One Last Stitch…

December 25, 2022 whimsicalstitch

…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 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!

Keeping Santa Warm & Dry

December 19, 2021 whimsicalstitch

As promised, today’s #stitchingsunday introduces you to the very smartly dressed Santa from my tree. Today’s stitch is from a forever ago blog post and is also included on page 203 of my first book.

Today’s stitched sample is a Santa roll-up from my early days of decorative stitching. The stitched sample uses Neon Rays (black lines) and Flair (yellow lines). The original blog post presents this same stitch on the horizontal, so it’s kinda fun to see the different looks. It’s a fantastic small space stitch. I talk a little about how to navigate the extra bulk this stitch can add, which can be a great feature for certain stitch areas.

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.

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!

It’s #stitchingsunday x2

June 13, 2021 whimsicalstitch

The myth of working in needlepoint is that you sit around and stitch all day. Oh, how I wish. One of my New Year commitments was to carve more time to stitch in 2021. Today's #stitchingsunday is from a fun Madcap Cottage project (from @plumstitchery) I’m currently working on that includes a very recent #whimsicalwednesday stitch as well as a long-time go-to stitch.

Click on image to see on whimsicalstitch.com's Instagram account. Visit instagram.com/whimsicalstitch to see a library of stitched samples for select #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.

Click on image to see on whimsicalstitch.com's Pinterest account. Visit pinterest.com/whimsicalstitch/whimsicalwednesday for a library of all #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.

The background on the stitched sample is a narrow Alternating Cashmere (without the Smyrna Cross) stitched with Elegance (on 18M). The jury is still out as to whether I’m going to fill the empty 2X2 square. The light blue border at the top of the photo is stitched in Reverse Basketweave with Petite Silk Lame. I consider using basketweave for the border but wanted something sweeter than that on the border.

Speaking of loving your stitches, please do not forget to tag us on Instagram (@whimsicalstitch) so we can share your stitching in Instagram stories.

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, there's more: Mary’s Whimsical Stitches Volume 1 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; Mary’s Whimsical Stitches Volume 2 features chapters on Balanced, Beading, Diagonal, Layered, Oblique, Small, and Straight stitches.

Also, you can download for free the first chapter from my first book which covers 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.

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, 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!

It’s #stitchingsunday

May 16, 2021 whimsicalstitch

It’s always a joy to see how one of the stitches from my blog is used in one of your projects. Always. Much of the joy comes from how you use it, whether that be the thread or the area, especially when it’s an area I may not have mentioned in the original blog post.

The stitched sample comes to you from one of my favorite needlepoint friends, Kelli. She flipped the stitch 90° and used a Kreinik metallic for a darling, snowy background. It’s just too cute. This horizontal version will work well for pathways or grass with an overdyed wool or silk floss and water, or even a wide window with a lightweight metallic such as size 4 Kreinik (for 18M), size 8 Kreinik (for 13M) or Petite Silk Lame (for either).

Speaking of loving your stitches, please do not forget to tag us on Instagram (@whimsicalstitch) so we can share your stitching in Instagram stories.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Please enjoy! Have a wonderful #whimsicalwednesday!

Tiny Crowns

April 4, 2021 whimsicalstitch

After a long hiatus, #smallspacesunday returns with a sweet little stitch that reminds me of tiny crowns.

Today’s stitch is the snow under some snowmen with a white Kreinik Metallics Fine Braid (#8) from my stash on 18M.

My go-to stitches for snow are darning stitches on the horizontal axis, or some sort of horizontal straight stitch, with a lightweight metallic to highlight any shading and/or to keep the area light so the focus will go elsewhere. Even when you don’t factor in teaching projects, I get tired of my go-to stitches. Factor in teaching projects and, well, you can understand why I was hungry for something different. The inspiration for this stitch came from the last page of the Lagniappe section of the Lone Star’s Grab ‘N Go stitches. I combined the two directions they offered and added more space between the rows for more separation between the rows.

And I’m thrilled with it and can’t wait to use it for water with two colors of Petite Silk Lame or size 8 Kreinik (on 18M). I’m looking forward to flipping the stitch 90° and using it for a tree trunk with Rainbow Linen or a Burmilana Wool.

I elaborated on the origin of this stitch because I was hoping you would have two takeaways. The first is that any stitch book has more inspiration than just the stitches included in it. Many of my composite stitches, especially from my earliest blogs and from both books, find their inspiration in grand and complex composite stitches that I really liked but were not perfect for me. My solution was to remove one or two elements of the inspiring stitch and, voila, I thought they were perfect. Alternatively, feel free to add things! You can rarely go wrong with adding beads to a stitch. I find that skipping a row or rows in any stitch is a great way to find new things. I did a whole post about that a few years ago. You can find it here.

These stitch diagrams, 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.

Also, you can download The Essentials, a free 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.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Please enjoy! Have a wonderful #whimsicalwednesday!

Happy #smallstitchingsunday

August 9, 2020 whimsicalstitch

Sometimes simple and small is the best way to go. Today’s #stitchingsunday is a shout-out to some of my favorite small stitches.

By the end of the day lately, I’m tapped out. Several of my works-in-progress are large, exquisite, and honestly, too much at the moment. I turned to a small canvas I had in my stash to get me through this week. (Also, loving Perry Mason and the Watchmen on HBO. Not necessarily perfect stitch TV*, but easy stitches make it easier to do both at the same time.)

The canvas is an adorable eyeglass case (on 13M) I picked up a few months ago. The letters are stitched in Cross Stitches, a trick I picked up from a fellow needlepoint junkie, with silver Fyre Werks. The advantage of a Cross Stitch, instead of a French Knot, Tent Stitch, or bead is that a Cross Stitch covers all four sides of an intersection, making the lines created by the stitches (in any direction) smooth and uninterrupted.

The background is nothing more than what I call Plain Needlepoint, but more commonly known as Basketweave, in Vineyard Silk and Pepper Pot Silk. I considered and discarded cuter and more complex stitches because I wanted the attention to go to the letters and the glasses. In addition, I didn’t want to do that much compensating around the same letters and glasses.

And, last but not least, the lenses are covered in Reverse Basketweave with a size 8 Kreinik Metallic to ensure the canvas shows through, as it would do through glasses.

These stitch diagrams, 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.

There’s a time and place for everything and sometimes it needs to be simple. I anticipate I will finish this tonight while I watch the Perry Mason finale. I’m confident you have the perfect spots for any of these stitches. Happy #stitchingsunday!

*Stitch TV = any programming that you can watch and comprehend while stitching. I prefer it to not be completely vacuous; I’m also not a fan of overly harsh reality TV. My favorite Stitch TV includes binging on old series I already know and love (Justified, I’m looking at you), easy comedies (Parks & Rec, anyone?), Great British Bake Off (who doesn’t love an English accent with their sweets?), and sports (or what is passing as sports TV these days).

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!

Happy #stitchingsunday

April 12, 2020 whimsicalstitch

Welcome to the first #stitchingsunday featuring stitches from my book. The inaugural post features the Tramme stitch from one of my very first blog posts and one of my favorite go-to stitches.

Today’s stitched sample is an oh so sweet baby pillow from Abigail Cecile, featuring the Tramme stitch as a border. The stitcher used Kreinik Metallics for the base threads (black lines) and Sparkle Rays for the accent threads (aqua lines). Visit the original blog post here for more insight on how to navigate burying the threads as well as a little history on tramme stitches. The stitch can be found on page 147 in my book.

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.

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!

I'm Sensing a Theme

March 22, 2020 whimsicalstitch

Yes, today’s #stitchingsunday is another angel. I promise it uses a different stitch than the last angel on the most recent #stitchingsunday. :)

Today’s stitched sample is a skirt from a sweet Melissa Shirley star angel. It uses Petite Silk Lame and Sundance Beads (size 14/15) (on 18-mesh). Click here for the original blog post that includes a couple variations. In addition, this stitch can be found on pages 164 and 165 in my book. (I renamed the stitch to Oblique Diamonds to be consistent with similar stitches in my repertoire.)

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.

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!

The Original 2 Sisters

February 23, 2020 whimsicalstitch

Today’s #stitchingsunday comes from one of my favorite pairs of sisters. They’ve been stitching and making me (and a lot of other people at Aristeia) smile and laugh for a very long time and I adore both of them.

Today’s stitched sample is a background on an adorable Rebecca Woods angel ornament. The sisters flipped the stitch 90° (to the right) and used Petite Silk Lame (on 18-mesh). Click here for the original blog post where, coincidentally, the stitched sample uses the same color thread as today’s much better stitched sample.

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.

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!

Oldie but Goodie

October 27, 2019 whimsicalstitch

Today’s #stitchingsunday revisits a great all-purpose open stitch from 2016. It’s a personal favorite and I’m proud of my restraint because I don’t put it in every single stitch guide I write.

Today’s stitched sample is a background on a cute little Debbie Mumm watering can. It uses Elegance (black lines) and Flair (turquoise lines). (The gray lines were not included in the stitched sample.) If you click on the stitch diagram, you’ll be taken to an earlier version of the diagram that includes several alternatives you could use instead of the Smyrna Cross in the center. Click here for the original blog post, where you will see another cute variation for this stitch.

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 sells Stitch Guides and Stitch Concepts for Melissa Shirley Designs, Zecca Designs, Sandra Gilmore, Purple Palm, Maggie, and Patience Brewster, 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!

#whimsicalwednesday blog