Last week’s wip from my stash is the gift that keeps on giving.
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Today’s stitch is from a cute red pear from last week’s project. The stitched sample uses a single ply of Floche (black lines), a size 4 or a size 8 Kreinik (turquoise lines), and a size 14/15 red seed bead with red beading thread (aqua circles with black lines). Fun fact. I was so confident about this diagram that I thought I could create it from memory on my laptop while away from my office. I got home to find out I was wrong. It wasn’t terribly wrong, but I’m including what I thought it was on the right.
This stitch is another great example of how using solid color threads helps enhance shading. This stitch will add some interest to a beautifully shaded tree, with the beads in random colors of green or even random flower colors, such as yellow, orange, and red. It will also make a fantastic roof for a Victorian house with all the straight lines in a lightweight Kreinik and metallic beads.
Click on image to see the whimsicalstitch.com Stitch Library on pinterest.com. Includes all #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.
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.
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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!