I suspect all of us have that stitch we always fall back on. You know, the stitch you start doing without even thinking about it. Mine is the Woven Stitch, especially for backgrounds. As I began adding it to yet another background, I decided I needed to do something different with it.

Yes, I know it still looks like a woven stitch but I really like how the added open space inserts a grid feature to the design. The stitched sample is me playing with two plies of Soie D'Alger on 18M. I’m using this stitch for the background on a floral still life. Unfortunately, I used white thread on that white background so it is not always the best example to photograph.

This stitch is perfect for places that are exactly like this stitch…clean, simple, and not screaming for attention. The repeated pattern for this stitch starts 16 rows wide and 16 rows tall, so it needs a pretty large space to achieve the effect. I like it for floors with two colors of Petite Silk Lame for a fun twist. I also played with it on a roof with Burmilana.

Click on image to see the **whimsicalstitch.com Stitch Library** on pinterest.com. Includes all #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.

Just a reminder about how to evaluate stitches for size on your project.

As you are auditioning stitches (from any stitch source), count the number of canvas threads on the diagram that match your mesh size. And there you have what an inch of the stitch will look like. Evaluate that against the area where you plan to use the stitch and make your final decision. If you start integrating this step into your stitch selection process, you may be surprised at how many stitches you think are large are much smaller than you realize. (Or, in today’s case, the stitch is much larger than it looks.)

By (sometimes) including this step in my own process, I find I am now integrating much longer stitches than I ever thought I would. I used to think a stitch six rows long was super big. I have very much changed my tune, which has helped me expand my creativity, especially for large-space stitches.

Today’s 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.

If you like what you see on this blog, there's more. Mary’s Whimsical Stitches is a series of three books offering contemporary how-to collections of more than 250 stitches (in each volume) for all stitchers, regardless of skill level. All books include updated and sequenced diagrams from this blog plus a collection of all-new stitches from private lessons and other class projects. Visit here to find a needlepoint retailer that carries my books.

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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, the layering of colors demonstrates you add them in that order. They can also provide ideas on integrating 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