Skip a Row and...

...amazing things happen.

Today's stitch is a variation of Alternating Cashmere.  Examples of a small and large Alternating Cashmere are included here and here.  Today's version is different because a row is skipped between the individual rectangles.  By doing so, a whole new world opens up.

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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.

In the example, the cashmere rectangle is 3X5 rows.  When you skip the row in between the rectangles, fill that row with no more than the smallest dimension of the rectangle and center it against the adjacent edge of the rectangle (in this case, three rows).  This creates a 2X2 square to have fun with!  In the diagram above, and on the stitched sample on Instagram, I filled the square with a Smyrna Cross.  

You could fill it with beads, a single bead on the vertical over the center hole, or more Plain Needlepoint in a contrasting color.   It is an exceptionally elegant and fun stitch.

These stitch diagrams, 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 Volume 1 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; Mary’s Whimsical Stitches Volume 2 features chapters on Balanced, Beading, Diagonal, Layered, Oblique, Small, and Straight stitches.

Also, you can download The Essentials, a free 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.

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! 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!

Diamond Columns

This stitch is one of my favorite backgrounds, especially white-on-white.

The background is columns of diamonds connected by straight lines.  It is best to work this stitch vertically by column.

Create the diamond in the diagrammed sequence (numbered steps), illustrated in left diagram.  The next step (the lettered steps) adds the connector.  When done with B, return to A and repeat the numbered steps.  Repeat until the area is full of diamonds.  Add the Upright Crosses inside each diamond to complete the stitch. 

You can adjust the length of the connectors to suit your space.  I've done connectors over three rows, four rows (as diagrammed above), and as many as six rows.  It depends on the size of the space and the amount of open canvas you want to display.

This stitch works for baskets, floors, foliage (with a short connector), or clothing with large areas to stitch so there is room for the pattern to emerge.  More often than not, I use this as a background stitch, as illustrated by the stitched sample on Instagram.    

Diamond Columns with DMC Pearl #8 and Kreinik Metallics Tapestry Braid (#12) (on 13-mesh). www.whimsicalstitch.com/whimsicalwednesdays #whimsicalwednesday #needlepoint #whimsicalstitch #stitchdiagrams #dmcpearl #kreinikmetallics #melissashirleydesigns #home #love

See this Instagram photo by @whimsicalstitch

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.  25 guides are currently available, including three new Debbie Mumm Santa guides, and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!

Horizontal Brick

Not the most clever of blog post titles, but it's early here.  :)

Today's stitch is one of those universal solutions.  Depending on the thread combination, it can be clothing, a background, a tabletop, a piece of fruit (as illustrated on Instagram), or foliage.

It's really simple.

As I mentioned earlier, the thread combination defines its use.  For an area you'd like to recede a little, I recommend a lightweight pearl silk or cotton, such as Elegance, Thread Gatherer Silken Pearl, DMC (or Anchor) Pearl #8 for the gray lines and a lightweight metallic for the yellow lines, such as Neon Rays, Shimmer, or Kreinik Metallics #4 or #8. 

For a more intense area, such as a coat, Very Velvet, Pepper Pot Silk, Vineyard Silk, or a multi-ply wool are great alternatives.  Flair, Frosty Rays, Kreinik Metallics #12 or #16 balance these threads well.  

On a separate but related subject, I would love to receive feedback on whimsicalstitch.com.  Please visit this link to fill out a short survey.  Thank you!

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

Enjoy!

Layered Squares

Today's stitch is what I call Layered Squares, as the final look appears as squares with alternating corners tied down.  

Create the squares by laying the base threads in two adjacent rows, skipping two rows in between pairs.  In the diagram, I added the vertical pairs first, followed by the horizontal rows on top (creating the layers of the layered stitch).  Follow up with the 3X3 crosses on top of alternating intersections.  

The truth is the order you use to lay the base threads down doesn't matter.  Honestly, I didn't think about it when I stitched it.  In hindsight, I am very happy with the order I chose because the eye sees the horizontal lines more than the vertical.  And, for that space I used it in at the time (more about that soon), that is appropriate.

Thread choices are important for this stitch.  In my opinion, the base thread should be a single strand thread.  The single strand provides definition and texture for the base layer.  For a strong, well-defined base, good matte base thread choices are Very Velvet, Vineyard Silk, Pepper Pot Silk, or DMC or Anchor Pearl Cotton (especially size 3).  Good choices for a metallic base thread are Kreinik Metallics Medium Braid (size 16), Kreinik Metallics Tapestry Braid (size 12), Crystal Braid, or Silk Lame.  Plied threads will work, of course, but it will be a vastly different look than what you will see on the stitched sample on Instagram.

Conversely, have fun with the metallics!  As they are the top thread, their only responsibility is to be pretty!  The stitched sample on Instagram uses Shimmer Ribbon by YLI.

This stitch is ideal for areas requiring symmetry.  As an example, the Instagram sample is the front door of Melissa Shirley's Halloween House.  The symmetry, provided by evenly spaced threads on the horizontal and vertical axises, keep the appearance of the door as, well, a door.  In my opinion, an openly diagonal stitch (such as Diagonal Mosaic) would distract the eye and prompt the viewer to try to reconcile the actual use of the space versus the stitch chosen.  I would use this as a table top or floor covering (perhaps with lighter weight threads), a roof, or clothing areas with large spaces, to name a few.

This 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.  22 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy! 

545

I remember a lot of stitches simply by their stitch sequences, hence the name 5-4-5 for this one.  This is a fantastic background stitch, especially when you want the background to recede just a little bit, but not too much.  It's perfect for many Mary Lake Thompson canvases by Melissa Shirley.

This stitch is easy and quite fun, mainly because it goes so quickly.  I like the wide open feel.  It is ideal for a background, a sky, or a tabletop.  Typically, I do the dark gray lines first, followed by the light gray lines.  My typical thread combo is matte for the dark gray lines and metallic for the light gray and yellow lines.  I like to use two different metallics to define the elements.  I prefer Kreinik Metallics for the light gray lines, largely because they have a variety of braid sizes, allowing me to control the overall impact of the stitch.  For most of these scenarios, I like to use threads with similar color values.

The stitched sample on Instagram provides a work in progress.  It is a background stitch for a Mary Lake Thompson piece using similar color values with matte and metallic threads.  I suspect the end result will include a bead in the intersections.  

With one more step, this stitch changes completely.

By filling the stitch, you expand its possibilities.  This would make an excellent Santa coat or bag, floor, or wallpaper, to name just a few. You can play with the color combinations, especially for Santa, for the different elements.

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

Enjoy! 

Cross My Heart...Again!

Today's stitch is Tied Oblong Crosses.  As I diagrammed this stitch, I quickly realized I could have added an indefinite number of variations, so please consider these nothing more than thought starters!

Scalability and versatility define this stitch.  The three possibilities illustrated below include oblong crosses five rows high and two rows wide.  You can make it as small as three rows high and literally as tall as he space.  

The chart on the left includes three base patterns that differ based on their accent stitches (the gray lines).  You can center the accents on the vertical, horizontal, or both.  To make the vertical accent work, the underlying cross (the aqua lines) needs to be at least two rows wide (as illustrated).  The diagram on the right illustrates how a base pattern is put together to create the overall look.   

Generally speaking, I prefer a matte thread for the crosses and a metallic thread for the accent stitches.  If you use the bottom pattern with two accent threads, be sure to use threads with enough color contrast between them to distinguish the look.

The stitched sample on Instagram is from a roof on piece I'm currently stitching.  It would make a great border stitch, especially on clothing.  There is so much you can do with this...let your imagination go wild!

On a separate but related subject, I would love to receive feedback on whimsicalstitch.com.  Please visit this link to fill out a short survey.  Thank you!

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

Enjoy!

Patterns

This week's post is less about a specific stitch and more about how to mix patterns to fit rigid space definitions.  The backstory is someone asked me for a wallpaper stitch.  My first thought was some sort of huge, open, and fun stitch (my favorite).  Turns out the wallpaper was really columns surrounded by single vertical rows painted in a different color.  This person needed three stripe stitches to fit an overarching wallpaper.  A completely different request, but a great opportunity to mix things up a little.

The trick was to define the dimensions of the individual spaces, find a pattern, and mix stitches to fit that pattern.  Turns out the column width pattern was 10, 2, 3, 2, 10, 2, 3, 2, 10 with a row of plain needlepoint on either side of every column.  So, I needed three stitches, one ten rows wide, two rows wide, and three rows wide.

Here's where I landed.

Clearly, the 10 row column has the most stitching potential.  Any pair of 5X5 squares would fill the width of the space.  A smaller pattern, such as the Star Octagon, Woven Hungarian, or even a Tramme stitch would fit.  It's all a matter of personal taste.

The smaller columns are best handled in traditional stripe stitches.  But, don't be afraid to mix it up on the direction.  Mix diagonal and horizontal for a little change of pace.  You could do the over-2 columns in a single row of Tramme, or fill them with Smyrna Crosses from top to bottom.   

In terms of threads for backgrounds, I tend to understate the threads.  The stitched sample on Instagram illustrates the above diagram with a cream Subtlety.  I've seen versions of these columns with the all the columns in a matte thread and the gray lines are in a light sheen metallic.  The small splash of a muted metallic was a nice touch.  The final determination is the space you are stitching.  These are simply thought-starters.

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

Enjoy!

It's a Cluster

But in the best possible way.

Today's stitch is another base pattern from Ann Strite Kurz's book, "The Potpourri of Pattern" by Ann Strite Kurz.  The base pattern begins with a Hungarian stitch, or over 2-3-2 rows.  You may recognize the sequence from the more well known Criss Cross or Woven Hungarian stitch.

As with the Explosion stitch of last week, the fun begins with what stitch to put in the intersection.  Five 2X2 alternatives are provided.  Yet, if you want to fill more space with dramatic effect, I suggest either of the larger crosses at the bottom of the image.  Both fit in the exact center.  For both over four alternatives, the yellow cross on top would be exactly where the yellow alternating tent stitches are in the main diagram.  That will help you visualize the position of the gray lines.

This would make a fantastic background for a seasonal piece, whether it is Halloween, Christmas, or Spring.  You can select colors from the main area of interest from the canvas to bring it all together.  It also works well in a sampler.

On a separate but related subject, I would love to receive feedback on whimsicalstitch.com.  Please visit this link to fill out a short survey.  Thank you!

My preferred thread combination is matte threads, such as Pepper Pot Silk or DMC Pearl for the clusters and a contrasting metallic for the yellow centers.  The stitched sample on Instagram is a tone on tone version of this stitch, using a Smyrna Cross in the intersections.

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

Enjoy!

It's an Explosion!

Welcome to June, the month of whatever stitch strikes my fancy.  We kick off June with what I call the Explosion Stitch.  Its origin is "The Potpourri of Pattern" by Ann Strite Kurz, one of my favorite pattern books.  Ann does a lovely job of combining patterns for a stunning effect.  Yet, I find the individual patterns just as intriguing.

This pattern creates a beautiful trellis.  I find the trellis pattern surprising, simply because no stitch in this pattern is more than over two rows.  Yet, it fills a large space quickly.  I prefer to leave the open diamonds just that...open.  

As always, the fun begins with what stitch to put in the intersection.  If you want to keep the diamond shape, I suggest the alternating tent stitches in the main diagram.  You can dress it up with beads or add some texture with a Smyrna Cross.  Be sure to have fun with the bead sizes.  A really large bead, such as #6 or #8, would be a wonderfully dramatic touch for the single bead center.

My preferred thread combination is a matte thread, such as Pepper Pot Silk or Silk Pearl for the gray lines, and a contrasting metallic for the yellow centers.  The stitched sample on Instagram uses Elegance and Kreinik Metallics Fine Braid #8 in a vintage metallic finish. 

On a separate but related subject, I would love to receive feedback on whimsicalstitch.com.  Please visit this link to fill out a short survey.  Thank you!

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

Enjoy!

Beetlestitch!

This stitch hits all the right notes for me.  It's not too big and it's not too small.  It blends in perfectly and adds a sassy little look to a sky.  

I present the Beetle Stitch in sky form!

As with other sky diagrams this month, two colors are used for clarity.  The stitched sample on Instagram illustrates a single matte thread.  Another scenario is alternating a matte and light metallic in the same color value, as diagrammed in contrasting lines above.  The overall thread weight determines how much attention the area receives.

I just love this stitch.  And I'm ashamed the piece I'm using it on isn't done yet.  It's one of those that is so close it should be done.  Shame on me!   I'm going to go finish it now.  And maybe write a stitch guide for it.

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

Enjoy!