Today’s stitch is yet another variation of diamonds with a lot of variations within itself.

The stitched sample is the chest on a vintage Melissa Shirley piece featuring a somewhat dramatic rooster. I used ThreadWorx cotton floss (black lines), Petite Very Velvet (yellow lines), and size 12 Kreinik (aqua lines) on 13M.

In all honesty, I don’t know if I would have considered using Petite Very Velvet for the center if I was stitching this today…and I would regret not using it. The metallic is now a subtle accent, and I love its surprising contrast in both finish and weight.

This stitch would make a beautiful coat for a snowman or Santa with red velvet (black lines, a solid silk floss in a slightly different hue of red for the yellow lines, and a gold Fyre Werks for the aqua lines. I would love to see this stitch on a tree with a beautiful overdyed silk floss for the black lines, a rich green single strand silk for the yellow lines, and a green Kreinik for the aqua lines.

To dress this stitch up even more, consider replacing the Upright Tied Cross with a small bit of Brick Beading in the center. I would love to use that on a dress or coat on an angel with silk floss and beads. I would not include the aqua lines BUT feel free to add that extra something something.

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.

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 four books offering contemporary how-to collections of more than 200 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.

New to needlepoint or looking for a refresher? Please download a handy how-to guide covering 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, 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!