Another often overlooked small space stitch is the Cross Stitch.  Because, really, what's more fun than plain needlepoint than plain needlepoint twice over the same intersection?

What sets the Cross Stitch apart is its unique ability to be a single stand-alone stitch.  Steps 1-4 illustrate the sequence for the individual stitch.  You can use it for an eye, a button, an earring, a flower center, or a star.  Use it for any single stitch that needs to stand apart, however delicately, from the area around it.  For use as a single stitch, it works best if the area surrounding it is a different color.  It also makes a great accent stitch in a larger pattern, illustrated by the stitched sample on Instagram.

The entire diagram shows a cluster of Cross Stitches. Consider covering an entire small area that needs texture yet needs to recede a little bit.  Consider it for groundcover in the distance on a landscape.  It also makes a great tree trunk, allowing the (more enjoyable to stitch*) leaves to stand out.

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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 has a book for you! Mary’s Whimsical Stitches 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. For more information, visit here.

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 #smallspacesunday!

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!