Christmas is Around the Corner

November 18, 2020 whimsicalstitch

So it’s all about red today. A lot of red, I might add.

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

The stitched sample is two strands of Impressions (black lines) and Shimmer Ribbon (turquoise lines) on 13M. It’s part of the same sampler I shared with you last week.

Your eyes are not deceiving you…it is a full coverage and diagonal stitch. Oddly enough, what draws me to this stitch are the single tent stitches in between the 3X3 squares (turquoise lines with the Shimmer Ribbon). It adds a tiny element of surprise AND opens up a different pattern for the Impressions (black lines). I look forward to using this stitch for a jacket with Vineyard Silk and a Kreinik Metallic. It will also work well for a roof with two shades of Rainbow Linen or Vineyard Silk.

If you want to glam it up a tiny bit, consider replacing those single tent stitches I mentioned earlier with a seed bead or a Cross Stitch with a different metallic.

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.

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, 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!

Whole Lotta Pink

November 11, 2020 whimsicalstitch

Today’s stitch is from the wayback stitching machine, aka early aughts, and a whole lotta pink.

The stitched sample is Impressions (aqua lines), Petite Frosty Rays (gray lines), and Neon Rays (yellow lines). It’s from a class taught by one of my favorite former shop girls (who is now a full-time+ mom of three adorable boys).

This stitch is from a heart sampler and is full of red, pink, and white. (So it’s highly likely you’ll be seeing more red and pink soon.) I love how the oblique angle of the stitches, combined with the use of contrasting finishes in the main repeated stitch elements, adds an element of surprise. I’ve used this stitch for a skirt with black Petite Very Velvet (for the aqua and gray lines) and multiple Kreinik Metallics for the yellow lines. A blouse or dress would be really pretty with more lightweight threads, such as Soie Cristale (aqua lines), Petite Silk Lame (gray lines) and Flair (yellow lines).

If you want to lighten it up a bit, consider a single bead or bugle bead (on the horizontal) in lieu of the yellow lines. Taking that one step further, consider a string of three beads in two colors across the open space (on the horizontal).

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! Please enjoy! Have a wonderful #whimsicalwednesday!

Let's Fly!

January 29, 2020 whimsicalstitch

Today’s stitch is just what we all need to get through the winter doldrums, whether they be snow, rain, wind, or just plain cold. It’s bright green and it includes beads! Works for me!

Today’s stitch just might be a student’s work in progress from Walking in the Rain, the latest addition to my Stitch Guide Library. The stitched sample uses Rachelette (black lines), Gloriana Silk Floss (aqua lines), and Sundance Beads (yellow circle with black lines).

I would love to see this as a fruit tree with an overdyed wool (black lines), solid silk floss (aqua lines), and a bead the color of the fruit on said tree. I might play with it very soon for a small-ish body of choppy water with lightweight metallics, such as Petite Silk Lame, Bijoux, and an appropriately colored bead. I think this would be an adorable tiled roof by eliminating the bead and moving the stitches up one row (so the top center of a repeated element shares a hold with the bottom center of the repeated element immediately above). For the tile, I would use two related shades of silk floss or silk floss (black lines) with a Petite Silk Lame (aqua lines).

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! 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 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!

More than Windows

September 23, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Today's #stitchingsunday takes us back to my second #smallspacesunday post. Today’s visit down Memory Lane illustrates how this great small space stitch can be used in larger spaces as well.

The stitched sample is from the Aviva Floral from a recent embellishment event. I wanted to make the geometric borders interesting yet wanted the eye to go to the flowers. So, I divided the shapes into four with intriguing borders and added Reverse Basketweave to the quadrants. (And my student was very open to all of the above). It was a fun way to break up the individual shapes. The only thing missing from the stitched sample is a single bead in the empty intersection in the middle.

And, before I go, just another reminder that this is one of my favorite glass stitches.

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, 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!

Ho Ho Ho

August 5, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch is a quick and easy full coverage stitch for a long, narrow space. The French Knots are a nice little surprise that add texture and a little extra something to what could be a boring area.

The stitched sample is a Santa beard with three plies of Burmilana for the horizontal stitches (black lines) and two plies of the same Burmilana for the French Knots (gray circles). Typically, I add an extra ply of a thread when I am doing a straight stitch to make sure there is full coverage.

It's easy and cute. I think it would be darling as cowboy pants with a lovely brown or blue variegated wool, such as Lorikeet or ThreadWorx Merino Wool. It would make a cute hillside or roof. Soie Cristale and beads (instead of French Knots) would make a gorgeous and elegant dress. Another variation would be to replace the French Knots with a Cross Stitch for a more subtle variation.

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, and Patience Brewster. Click here to see the newest guides and click here to see the entire collection.

hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy! Happy #smallspacesunday!

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!

Wide, Wide Open

June 20, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch came from two places. A stitching friend used it on a background for a floral piece. My plan was to borrow it from her piece. Imagine the very pleasant surprise when I realized I had it on one of my very own pillows! (You probably aren't surprised to learn I have more than my fair share of needlepoint pillows.)

The stitched sample is a single petal from a retired Melissa Shirley floral. (It's not on her site, but it is a cousin of this, this, and this canvas. (I have a sneaky suspicion I have at least one of cousins in my stash somewhere.)

The stitched sample uses a single strand of Impressions (turquoise lines in the diagram) and Kreinik Metallics Tapestry Braid (#12) (gray lines). I recommend adding the diamonds in halves across the horizontal axis and following up with the Kreinik, weaving around the Impressions on the back of the canvas to minimize dragged threads. I absolutely love the end result. Quick tip on choosing the thread to use in dramatic open work. I gravitate towards the dominant color. In this case, for the entire flower, the dominant color was the yellow.

As I mentioned earlier, a stitching friend used this stitch for a lovely open background on a floral still life. It would also make a wonderful floor, wall, or roof. Clearly, it lends itself to use in a sampler. I would love to see it in the center of said sampler with other fun open stitches surrounding it.

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, and Patience Brewster. Click here to see the 20 newest guides and click here to see the entire collection.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Please enjoy!

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!

A Second Life

May 13, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch is an obvious variation on a go to stitch in my stitching circle. It's a really subtle variation that makes the stitch go even faster. Win win!

The stitched sample is me playing with two plies of Impressions and Kreinik Metallics Tapestry Braid #12 on 13-mesh. The right side includes a small Cross Stitch in the middle of stitches on the horizontal row. That could easily be a bead or a French Knot. This stitch leaves more room for shading to show through than its cousin.

This is a stitch for all seasons. It would make great tree leafy greenery as well as tree trunks. Roof, floor, wall...virtually any architectural element. Clothing is also an obvious use for this stitch. I would love to see it as a Christmas stocking hung by the chimney with care. I think you get the idea.

I lifted my thread commentary from the original post because it is a good reminder about thread weights.

The cross stitch over one row condenses the stitch and adds a small level of bulk. If you do not want that added texture, your thread choice should be lighter than you normally use for the specific canvas size. As an example, I like to use DMC Pearl #5 or Kreinik Metallics Fine Braid (#8) or Tapestry Braid (#12) on 13 mesh. Elegance or 4-ply floss is a good choice for 18 mesh.

Truth be told, just last night, I used this stitch with a 4-ply floss on 13 mesh because 6-ply floss added way too much bulk for the stitched area. It was a great reminder that there are guidelines in needlepoint, but you need to let your eye tell you what the right thing to do is.

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, and Patience Brewster. 91 guides are currently available, with 20 new Stitch Concepts just added! 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! Enjoy! Happy #smallspacesunday!

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 About the Stitches...and the Threads

April 11, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch is a variation on a common theme on whimsicalstitch.com. I do love my Oblique upright crosses. But what I really like about this is the understated thread combination.

This is the shirt from Joachin by Sandra Gilmore that I stitched in the early 2000's. The threads are a single strand of Impressions (gray lines) and an overdyed floss for the vertical straight stitches in the center (aqua lines). I'm so used to mixing thread finishes in a stitch, this popped out to me. It's a nice reminder contrast isn't exclusively thread finish.

As with most perfectly symmetrical stitches, this would be great for architectural elements such as a roof, floor, tabletop, or walls. We see it works for clothing. It would also make a great tree trunk or other greenery. Not all greenery needs to be dramatic. This is a good companion stitch where you have multiple green spaces. Put the drama in the one you want to stand out and use this stitch for the other.

Consider replacing the vertical straight stitch (aqua lines) with a single bead over two rows (in either direction!) for water, clothing, or even flower petals. The bead technique makes this a more open stitch, so the shading will show through.

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, and Patience Brewster. 61 guides are currently available, with 13 new Stitch Concepts just added! 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!

Or Not

January 3, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Welcome to a new year of #whimsicalwednesdays! Let's kick off the year with open stitches, sparkly threads, and beads, shall we?

Let's start with the first stitch. The stitch is connected octagons with all sides over two rows. While I am aware the primary shape is the octagon, I see the diamonds first, hence the name.

This version would be great for nature, especially areas that don't need a heavy stitch. Think water, sky, clouds. It's a wonderful way to show off the canvas painting. The stitched sample uses Sparkle! Braid for a sky on 18-mesh.

Make it the "Or Not" version by adding an Upright Tied Cross in the center and a bead inside the diamond. It's really something, especially when you mix threads and add beads. A stitcher friend shared a wonderful sample with me.

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

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

The first stitched sample uses Kreinik Metallics Medium Braid for the diamonds, Rachel for the Upright Tied Cross, and a Sundance Bead. It's exquisite and inspiring. She is using it for a large flower petal. It would be great for clothing, especially dresses or dramatic coats. Replace the bead with an Upright Cross and change the focus to matte threads, such as Pepper Pot, Gloriana Silk Floss, or even Straw Silk, and you would have fantastic greenery.

The second stitched sample is an illustration of thread weights. The sample includes Soie D'Alger and a Sundance Bead. The octagons are two plies of Soie D'Alger and the Upright Tied Cross is a single strand of the same Soie D'Alger. I love the lightness of it. And the shading shines through beautifully.

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.

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, and Patience Brewster. 48 guides are currently available and more are in the works. I will be posting about 15 new Stitch Concepts later this month, so stay tuned!

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy! And happy, happy 2018!

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

July 19, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Technically, this stitch is a composite of small stitches. However, there are too many elements to name that make it wonderful. As I was creating the diagram image, no other title that popped into my head after the first one seemed appropriate. It truly is everything but the kitchen sink.

Believe it or not, the stitch includes only two threads and one bead. The gray lines are Shimmer Ribbon; the black lines AND aqua lines are one strand of Impressions; the turquoise circles are gold beads. The best sequence to use (and I say this from experience) is to stitch the gray lines first, followed by the black and aqua lines, and end with the gold beads. Establishing the pattern with the gray lines will make the rest of it go much easier. I swear.

Clearly, this stitch belongs in a space you want to draw attention to. I used it on a dress. It would make a great roof, Santa bag, sampler area, or grass area (without the beads). It would also be wonderful as snow, but only if you want that snow to dominate the piece. Have fun with it. You can experiment with different sized beads for a more subtle effect.

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, and Patience Brewster. 45 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

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

#whimsicalwednesday blog