It’s not just a #smallspacesunday. There are three ideas for your small spaces today! All of today’s samples are from recent teaching days.
First up, one of my favorite things is when a customer (or maybe possibly me) misinterprets a diagram. This is not a mistake; it is a new stitch! The plan was for Reverse Basketweave (diagram on right side below) on a cute Mary Lake Thompson owl (distributed through Melissa Shirley Designs). We ended up with what I now call a Literal T Stitch. The stitched sample uses white Radiance 18 on 18M. I may have squealed with joy when I figured out what she did. And I loved what she did because more shading showed through the stitching. And, if anyone is good at painting shading, it’s Melissa Shirley.
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A few days later, I thought this was going to be the perfect stitch for a student at Aristeia. Technically, it was but I had to flip it 90 degrees for it to be absolutely right. The stitched sample uses Petite Silk Lame on 18M.
And, last but not least. What do you do with a skinny tree? You take one of your favorite skinny stitches and make it skinnier! The stitched sample uses two plies of green Soie D'Alger on 18M.
The original Reverse Basketweave has truly become a go-to stitch for me. It’s small, unintrusive, and adds a tiny bit of interest without overwhelming a space. This variation is a great addition to our repertoire as it accomplishes all the same things but offers a bit more exposure. I hope you have the perfect spot for today’s small space stitch. Have fun playing with it!
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.
By (sometimes) including this step in my own process, I find I am now integrating much longer stitches than I ever thought I would. I used to think a stitch six rows long was super big. I have very much changed my tune, which has helped me expand my creativity, especially for large-space stitches.
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, Instagram, and Twitter.
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.
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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, 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!