Spring into April

Happy April!  This month will be a hodgepodge of stitch stuff with no overarching theme other than my stitching stream of consciousness.

And, as things would have it, we begin the month with a #smallspacesunday.  Today's stitch is a variation on a recent #smallspacesunday.  To illustrate how you can always make similar stitches look vastly different, today's version includes a bead.

The bead brings a certain gravitas to this small stitch.  It would also be great way to make areas on small canvases pop, such as clothing or wrapping paper on small ornaments.  The stitch is also especially appropriate for a small waterway or a waterway in the distance.   Have fun with it!

The diagram includes a slightly different beading technique.  Today's technique is called Vertical Cross Stitch Beading.  You attach the bead twice, from opposite directions, over the same intersection to keep the bead centered and straight.  The net result is the bead's center hole will be parallel to the vertical row versus a 45-degree angle.  It's a subtle difference, but a nice touch.

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 for Melissa Shirley Designs, Zecca Designs, and Patience Brewster.  32 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch!  Enjoy!

Oops

Technically, today's stitch is a mistake.  What my eyes saw in the stitch book and what my hands wrote on the graph paper were two different things.  So it goes.  My best needlepoint girlfriend assured me that she liked my version better.

As much as I would like to name this the Mistake Stitch, technically it is an Alicia's Lace Variation.

I used this stitch for the pink and turquoise hills in Emma Williams' "The Cottage," distributed by Melissa Shirley.  I wanted an understated stitch because the mountains were in the deep background, but I also wanted to bring attention to them singularly because of their gorgeous color.  So, between this stitch and Lorikeet, I'm hoping it all comes together!

The diagram is in two colors for clarity.  That said, it would be great to use two threads with different finishes to make it pop a little more.  It would be fun in two threads for a small coat, flower, Santa bag, or hat.  Even a small fruit.  (Yes, I can always bring a stitch back to fruit.)  This stitch would also be great with a lightweight Kreinik Metallic on windows or water.

The stitched sample on Instagram is me playing with this stitch on a stitch guide in progress for an event this summer.  

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 for Melissa Shirley Designs, Zecca Designs, and Patience Brewster.  31 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!

I Can See Clearly Now

I vividly remember when I was taught how to do glass by Wendy Harwood. Like it was yesterday. It was a glass jar full of candy on a Melissa Shirley stocking. I loved the colors of the candies and looked forward to bringing them to life with bright threads. In the back of my mind, I was bummed it wouldn't be obvious the pretty candies were in a jar, but couldn't verbalize that thought. Turned out it didn't matter. Wendy shared a great solution that showed off the pretty candies in what was very clearly a jar.

Open stitches with Kreinik Metallics.

Jars, eye glasses, vases, windows...everything glass.  It was and is a great solution.  My go-to stitch for windows is Reverse Basketweave in a Kreinik Metallic Braid.  My favorite is #032 Very Fine Braid (#4) for 18 mesh and #032 Fine Braid (#8) for 13 mesh.

Another favorite glass stitch is Alicia's Lace.  It's Plain Needlepoint in alternating directions.  So easy.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Click here to see the stitched sample for Reverse Basketweave and here for the stitched sample for Alicia’s Lace.

Experiment with some of your favorite open stitches and share what you learn with us!  I hope you enjoy this solution!

These stitch diagrams, along with other #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams, can also be found on www.pinterest.com/whimsicalstitch/whimsicalwednesday.  

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 for seasonal Melissa Shirley designs.  Ten guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!

P.S.  I miss you, Wendy.  A lot.