…before my beloved Melissa Shirley Santas take a vacation until next year. Today’s #stitchingsunday is a small gem from a very large toy bag and a surprising lesson in scale.
Click image to see #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday Stitched Sample Gallery on Instagram.
Click image to see #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday Stitched Sample Gallery on Instagram.
Click image to see the whimsicalstitch Stitch Library on pinterest.com. Includes all #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.
The stitch is a variation of the Step Stitch from my first book (page 216). Every third row uses a contrasting color to add interest to this subdued stitch. The stitched sample is a rather large and exuberant green toy bag from the attention-seeking musical Santa. My best guess is I used a green and gold size 12 Kreinik to give this bag a subtle kick. (It’s on 13M.)
There is a method to this madness. This is, without question, a small stitch. But this small stitch is perfect for this large area because it steps back and lets the fun toys and drum shine. I am confident my first thought was to use a large stitch, but I am so happy I re-evaluated. The addition of the second color makes this small stitch all the more interesting.
The moral of today’s post. Small Stitches. Not just for small spaces anymore. (IYKYK.)
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.
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. Retailers carrying the book can be found 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! Happy #stitchingsunday!
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!