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!

Small Skies Part 2

We wrap up the month of sky stitches with a #smallspacesunday.  I've named today's stitch "Small Trellis" because it reminds me of a trellis, I can't find a real name for it, and you may know by now that names aren't essential to me.  Seriously.  When we chat about stitches at my local needlepoint store, it goes like this:

Needlepoint Friend*:  "Does anyone have an idea for how I can stitch this area?"

Me:  "Oh, sure.  Do 1-2-1-2-1 with the thing in the center.  So and so did it on the flower center in the Zecca piece."

Needlepoint Friend:  "Oh!  I know exactly what you're talking about.  Sounds great.  Thanks."

*  Clearly, we've been doing this together for a while and have that shorthand.

This stitch would probably be called the "2-1-2 Diamond and don't worry about the centers."

This stitch is adaptable to so many spaces.  What makes it work for a sky is leaving the centers, both the square and the diamond shaped centers, empty.  For most other spaces, I would fill in one or both, but the simplicity of this makes it perfect for a sky.

I prefer this stitch with a lightweight matte thread.  Elegance or Grandeur are my go to threads here.  The stitched sample on Instagram uses Elegance on 18-mesh.

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! 

Happy Birthday!

whimsicalstitch.com turns one year old today!

And to honor this momentous occasion, I am thrilled to share whimsicalstitch.com is now old enough to have #TBT! 

Every other Thursday, I will post a link to a random blog post from the previous year, along with the stitched sample from Instagram (if one exists for that post).  These posts will be announced on whimsicalstitch.com's Facebook page and a photo will be posted on Instagram.  So, please like whimsicalstitch on Facebook and Instagram!  

Today's post is a literal throwback to our very first stitch post about Brick Beading.  This one is especially appropriate as I was so blog illiterate that I could not insert images into the post.  Well, I updated it appropriately and I hope you enjoy!

If you are of the mind, would you please complete a survey letting me know how whimsicalstitch.com is doing?  Here's the link.  I appreciate the feedback!

Happy birthday to us!

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!

Open Skies

Honestly, I can't think of a time I wanted a sky stitch to stand out above other stitches on the canvas.  It's the nature of skies.  This explains why most of my favorite sky stitches tend to be open stitches with unassuming thread choices that are neutral in direction.  These elements project a perfect minimalism.

This week's sky stitch is a perfect example.

The stitch consists of stitch pairs over five rows on the horizontal and the vertical.  I purposefully leave the open areas blank, especially for a sky, to minimize the stitch and let the shading show through.  Two colors are used in the diagram for clarity.  Typically, I use only one color thread for sky stitches*.  

As for the thread choice, the lighter weight the better.  On the Instagram stitched sample, I used two plies of DMC Floss on 13-mesh canvas.  It was insane but it worked.  My favorite threads for skies are 2-4 strands of DMC (or Anchor) Floss, Splendor, or Planet Earth Silk.  The number of strands depends on the mesh size and the desired coverage.  My favorite single strand threads are Elegance, Pepper Pot Silk, DMC (or Anchor) Pearl Cotton, especially sizes #8 and #12.

When I'm using a metallic for a sky, my two go-to's are Petite Silk Lame and Kreinik Metallics Very Fine Braid (#4) for 18-mesh and Fine Braid (#8) for 13-mesh.  

The *.  My commentary on this stitch focuses on its use for a sky.  This stitch serves many other purposes that may call for the use of multiple threads, whether they combine thread finishes or colors. I reserve the right to repurpose this stitch diagram for another post where I may elaborate on that point.   (Otherwise, this post may never end.)

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!

Small Skies

There really is no such thing as a small sky except, well, maybe in needlepoint.

This stitch is beyond straightforward (pun intended) and is one of the most subtle sky stitches.  It would work for a large sky if you really want to minimize the sky.

Start the first column from the opposite side of the column closest to the edge.  In this case, I'm starting on the left edge of the canvas so my stitch starts on the right side of the column.  This ensure the columns are neat with crisp edges.  

As you can see, there is an empty row in between the columns.  You can leave it blank or fill the column with Plain Needlepoint.  Personally, I like the space blank as it keeps it subtle.

The columns can be the same width or you can vary the width depending on the width of the space to be stitched.  

This diagram alternates columns over three rows and over two rows.  It's up to you and the space requirements.  Find a sequence you like and have fun with it!  You could alternate columns over two row and four rows.  You could add a third column into the mix and make it over two, over three, over four, over three, over two.  The larger the space the more fun you can have with column width sequences.

For whatever reason I can't quite verbalize, I really like this stitch in a lightweight metallic.  My go to metallic for skies is Kreinik Metallics Very Fine Braid (#4) on 18-mesh and Fine Braid (#8) on 13-mesh.  Petite Silk Lame is a great alternative for both size canvases. 

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!

Starry, Starry Night

This is a new favorite sky stitch (with the clever name of Sky #14) I uncovered in a book last Fall. I made a few adjustments and renamed it Starry Night Sky. Clearly, it is for a large space.  This is funny considering how technically small the canvas is on which I first used this stitch.  And, yes, the canvas was mostly sky.  You can get a glimpse of it on Instagram.

Unlike other whimsicalstitch.com stitch diagrams, I did not add compensation stitches because I didn't want to distract you from the large pattern of the stitch.  It's important to note the stitches comprising the star do not cross over each other.  They share the same center hole.  The stitch sequence helps clarify this point.  

Starting from the outer edge, take every stitch from out to the center hole (indicated by the gray square).  So, every even numbered step in the above diagram is the center hole.  Because all stitches end in the center hole, it's important to use a lighter weight thread so you do not stretch the hole too much.  The stitched sample on Instagram uses Elegance on 18-mesh canvas. 

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!

Big Blue Skies

May blog posts focus on sky stitches.  There is not a single formula for sky stitches.  Some are small and need to blend quietly into the background, while others are dramatic and require attention.

The stitch diagrams shared over the next few weeks are just a few ideas for your next skies. There are so many stitches that can be adapted for a sky...I hope these give you lots of inspiration to look at stitches in your collection differently.

The first sky post focuses on a more discreet sky stitch.  

For a sky, this stitch works best with a single thread or two threads with similar color values. Using a single thread, especially a twisted silk (such as Elegance), provides good coverage on 18-mesh.  On 13-mesh, the shading will show through in a subtle way.  

For a two thread version, one of my favorite thread combinations is Elegance and Flair, regardless of whether I'm working with 13- or 18-mesh. The subtle matte of the Elegance is a nice partner with the subtle metallic of the Flair.  A good alternative to Elegance is DMC or Anchor Pearl #8.  Let the colors determine the right threads.  I think it's best if you do the matte thread on the horizontal and the metallic thread on the vertical.  I can't explain it.  I've tried it both ways and find that combo to be the best.  

The stitched sample on Instagram illustrates the scalability of this stitch (over five rows in groups of four stitches) and a slightly different pattern of matte and metallic.

Don't let this post limit your thinking on this stitch as singularly a sky stitch.  It's a great stitch for many other areas, including ground cover, baskets, clothing, and even a large-ish window. The key to this stitch is it works best for an area you don't want to draw a lot of attention to, but you want to do something special.  The second stitched sample on Instagram illustrates its use for a rug with Sea Grass thread.

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

Enjoy!

Sweet Sky

Welcome to the month of skies!  We kick off the month with a #smallspacesunday.

Today's stitch is the Step Stitch.  The openness allows the beautiful shading of most skies to show through the thread.  What I like most about it is its scalability.  You can do the stitches as small as two, or larger depending on your space.   

The diagram is over three, as is the stitched sample on Instagram.  The stitched sample also illustrates that it doesn't matter which direction you go on the diagonal.  The diagram is up to the left and the sample is up to the right.

As with most open stitches, I like to use a slightly lighter weight thread than a canvas typically calls for.  As an example, a dark night sky on a Christmas stocking (on 18 mesh) looks fantastic with a single strand of Petite Silk Lame.  Petite Silk Lame is the perfect combination of matte and metallic in one thread.  If you want your night sky to shimmer, consider Kreinik Metallics Very Fine Braid (#4) on 18 mesh.  For a daytime sky, my go to thread is Elegance, regardless of mesh size.   DMC and Anchor Pearl #8 and #12 are two more to consider, and they have a wider color selection.

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!