I remember stitching this blanket from two years ago like it was yesterday. I recall this because I was disappointed in myself for returning, again, to a go-to stitch for a tall narrow area. There’s nothing wrong with tried and true, but I wanted something more. It was kinda fun (and enlightening) to see what the simple addition of two stitches to the pattern makes. Or should I say fun, enlightening, and a relief?

The go-to stitch is what I consider classic Tramme (far right), a layered stitch with a base thread (black lines) and trios of accent stitches (aqua lines). The original plan was to do that with pairs of accent stitches (instead of trios). It was working as the scale fit the space but *something* was missing. I was bummed and not sure what to do in its place. Disappointment can sometimes turn into great inspiration. On a whim, I added the vertical lines on either side of select pairs of accent stitches and was immediately smitten…and very relieved.

Today’s stitch has more texture than its cousins. While most tramme lends itself to clothing, this one has a little extra texture that will work well for coats, pants, blankets, or scarves. The stitched sample is a border on a blanket from Walking in the Rain by Zecca. I used Trebizond Silk for the base threads (black lines) and Petite Silk Lame for the accent threads (aqua lines). Imagine what fun you could have with color combinations. For example, I would stitch pants with Petite Very Velvet (black lines), a contrasting silk floss for the horizontal accent threads, and a matching metallic for the vertical accent threads.

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!

#whimsicalwednesday blog