And I am back!
Had a busy weekend at the Spring Needlepoint Show in Orlando, where I previewed volume 5 of Mary’s Whimsical Stitches. I’m looking forward to sharing more about that later. A planned project got moved up unexpectedly, hogging most of last week, and now I’m back with a stitch for you!
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
Thankfully, one of my students had a framed piece arrive last week. (It is quite possible that this may be the only reason we have a stitch this week.) Technically, this is a counted canvas project in which a stitcher creates the design on a blank canvas. This project was extra special because my student finished a piece her late mother had started. The stitching from both generations is absolutely exquisite.
I did some counting and cobbled together the stitch diagram. The stitched sample uses DMC Floss (black and gray lines) and Neon Rays (yellow lines). I started this thinking it was straightforward. I was wrong. I recommend stitching the vertical columns of satin stitch (black lines) first. (Wait to stitch the 3X2 rectangles and remaining black tent stitches.) Follow up with the uninterrupted single vertical columns of tent stitches (yellow lines), followed by the horizontal rows of yellow lines. Add the black 3X2 rectangles and remaining black tent stitches, and end with the gray Scotch squares and remaining tent stitches. It’s a lot, but I really think it is worth it.
I’m looking forward to integrating this stitch into clothing, such as a coat with Burmilana or a shirt with silk floss (black and gray lines) and Petite Entice (yellow lines). Backgrounds, rugs, couches…lots of great places for it. But the most fun will be with the color combos! Two shades of pink with an orange or lavender accent color for the gray lines. Red, white, and blue are obvious choices. (I think I would do red and white with blue as the yellow lines.) Have fun with it!
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 that 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.
Click on image to see the whimsicalstitch.com Stitch Library on pinterest.com. Includes all #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.
Evaluating Stitches for Your Project
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 it against the area where you plan to use the stitch, then 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.
A Note about Stitch Names
I am absolutely loving the rising popularity of needlepoint, and if you are new to the blog, I want to take a second to chat about stitch names (again). TLDR: Don’t overthink them.
Most of the names for the stitches you see here are made up out of whole cloth. When I started needlepointing 30+ years ago, a teacher would draw or describe what she recommended, and off I went. Seriously. When I started my blog, an industry friend told me stitch names were crucial. I searched high and low for proper stitch names. What I found was stitches with no names or, even worse, identical stitches with two+ names from different sources. On top of that, some of my favorite stitches had generic names, such as Rug 1 and Rug 2. I quickly learned to focus on the diagrams, which are prettier. A stitch by any other name is still just as interesting!
There are some commonly understood stitch names, such as basketweave, continental, Scotch (3X3 and above squares), Mosaic (2X2 squares), Smyrna Crosses, and Hungarian (groups of diagonal stitches over 2-3-2 rows). It feels like it ends there. When naming stitches for my blog and books, I make every attempt to integrate generally accepted names, but also feel that a legible diagram is more important.
I’ve also learned that there is a very good chance that a stitch pattern that I come up with may not be new. But it is new to me. I spent almost an entire afternoon at a stitching friend’s home, poring through binders of stitches she gathered over five decades. Not only were many of them drawn by hand (whoa!), I discovered stitches that I thought were created decades later, with a different name, in a different presentation, from a different source. So, a stitch doesn’t belong to a single person or teacher. They are all part of a huge and decades-old network of really creative people.
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.
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.
