stockings, ornaments, Santa stand-ups, and pillows. I have them all and will continue to add them to my collection.

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

Click the image to see #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday **Stitched Sample Gallery** on Instagram

Today’s stitched sample is from one of my favorite holiday pillows. Cream, green, and red…perfect for the holidays. I used Pepper Pot Silk (black lines) and Fyre Werks (yellow lines) on 18M. I love the smooth look of straight stitches, which is why I often use them for backgrounds. Speaking of smooth, I love the idea of using this stitch on an appropriately sized whale with Neon Rays and silk floss. Flip is 90° and use it for a pair of pants with two shades of Vineyard Silk. If you want to dress it up a little, replace the diamonds with brick beading. (Okay, that would be dressing it up a lot.)

Today’s 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, and Instagram.

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

Click on image to see the **whimsicalstitch.com Stitch Library** on pinterest.com. Includes all #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.

As you are auditioning stitches (from any stitch source), count the number of canvas threads on the diagram that match your mesh size. And there you have what an inch of the stitch will look like. Evaluate that against the area where you plan to use the stitch and make your final decision. If you start integrating this step into your stitch selection process, you may be surprised at how many stitches you think are large are much smaller than you realize.

More from whimsicalstitch.com
If you like what you see on this blog, there's more. Mary’s Whimsical Stitches is a series of four books offering contemporary how-to collections of more than 200 stitches (in each volume) for all stitchers, regardless of skill level. All books include updated and sequenced diagrams from this blog, plus a collection of all-new stitches from private lessons and other class projects. Visit here to find a needlepoint retailer that carries my books.

New to needlepoint or looking for a refresher? Please download a handy how-to guide covering basic needlepoint stitches and stitch compensation techniques, along with new top-line information on needlepoint materials and tools, how to handle threads, and other helpful needlepoint resources.

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, the layering of colors demonstrates you add them in that order. They can also provide ideas on integrating 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!

Let me count the ways.

Beetle Stitch, you are fantastic. You are a wildly versatile stitch in both use and pattern. Let's start with the base pattern.

A simple pattern to follow...over 2-2-2-4-6-6-6-4 and repeat. The diagram shows the horizontal version, resulting in columns. The two's always match the sixes and the fours always match the fours in subsequent columns. You don't have to skip a row between columns, or you can skip multiple rows.

It's a great dressed down stitch, but it dresses up really well when you skip multiple rows.

In this example, I combine threads to get a more elegant effect. The gray lines are a matte thread and the aqua lines are a soft sheen metallic such as Kreinik Metallics #8 (or #12) braid or Rainbow Galleries Flair or Fyre Werks. I like to use those metallics, regardless of canvas mesh size, as they lay well on the canvas and don't overpower the space. You can use the same color family for a more subtle elegance or complementary colors to make the area stand out a little more.

The last scenario uses multiple hues. This is a perfect strategy for those canvases without a painted background. Melissa Shirley's Mary Lake-Thompson line of fruit bowls, teacups, baskets, and fruit canvases are great examples of those canvases. Use three complementary colors for the canvas and create a subtle but impactful background to the piece, tying the colors of the piece together.

The Beetle Stitch is great for a large background, sky, water, large space clothing (such as Santa's coat), bag, or floor covering, to name just a few. This stitch is great as a full cover stitch but also a wonderful light option. For example, the use of a lighter weight metallic (versus the canvas size) highlights the shading of the painting on the canvas.

This stitch diagram, along with other #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams, can also be found on www.pinterest.com/whimsicalstitch/whimsicalwednesday.

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 for seasonal Melissa Shirley designs. Eight guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!

#whimsicalwednesday blog