Boo!

November 15, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch is a full coverage stitch I found in a book forever ago. I had all but forgotten about it until I pulled out my Halloween decorations.

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. — 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.

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. — 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.

The stitched sample includes DMC Perle Cotton #8 with Flair. It's a tricky little stitch. Do NOT overlook the fact the beetles alternate sizes on the horizontal and vertical axises. I strongly recommend adding the beetles first (gray lines), and fill in the parallelograms (turquoise lines) when you are done with the beetles.

This full coverage stitch will draw attention to a medium- to large-sized space. It would be a fantastic coat or bag with rich threads such as Pepper Pot Silk, Very Velvet, Soie D'Alger or Gloriana Silk Floss for the beetles. Combine those with a strong metallic such as Fyre Werks, Kreinik Metallics Medium Braid (#16), Silk Lame, Rachelette, or Frosty Rays. It would make a wonderful basket or floor with lighter weight matte threads such as DMC Perle, Elegance, Subtlety, or Prescencia. Combine colors and finishes to get your desired effect.

This stitch diagram, along with all other #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams, can also be found on a Pinterest board here.

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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 and stitch concepts for Melissa Shirley Designs, Zecca Designs, and Patience Brewster. 48 guides are currently available and more are in the works!

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

Christy's Window

November 12, 2017 whimsicalstitch

I always love it when I stumble on a new (to me) small space stitch and it's more fun when it comes from one of my favorite stitchers. I just love this stitch.

I named it the Diagonal Cross Stitch because of the gentle slope of the stitches.

This stitch would be great for a window (as illustrated). It's also a great stitch for any area you want to recede. As an example, I shared it with a student for a small hill in the background of a country landscape. It would be a charming way to honor beautifully shaded clouds or small bodies of water. I recommend to use lightweight threads with a stitch this gentle. For example, the stitched sample uses Kreinik Metallics Very Fine Braid (#4). Depending on what you are stitching, consider Petite Silk Lame, Silk Straw, 2-3 strands of your favorite silk floss or wool.

This stitch diagram, along with all other #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams, can also be found on a Pinterest board here.

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I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

Open Diamonds!

November 8, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Today's open stitch comes from a Aristeia workshop from several years ago. It's a great stitch that strikes the perfect balance of an interesting stitch and the beautiful shading on the canvas.

I recommend stitching the gray lines first, followed by the aqua lines, and ending with the bead.

The stitched sample includes Vineyard Silk, Shimmer Ribbon, and a Sundance Bead. This stitch is great for many larger spaces, whether they are are a solid color or deeply shaded. It could be gorgeous for a large tree with Vineyard Silk or Pepper Pot Silk (gray lines) and Painters Thread or a subtly overdyed Silk Floss (e.g., Gloriana Silk Floss or Dinky Dyes Silk Floss). For a rich coat you want to stand out, try Very Velvet and Fyre Werks or Kreinik 1/16" metallic ribbon.

This stitch diagram, along with all other #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams, can also be found on a Pinterest board here.

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I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

Just Right

November 1, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch is great for small, medium, and larg-ish areas. In other words, it's just right.

The stitched sample includes Gloriana Florimell Silk Floss (gray lines) and Kreinik Metallics Medium Braid (#16) (aqua lines) on 13-mesh.

This stitch could work for so many things. I see it as water with Petite Silk Lame and a lightweight Kreinik. The combination of Burmilana (gray lines) and Gloriana Lorikeet (aqua lines) would make an attractive hillside or field. Using the same thread for all the stitches, such as a Pepper Pot or an Appleton Tapestry Wool, would make a great beard. I hope these thought-starters help you come up with something perfect for your space!

This 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.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

More Trifecta Goodness

October 25, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Part of the joy of traveling to teach at stores outside of my neighborhood is seeing a variety of thread inventories, learning about regional nuances (for me, the use of the pin stitch) and seeing lovely stitched samples (the most fun).

The stitch below combines several things I came across during recent travels. It includes overlapping diamonds (shades of a recent post), a tramme (a long time favorite of mine), and open work.

The stitched sample includes Rainbow Gallery's Cashmere (aqua lines), Princess Perle (dark gray lines), and Entice (light gray lines).

I used two different colors for the base threads to mix it up a little bit. While this stitch is complex, it would still serve well as a background with 2-3 different threads in the same color. Or stitch the dark gray base thread in a contrasting metallic. It would make a great basket or ground cover with matte thread combinations such as Lorikeet, Soie D'Alger, Planet Earth Merino Wool, or Rainbow Linen. Use it for clothing with Very Velvet, silk perles, and Kreinik. I hope these thought-starters help you come up with something perfect for your space!

This 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.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

Amy's Stitch

October 18, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch and stitched sample come from a new whimsicalstitch.com friend, Amy Poore, of www.apooregirlpaintsneedlepointdesigns.com. Her designs are adorable and designed to appeal to a new generation of needlepointers. They are sweet and easy stitch pieces.

Just like her designs, the background stitch is crisp and clean. The small accent and the skipped row are a delightful surprise. The stitched sample uses DMC Perle Cotton for the gray lines and Glisten for the accent stitch (gray lines).

This stitch would work on so many areas. Of the top of my head, ideas include animal fur (with solid colored wool for the gray lines) and a variegated wool for the small accent stitch or a floor with two shades of Princess Perle. It would make an interesting stitch for a larger tree or even water. I just love stitches that have so many applications.

This 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.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

Technical Difficulties

October 11, 2017 whimsicalstitch

I really, really like this stitch. I am confident of this because this has been one of those posts that had multiple "technical difficulties" during every step (diagraming, stitching, and writing). Every. Single. Step. (Please ignore the fact those difficulties were of my own doing.) But, I was so excited by this stitch that I kept going. I give you the Triple Diamond.

This stitch pops up in my Pinterest feed on a regular basis and I am always happy to see it. I'm not sure the original teacher nor the original source, so all I have to offer is a broad "thank you!" The diagram and stitch sample replicate the really clever color plan with three shades of a single hue plus a metallic. (The original post was blue and silver.)

As I was creating the stitched sample, I reached a point where I wasn't "done-done" but I still really liked it. So, here's a variation with a slightly lighter touch.

I can't wait to use this stitch for a larger (and/or wider) area where I want to draw the eye. It would make a great Santa coat or bag, large trees, even ground covering, or a large flower. The second diagram provides a version where some of the shading can show through.

Have fun with the thread combinations. A dramatic stitch calls for dramatic threads. Ideas include two hues of Very Velvet (diamonds) with Kreinik 1/16" ribbon surrounding the diamonds, Painters threads (diamonds) with wool or single strand silk for the surround, Lorikeet (diamonds) with Rainbow Linen or Grandeur for the surround.

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.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

Ouch

October 4, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch comes from our stitching friend, Ruth Schmuff, of Bedecked and Beadazzled. I adore everything about this stitch from the offset diamonds on top of diamonds along with the perfect weight of the gold thread. (Oh, and I adore Ruth.)

I say "ouch" because creating this stitch diagram made my head hurt. I relied on the stitched sample more than most diagramming projects.

There were two keys that helped me navigate this stitch. First, I stitched the stitch in two distinct steps. Add the diamonds first (aqua lines), followed by the herringbone accent (gray lines). Understanding it is a herringbone stitch will help you navigate the crisscrossing threads.

The stitched sample is from a beautiful geisha project from Ruth. This stitch would be beautiful almost anywhere. The area will help you determine the thread weight required. That said, one thing that drew me to this stitch was the lightweight metallic.

The stitched sample establishes it works well for clothing with Soie D'Alger and Kreinik Japan Thread #1. For a heavier look for clothing (or a bag), consider Very Velvet with Petite Silk Lame. Another heavier look includes Planet Earth Silk with Rainbow Gallery Neon Rays or Caron Collection Rachele or Rachelette as the accent. I would love to see it as a floor with an overdyed floss or silk with a solid matte accent such as Rainbow Gallery Subtlety or even a single strand of Impressions.

This 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.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

Open, Open, Open

September 27, 2017 whimsicalstitch

I love today's stitch for many reasons. Yes, it's an open stitch and my fondness for open stitches is well documented. What drew me to it is the fact it challenged me, in a good way, on how open an open stitch can be.

The shape of this stitch is very simple and will not define the area it is used in. I recommend it for an area that is a good size, where you are comfortable with the canvas and/or shading overshadowing the actual stitch, and an area that is not the main focus.

I was introduced to it on an elegant martini glass. This stitch on the glass was a charming surprise as my eye went to the olives and other objects near the glass.

The stitched sample above is me playing with it for a sky with one ply of Floche and size 8 Kreinik Metallic on 18-mesh. I would absolutely use this stitch for glass (say a martini glass), larger windows (say behind a Christmas tree), or a basket with beautiful shading. It's a sweet and surprising stitch.

This 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.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

Double Trouble

September 20, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Don't let the pink in the stitched sample fool you. Today's stitch is a dramatic choice for an area you want to stand out.

The stitched sample above is me playing with Pepper Pot Silk (base threads) and Entice (accent threads). I added numbers to a pair of X's in the diagram to illustrate how I envision one laying on top of the other.

I purposely left an empty row in between the base threads to add more open space, especially if I choose to use this stitch on a beautifully shaded area. I considered and discarded the idea of adding a bead in the oblique diamond area between the columns. However, that would add more coverage and an extra dose of glamour.

You could also center both vertical stitches in the column, as illustrated on the right. It's simply a matter of personal taste.

This stitch is clearly for a large space and one that will stand out. I recommend it for clothing, bags, large trees, even ground covering (on the right canvas). Thread weights will play a large (no pun intended) role in where to use this stitch. For example, lighter weight threads would make this stitch work for water, or even a sky.

This 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.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy!

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