…exactly what stitch to put in it. For example, adding pumpkins in the background of a witch canvas or adding olives in a background stitch for a martini glass. Or, as illustrated today, putting leaves in the background surrounding flowers.

My original plan was to integrate leaves into the column stitch I shared a few weeks ago. However, the border wasn’t tall enough to accommodate the long lines between the snowflakes (which would have been leaves in this version). I tested short lines between the leaves and it looked ridiculous. And here we are. To eliminate visible threads between the leaves, I recommend stitching each leaf independently, meaning start and end within every individual leaf. It’s a pain, but worth it, I promise.

The stitched sample is a single strand of DMC Floche on 18M. I considered doing random leaves but feared they would distract from the flowers in the background. (You can see a better picture of the background here.) My plan is to stitch all of the flowers on the border in Basketweave with silk floss and Petite Silk Lame.

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.

IIf 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 for free the first chapter from my first book which covers 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!