Connections Part 1

I am a huge fan of open stitches, especially for backgrounds.  Open stitches are a way to integrate wonderful stitches without completely obscuring truly beautiful painting, especially skies, by our favorite needlepoint artists.  It also is a tactic to draw the eye to a desired area by downplaying the area the open stitch is covering.  The most understandable example for the second reason are backgrounds.  

Today's stitch is one of my favorite backgrounds.  It's an easy pattern to pick up, fills up an area quickly due to its deceivingly large size, and is evenly spaced.  It's also very easy to determine if you missed a stitch within the the pattern.  I call it Diamond Connections.  

It's also a very appealing combination of vertical and diagonal stitches, which adds a nice texture to the area.  Consider rotating the diagram 90 degrees and having horizontal connectors instead of vertical!  There are no rules here.  The stitched sample on Instagram is from one of Melissa Shirley's recent holiday baskets.

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.  20 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!

What are Names?

As you may have noticed by now, I am not a strict follower of stitch names.  There are a handful I know stand for only one stitch.  The Mosaic Stitch, a Cashmere Stitch, and Woven Hungarian are three examples.

There are stitches I can find no names for as well as stitches with two or more names.  Some of my favorite stitches come from books with stitch names Rug 1, Rug 2, and Rug 3.  I threw up my hands a long time ago and let the diagrams do the talking.

Today's stitch is a perfect example.  It was one of the many rug stitches I mentioned earlier.  I used it for a ground covered in snow, as illustrated in the stitched sample on Instagram.  It would also make a great stitch for a table, or a large window.  I've seen it in several books but no name has been provided.

I named it Open Step Diamond, to reflect the stitches crossing and the emerging diamond halves.  It's a fun stitch though it requires compensation in the beginning and must always start from the same side.

Let's start with the sequence.

This stitch is best started at the far end of the area to be stitched.  In the diagram, it starts on the far left.  As you can see, each subsequent stitch lays over the previous stitch.  Knowing this, add the compensation stitch (the "A-B" step) in the beginning so the remainder of the stitch lays properly.

You repeat this sequence on subsequent rows.

I added examples of the compensation stitches at the top and bottom of the area (the single stitches in opposite directions).  Honestly, for this stitch, I consider those compensation stitches completely optional.  The first set of compensation stitches (the "A-B" steps) from first diagram are not optional.  That is my opinion  Do what you think is best for the stitched area.  Thread weight will play a role in the need for compensation stitches.

These stitch diagrams, 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.  20 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!

Supposedly Columns

I discovered today's stitch last summer while working on a paneled saying by &more.  I needed something with personality but subtle enough to not overpower the writing.

This stitch came from a book on layered stitches.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, layered stitches are among the most adaptable stitches because you do not have to do every layer or every stitch.

Originally designed as a border four rows wide, I simply filled the rectangular space with multiple columns, skipping a row in between to add definition to the rectangles.

The sequence of the threads is important.  

Begin with the vertical aqua lines (numbered steps), followed by the horizontal aqua lines (lettered steps).  Add the yellow lines on top of the aqua lines and conclude with the accent threads (gray lines).

As with most whimsicalstitch.com diagrams, the colors are used for clarity.  The stitched sample on Instagram uses different fibers with similar color values.  In addition, the single stitches surrounding the center (the gray lines) alternate colors by columns. 

Whether you use multiple colors or similar color values, there is a great deal you can do with this stitch.  It can be a 4-row wide border, as originally designed, a background (today's example), a wallpaper, chair or couch, ground cover, or an elegant coat.  Have fun with it!

These stitch diagrams, 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.  20 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!

The True Inspiration

The true inspiration for a month of squares is this stitch from Carol H. Lake's "Desert Island Stitches."  

I discovered this stitch last Fall while working on a club series and was absolutely charmed.  It was the perfect proportion for the space, I could add contrasting color, and it was such a unique interpretation of a square.

The stitched sample on Instagram uses contrasting colors.  I also used it on the body of a boat (with a solid color and a white accent for the cross stitch).  I love both as they play the stitch completely differently.

If you are interested in the book, you can find more information here.  More information about the club series, hosted by What's the Point! in Dublin, Ohio, can be found here.  (Scroll down a little bit for information on The Petite Bouquet Club.)

The next 5X5 square is a modified Rice Stitch.  The traditional Rice Stitch contains an X over the square space (gray lines below) with each leg tacked down by a single stitch, typically in the outer corners (yellow lines).  (There are versions where the legs are tacked down by a stitch over two rows, but I digress.)   

The stitch sequence is numbers, followed by small letters, followed by capital letters.  The only step to be mindful of is the last step of the diamond (small letters).  Take a look at the "g-h" step.  You slide the final thread ("g-h") under the pre-existing thread ("a-b") to complete the stitch.

Expanding this into a pattern illustrates what a pretty stitch it is.  It's perfect for a floor, tablecloth, or clothing. 

The single stitches in the corner are optional as you may want more of the underlying X to be exposed for whatever effect you seek.  Another idea for the intersection where the yellow stitches are is to add an upright cross over two rows in each direction. 

The combination of thread weights and finishes is important for this stitch.  You need a balance of lightweight and heavy threads, with an emphasis on lightweight.  An example for 13-mesh canvas is a heavier thread, such as Rainbow Galleries Very Velvet, for the X, and follow with a lighter weight metallic such as Kreinik Metallics Fine Braid (#8) for the aqua diamond and a stranded silk or floss in a contrasting color for the yellow corners.

The last 5X5 idea for you today is the Covered Scotch.  This is another scalable stitch and is a great way to add color and texture to a space.

This stitch works equally well with threads with similar color values or contrasting colors.  My favorite combination is a flat metallic thread (such as Neon Rays, Fyre Werks, or Shimmer Ribbon) for the bottom thread and Very Velvet for the corners, with both threads in similar color values.  The eye gravitates towards the corners, so put the finish or color you want the attention to go to in the corner.

These stitch diagrams, 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.  20 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!

Silly Squares

A very happy New Year to you and yours!  

I'm trying something a little different for you this month. #whimsicalwednesdays and #smallspacesunday posts for January will focus on variations of a common stitch, specifically square stitches.

The collection of diagrams for this month were curated from my personal favorite stitches, stitched pieces that inspire me (from my circle of needlepoint friends), and my go-to books.  Each post focuses on a specific size square and includes a small sampling of the stitch possibilities for that size square. These are just thought starters and I hope they help you create something magical!

The month begins with 4X4 squares.  A simple and elegant way to dress up 4X4's is to alternate the directions of the squares AND add contrasting threads, in the opposite direction, on top of the square.

The stitched sample on Instagram illustrates a tone on tone with a bright accent with similarly weighted threads.  However, don't let that or the width of the gray line in the diagram restrict you.  This is a great stitch when you add a light thread across the top.  Think Vineyard Silk on 13-mesh with an overlay of Kreinik Metallics Fine Braid #8.  

By alternating the squares and setting the corner stitches apart with a contrasting thread (color or finish), you begin to see whole new patterns that don't even look like squares, but are squares.

I call it the Corner Stitch because the eye is drawn to the unique corners.  You can take this one step further and add open space and more pronounced accents.

This version removes the single stitch corners, creating two open spaces.  One is shaped like a square and one is shaped like a triangle.   You can fill one or both with the same or contrasting stitches.  Personally, I like to fill only one as it creates a smoother design pattern, but it is a matter of personal taste and what the space requires.  Alternate filling stitches include Plain Needlepoint, Smyrna Cross, Beads, or French Knots (select list).  Mix and match to your heart's delight.

The next diagram splits the widest stitch in half.  This is a personal favorite as I like the subtle texture it adds.  It is a technique that works better with lighter colored threads, so the split stitch is more clearly visible.

The next diagram provides an open alternative.  It is an exact square but looks much softer than other square alternatives.

The above diagram is scalable as well and works especially well with even numbered squares, allowing the gray Upright Cross to be in the exact center of the stitch.

The last two diagrams are related.  I call them "Forgetful" Squares.  By "forgetting" to add the single stitch in each corner, a world of possibilities opens up.

When you start expanding the color palette, as you do in the larger version of Forgetful Squares, it can be downright clever and beautiful.  

The color inspiration for the pattern in the larger diagram is drawn from the stitched photo in the lower right hand corner of this collage on flickr.  I absolutely love the colors in the sample.  

I hope these diagrams prompt a lot of creative ideas for your next square stitch!

These stitch diagrams, 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.  20 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!

The Wrapped Diamond

I'm wrapping up 2015 with a classic diamond stitch.  I call it the "Wrapped Diamond" because of the border surrounding it.  (No pun intended.  Really.) 

This diamond is slightly different from other diamonds on this site.  Specifically, the pattern is based on an odd number of rows.  

The diamond pattern is over 3 rows, 5 rows, 7 rows, 7 rows, 5 rows, and ends with over 3 rows. The two that are over seven rows establish a larger open space at the top and bottom of the diamond, allowing a more pronounced accent.

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.

To make this stitch easier to manage, add the diamonds first (aqua lines), followed by the borders surrounding the diamonds (gray lines) and ending with the french knot accents (black circles).

This diagram is a smidge deceiving as this stitch provides rather full coverage.  The lines are thinner to illustrate the individual stitches.  So, don't be concerned about the small gap between the outer rows of the diamond and the adjacent French Knot.  That should not happen in your stitched version.

The stitched sample on Instagram is from a pumpkin sampler I did many moons ago.  The threads are the same color values and provide a great choice for an an area where you want to be elegant yet still have a little pizazz.  Combining colors and thread finishes and/or weights will make a great coat, rooftop, floor, or background.  Using lighter weight threads in similar color values would lend themselves very well to a sky or pasture.  Use your imagination!

These stitch diagrams, 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.  20 guides are available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

And Santa needs a coat.

Today's stitch is a pared down version of a layered stitch I came across in a book.  As you will see on the stitched sample on Instagram, there is nothing special about the canvas that shows through, but the open area is a great way to add lightness to a stitched area.

I named the stitch "Tied Squares."  It's a combo of Scotch Squares in alternating directions and Oblong Upright Crosses connecting the squares.

I suggest adding the squares first, followed by the Oblong Upright Crosses.  The diagram below is my personal preference for the stitch sequence for the crosses.

If you choose to do a different sequence on the crosses, I strongly recommend you do the exact same sequence on all crosses.  It will maintain the stitch symmetry and pattern.

So, a little insight on layered stitches.  They are a wonderful way to add color and pattern to a canvas and there are times layered stitches are perfect.  However, don't forget to look at the cumulative total of the steps.  Sometimes you only need to do a portion of them.  The original diagram for this stitch included another set of oblong crosses in the open area.  And that's a great idea, especially if you want to add another color, but I loved the simplicity of the first two steps.

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.  18 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!

Scrumptious Scallops

Scallop stitches are wonderful additions to many canvases.  The most obvious use for a scallop stitch is water.  It replicates waves...literally.  Think beyond that and you will find a highly versatile stitch that is appropriate for backgrounds, clothing, or roofs, just as thought starters.  The perfect symmetry lends itself to many applications.

The above stitch has perfectly matched rows of over three on the vertical with one empty row in between.  Skipping a row is purely optional...I just so happen to like the way the skipped row helps the stitch become understated.  This stitch was used as a sky on a Melissa Shirley birdhouse, as shown on Instagram.

The next example also skips a row and adds varied scallop widths.  This is fun application for clothing.

Scallop stitches are wonderful with multiple thread finishes.  You can alternate rows of matte and metallic or even add a row of beads (on the vertical) for an "over two row" possibility.  Consider alternating rows of different colors in the same thread.  (The stitched sample on Instagram illustrates that look.)  

These stitch diagrams, 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.  18 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

I hope you have the perfect space for this stitch and enjoy it!

Tiniest Changes

The tiniest changes make a huge difference.  For example, take the Satin Stitch.  The generally accepted form is over two or more rows on the diagonal, going from lower left intersection to upper right intersection.  If you want to go a little wild, try alternating directions in the columns.  It's the perfect stitch standard for so many areas, especially leaves, furniture, walls, backgrounds, or clothing, to name just a few.  

Yet, you can take this wonderfully straightforward stitch and make it something that really pops by doing one thing.  Add a contrasting row.

The gray lines in the diagram are a high contrast color or thread finish.  A color example is City Needlework Silk red for the aqua lines with a blue silk for the gray lines.  A thread finish example is using a lighter weight thread for the green lines and a heavier Very Velvet, in the same color values, adding interesting texture to an area.  You can also combine contrasting color and finish.

You can also play with it by adding more rows in between the gray rows, or fewer rows.  It's up to your imagination and what the space requires.

The first stitched sample on Instagram is a leaf on a Melissa Shirley bird houses canvas and is a highly contrasting color version of the stitch and has two rows in between the contrasting row.  The second sample on Instagram is an example of using contrasting finishes (stranded silk and shiny Fyre Werks).

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.  18 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie

Today's stitch was chosen because, well, it's from a pumpkin I stitched more than a few years ago...and it's Thanksgiving Eve.  And a very happy Thanksgiving to all!  I'm very grateful for your support and input as I got this little labor of stitching love off the ground this year.

The stitch is called Bargello Circles.  It's a great large space stitch for an area you want to draw attention to.  It is a complex stitch yet, once you identify patterns, it becomes manageable.

Seeing this stitch in context is very helpful and the stitched sample is on Instagram.  Let's break down the stitch into sections to help it make sense.  Each circle is made up of four separate crescents.  

What makes the crescents so easy is all of the stitches, whether horizontal (the gray lines in the first diagram) or vertical (yellow lines), are over four rows.  Each "section" of the individual crescents making up a circle is five rows wide, with a shared row on either side of the middle section.  

I find it best to have two needles threaded at the same time.  Create one circle at a time, adding each of the four crescents in the order most comfortable for you.

The center of each circle is where the fun begins.  As I mentioned earlier, this stitch commands attention.  You can moderate that attention through whatever you do in the centers.  The diagram below offers five different scenarios.

Starting in the upper left corner,

1. Use long stitches to create a spiral

2. Add beads in the Brick Beading style (one bead over two rows on the vertical)

3. Brick stitch on the vertical (center diagram; also on the Instagram stitched sample)

4. A tied Cross Stitch in the center, with a small amount of exposed canvas to allow shading to show through (lower right)

5. Upright Crosses (lower left)

I do not recommend any sort of diagonal stitch, such as Plain Needlepoint, for the centers.  The crescents and resulting circles are horizontal or vertical straight stitches and I believe the direction they established should be maintained.

I tend to use matte threads with similar color values for the crescents and a metallic in the center.  Think Silk & Ivory, Pepper Pot Silk, or Vineyard Silk for the crescents and a Rainbow Galleries metallic, such as Frosty Rays, for the centers.

If you want to really make this stand out, use two contrasting colors for the crescents, such as red and purple or black and white, with a gold, silver, or white metallic in the center.  Be warned...that will be a very dramatic stitch.  And, for some pieces, absolutely perfect!

These stitch diagrams, 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.  18 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!  And I hope you have a very, very happy Thanksgiving!