While I’m never proud of the size of my wip stash, it serves us well. Today’s stitch is from said stash and a bright little pick-me-up!

So this wip is old. It is so old that I have a vague memory; this was the piece where I used Floche (black lines) for the first time. The yellow lines are most likely size 8 Kreinik. Even though the leaf and stem are not stitched on this pear, I know the plan for all of the leaves and stems was plain needlepoint, as painted, with a gorgeous variety of Trebizond Silk. (For eagle-eyed readers, this stitch is a simple variation of 3-4-3 Squares from page 9 of book 3.)

Last week I talked about matching stitches and this is a perfect example. (Matching stitches are the same thing as Balanced Stitches in my books.) There is a lovely symmetry here, The addition of an extra stitch (the Upright Tied Crosses) sets it off even more.

It’s a wonderful all-purpose stitch for greenery with two shades of green wool or single-strand silk such as Pepper Pot Silk or Vineyard Silk. It will also make a beautiful cloud with Flair (black lines) and Silk Lame (for the yellow lines). And I think it might work really well for a piece of fruit. :)

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!