Today’s stitch comes to us via…my living room. The stitch itself is the result of one of those journeys where you are confident it’s going to be one thing and you end up with something very different. Naturally.
The stitched sample is from one of my favorite stitch guides, Walking in the Rain. It uses Vineyard Silk (black lines) and Petite Very Velvet (yellow lines).
I love how the longer (relatively speaking) oblique stitches enhance the monkey’s long body. The stitched sample illustrates the deceptiveness of the stitch. Due to the layering of the threads, the yellow threads appear to look like smaller tent stitches in the final appearance.
I’m looking forward to using this for outdoor landscapes. Flip it 90° for a hillside or green space with Vineyard Silk (black lines) and an overdyed single strand silk or overdyed silk floss (yellow lines). I love tiny accents of overdyed threads as they add interest without overwhelming an area. It will also work well for household objects such as a blanket or upholstered chair. For either of those, I would use silk or cotton floss (black lines) and add a metallic accent (yellow lines).
These stitch diagrams, 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.
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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!