Such a Good Kid

March 17, 2021 whimsicalstitch

Today’s stitch comes from a stocking I did for one of my favorite kids ten years ago. So, said kid is at least two heads taller than me now but still thanks me for the stocking…every single Christmas. I adore him.

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Since I stitched this almost ten years ago, I don’t have a clear recollection of where I stumbled across this stitch. What I do remember is I loved it the moment I saw it. Diagonal stitches are not my forte but the contrasting diagonal stripe made all the difference for me. That simple and uncommon accent makes this stitch sing for me. The stitched sample is Pepper Pot Silk (black lines), white Shimmer (gray lines), and green Shimmer (yellow lines). It’s one of three patterns in a checked pattern at the bottom of a Melissa Shirley stocking.

It’s a great all-purpose diagonal stitch. I’m looking forward to including it in a stitch plan for a wooly coat with Burmilana (black lines), a mild metallic such as Glisten (yellow lines), and a darker Burmilana (gray lines). There are many household objects that this will work for, such as a blanket or a pillow. I would love to see it as a blanket with Alpaca (black lines), Silk Lame (yellow lines), and a contrasting Silk Lame (gray lines).

These stitch diagrams, along with all other #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams, can also be found on a Pinterest board here.

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IIf 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 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.

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!

Itty Bitty Weave

November 24, 2019 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch is a little stitch I stumbled into by accident while creating a diagram for a different stitch. I love it when that happens.

The stitched sample is me playing at my desk with Pepper Pot Silk (black lines) and Neon Rays (turquoise lines) on 18-mesh while my cat, Gigi, “helped.” And by helped, I mean lay across my arms while I tried to stitch. (Post publication note: The diagram is the mirror image of the stitched sample. My bad.)

This will make an adorable tree with overdyed silk or wool (black lines) and a solid matching silk floss (turquoise lines). I look forward to using it for water or cloud with a Petite Silk Lame and a lightweight Kreinik Metallic. Lastly, I love the contrasting colors in the sample and think this is a perfect combo for a small sweater or pants.

Programming Note: This blog will be on hiatus this Wednesday, November 27. I wish you and yours a most wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I hope it includes lots of delicious food, adored family, few travel hassles, and all-important stitching time! (And hopefully today’s stitch will be the perfect stitch for a space you can’t quite figure out what to do with.)

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 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 #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!

Hello Handsome

September 1, 2019 whimsicalstitch

Today’s stitch is an illustration of how moving a stitch just one teeny tiny row changes everything!

The stitched sample is a shirt with Pepper Pot Silk and Silk Lame on 18-mesh. Technically, it is a small space stitch in a large space but I wanted the attention to go to the green coat stitch (which was unstitched at the time). The stitch is a close cousin to (what I call) the Diagonal T. As you can see, the second stitch doesn’t slide under the row above. It is one row over and it makes an intriguing difference.

Oh, the ideas! Rooftops with Tweedy, greenery with two shades of green Pepper Pot Silk, dirt path with overdyed ThreadWorx wool, floors with Silk Perle, windows with Petite Silk Lame or a lightweight Kreinik, shoes with a heavy Kreinik. I think you get the idea.

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 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 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! 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!

Diamonds Galore

March 13, 2019 whimsicalstitch

Social media algorithms are scary until they deliver something perfect like they did for me last week.

The inspiration for today’s stitch was an embroidery diagram Pinterest served up to me after last week’s post. I considered replicating the connected squares by using Smryna Crosses but chose to minimize it via single stitches. I love the precise elegance of it.

As with last week’s stitch, this stitch would be a beautiful floor, sky, wall, plain background, or roof. Notice how the 3X3 diamonds are tent stitches skipping a row in between. You could add small seed beads in those intersections for an even more elegant stitch that would be gorgeous on clothing.

The stitched sample is me playing on 18-mesh canvas with Pepper Pot Silk. I like single strand threads for stitches like this. I like the added height that single strand threads, such as perle cotton, silk perle, single strand silk, and metallic braids add to an area.

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! Please enjoy!

So Chill

December 12, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Every year around this time, I pull out the holiday pillow with today’s stitch. I love this really simple stitch and the color combo always calms me. It’s really quite lovely. I hope you enjoy it!

The stitched sample uses Pepper Pot Silk and Kreinik Metallics Medium Braid (#16) on 18-mesh on a the equivalent of a sampler pillow. It was really fun to simply stitch color blocks versus objects.

It’s a great all-purpose full coverage stitch. It would make great clothing, especially pants or boots. Consider using a lighter weight thread for the gray lines, such as a size 8 (or lighter) silk Perle or 2-3 plies of Soie D’Alger so more of the metallic shines through on either of those combinations. This is also a great stitch for oh so many architectural applications. Consider it for a roof with two shades of Vineyard Silk. Try it for a wall with a size 8 Perle Cotton for the aqua lines and Petite Silk Lame for the gray 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.

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, 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! Please enjoy!

Flashbacks to Geometry

November 28, 2018 whimsicalstitch

There are many things to love about today’s stitch. What I love the most is how fast this complicated looking stitch goes!

I named it Triangle Squares because a square emerges from four triangles coming together in the center. Each side (triangle) is an identical sequence, which is what made this so very easy. To minimize confusion, I stitched a square in one color, changed the thread to the second color and stitched the adjacent square so to not get mucked up with the counting. It made life much easier.

[Update (11/29): Stitch each triangle from the outer edge to the center. This will reduce wear and tear on the thread in the shared holes.]

The stitched sample is from the vase on my Lemons Stitch Guide and uses two shades of Pepper Pot silk with a brown accent (Silk Lame).

Clearly, this stitch is for larger spaces. This would be a very interesting background stitch with lightweight threads such as Silk or Cotton Perle, such as Elegance and DMC Perle #8, with a smaller metallic, such as size 8 Kreinik or Petite Silk Lame. It also lends itself to architectural areas, such as a tile floor or roof. It would make beautiful and dramatic clothing, especially with Soie D’Alger and your favorite metallic. If you are going to go down the floss path for this stitch, be sure to use a laying tool to keep the strands smooth and straight. Also, consider upping the ply count 1-2 strands to ensure full coverage.

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, 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! Please enjoy!

On the Road

September 5, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Summer stitching travels took me to Michigan, Maryland, Northern California, and Alabama. September's stitches are postcards from those travels and include stitches from several projects I worked on with students during those visits.

Today's stitch comes from my event at the Needle Bug in Alabama. It is a fun variation of diamonds from my new First Thanksgiving Stitch Concept. The bead between the diamonds (in the vertical columns) is an elegant and easy accent.

The stitch was used for clothing in First Thanksgiving with Pepper Pot Silk, Flair, and Sundance Beads. I also used variations of this for skies with Splendor, sequins, and beads. It would make a great roof with Rainbow Linen, matte beads, and an overdyed wool. I would love to see it as water, as the bead adds a wave-like texture.

There are other variations available. Consider leaving the diamond empty for a more open stitch. Consider swapping the bead and Upright Cross locations. Consider adding a straight stitch over two rows on the vertical instead of the bead. Have fun with it and let us know what you did with it. It could be a future #stitchingsunday.

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! Please enjoy!

Travelling Girl

August 22, 2018 whimsicalstitch

This week's stitch also comes from recent travels. It's bright, cheerful, and fun...something we always expect from our friend, Ruth Schmuff.

Today's stitched sample is a Triple Alternating Nobuko with a single strand of Floche (on 18-mesh). The stitch is one of many Nobuko variations. This larger version is a great all-purpose stitch. It includes an intriguing pattern, is scalable, and can be understated or much more. (Here's another Nobuko variation just for the heck of it.)

The sample is the background for a fun Zecca piece*. Leaving the stitch open adds subtlety, allowing it to recede a bit into the background. This simpler version would make a great background (obviously), sky, tabletop, roof, green field, or pathway. The stitches in this pattern go in two directions; consider using two threads, one for each direction. You could use a matte and a metallic, or two completely different colors.

If you want to dress this up a little, add your favorite metallic in the empty rows. If you want to dress it up a lot, add beads in the empty rows! Combinations like those two would make wonderful clothing or bags. I would love to see this as a Santa coat or a witch dress with a with a rich Very Velvet or Pepper Pot Silk along with a heavier metallic such as Kreinik 1/16" ribbon (for 13-mesh). Soie D'Alger and a size 15 crystal bead would be perfect for 18-mesh.

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! Please enjoy!

* "A fun Zecca piece." Let's acknowledge this is a redundant statement.

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!

Weaving In and Out

February 28, 2018 whimsicalstitch

And here we are at the end of February and glorious Spring is almost here! In honor of the pending spring, I bring you a cute little woven stitch!

While this looks like a Tramme stitch, it uses a different sequence. Add the black lines first. When complete, and only when complete, start at an outer edge and weave the thread under the groups of vertical stitches, alternating between two separate horizontal rows of stitches.

For this example, start at the upper right corner. Weave the thread under the groups of stitches on the top row and the groups of stitches two rows BELOW. Return to the top row, take the needle under the next group of stitches, and return to the next group on the axis below. Repeat until you reach the end. When you get to the end, repeat this sequence in reverse. Start on the third row of groups of five stitches and weave UP to include the second row of stitches.

This stitch is quick and easy...seriously. I used a variation of this stitch for the back panel of a wicker chair. It was a perfect fit for the chair and maximized the beautiful shading behind the chair. Other ideas include a basket using Rainbow Linen or Lorikeet. It would make a great fence with wools. It would also make a really charming roof. The stitched sample uses Pepper Pot (aqua thread) and Gloriana Princess Perle (white thread). I urge you to use single strand threads, especially for the top threads, to avoid any snagging when weaving the second thread underneath.

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!

Santa Came in January!

January 31, 2018 whimsicalstitch

With all the holidays this month, it was a so fun to receive an email giving me a gift. My new friend, Amy Poore, sent me today's stitch and stitched sample. It's adorable!

I've seen versions of this stitch around and really like what Amy did with it. It's a fun mix of diagonal and straight stitches, with some alternating directions thrown in for good measure.

Amy used a single color of Pepper Pot for this stitch as a background on one of her new pieces and it's adorable. I recommend stitching it in horizontal columns to keep the straight lines wrapped crisply around the edges. Don't obsess with dragging threads as needed as it is a pretty full coverage stitch. This stitch is great for anything you need to add texture and height to, such as pants, a chimney, a tree trunk...you get the idea.

I've seen versions of this on the horizontal and it's equally charming. It makes a great ground cover, open field, or even clouds.

Threads are dictated by the area of course. But, I do have a hankering to see this done with threads in two different finishes (one for the straight lines and one for the diagonal lines). I have seen this stitch as a ground cover in the combo of an overdyed and solid thread. It was gorgeous.

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. 60 guides are currently available, with 12 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!

#whimsicalwednesday blog