Today's #smallspacesunday features the Brick Stitch.  It is, quite possibly, the easiest stitch ever.  It can be done on the vertical or horizontal. 

It is also scalable.  The only caveat is to go over an even number of rows (to keep the bricks centered on each other).  The above example is over two rows; it is over four rows in the example below.  I wouldn't necessarily consider an over-4 brick stitch a small stitch, but wanted to demonstrate the adaptability of the stitch.

You can also skip rows if you would like to show the shading on the canvas or to make the stitching a little less dense.

The last example is the trifecta!  It doubles up on the bricks, skips rows, and adds a small accent.

As for use, this is a great stitch for bushes (especially in the background), ground cover, small area clothing, small area backgrounds, buildings.  

I am a big fan of plied cotton and silks.  I like using 4-ply on 18-mesh and 6-ply on 13-mesh for this stitch, along with my trusted laying tool.  There is something about the softness of the plies that make the final finish soft and gentle.  It also works well with stranded silks, such as Vineyard Silk or Pepper Pot Silk. 

This stitch diagram, along with other #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams, can also be found on www.pinterest.com/whimsicalstitch/whimsicalwednesday.  

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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 for seasonal Melissa Shirley designs.  Nine guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Be creative and enjoy!