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!

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.

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.

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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, 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!

Brace Yourselves

December 2, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Update: Added a diagram to match the stitched sample because, well, I don’t want you to think you’re losing your mind. That said, it’s clear I’m losing mine. Enjoy!

December’s posts are from my collection of Christmas pillows. So brace yourself for a lot of red and green. Yes, yes, I know the holidays embrace far more colors than my pillows do, so please reimagine these stitches in your favorite holiday colors! I promise all of the colors will work!

We kick off December with a #stitchingsunday featuring a long time favorite stitch, the Trifecta. The stitched sample is from a background on a Meri Meri Designs Christmas piece, using Snow and Rachelette, both from Caron Collection Threads. The diagram on the far right is another way you could fill the area between the blocks of white.

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! 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!

Boo!

November 15, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch is a full coverage stitch I found in a book forever ago. I had all but forgotten about it until I pulled out my Halloween decorations.

The stitched sample includes DMC Perle Cotton #8 with Flair. It's a tricky little stitch. Do NOT overlook the fact the beetles alternate sizes on the horizontal and vertical axises. I strongly recommend adding the beetles first (gray lines), and fill in the parallelograms (turquoise lines) when you are done with the beetles.

This full coverage stitch will draw attention to a medium- to large-sized space. It would be a fantastic coat or bag with rich threads such as Pepper Pot Silk, Very Velvet, Soie D'Alger or Gloriana Silk Floss for the beetles. Combine those with a strong metallic such as Fyre Werks, Kreinik Metallics Medium Braid (#16), Silk Lame, Rachelette, or Frosty Rays. It would make a wonderful basket or floor with lighter weight matte threads such as DMC Perle, Elegance, Subtlety, or Prescencia. Combine colors and finishes to get your desired 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. 48 guides are currently available and more are in the works!

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

Magical Milanese

December 21, 2016 whimsicalstitch

I've never chatted about Milanese before, so why not start with a large, dramatic Milanese stitch?

Milanese stitches are diagonal stitches, typically in groups of four with each stitch one row wider than the previous. The resulting element looks like a triangle or an arrowhead. Today's stitch idea blows this up into a group of six stitches for each triangle.

Let's start with the diagram.

The triangles are in diagonal columns. Every row of an individual triangle aligns with a specific row in the triangle on either side (going in the opposite direction). I use the "total" to determine which stitch (of the triangle) is in the next diagonal column of triangles. In the above example, the total is seven (7). The sixes match to the ones; the fives match to the twos; the fours match to the threes. The "total" counting method helps me easily add subsequent columns and is a real help when adding compensation stitches. Honestly, it keeps me sane. I recommend stitching the triangles first and return to add the accent stitches (the aqua lines).

The stitched sample on Instagram takes this concept one step further by alternating finishes for the diagonal columns of triangles.

(Very) Large Milanese with Kreinik Metallics Medium Braid, Very Velvet, and Frosty Rays (on 13-mesh) on this morning's #whimsicalwednesday blog post (www.whimsicalstitch.com/whimsicalwednesdays/2016/12/21/magical-milanese). #needlepoint #whimsicalstitch #kreinikmetallics #purpleandoink #rainbowgallery #veryvelvet #frostyrays #halloweenindecember #home #love #excusethecathair

See this Instagram photo by @whimsicalstitch * 1 like

The diagram below is the exact same as above, but I changed the color of alternating columns to align it with the stitched sample for clarity.

Since Milanese is a dramatic stitch that stands out, I think it calls for substantial, full coverage threads. The stitched sample uses Very Velvet and Frosty Rays. Both of those threads add a certain puff to the stitched sample. Confetti or Rachelette would be a fun alternative for the Frosty Rays. Right now, I am pondering how fun it could be to use Gloriana's Chenille for the triangles (on 13-mesh).

Other substantial threads, albeit with less puff, are Silk & Ivory, Planet Earth Wool, Planet Earth Silk, or Kreinik Metallics (size 12 or 16). Fyre Werks and Flair are great metallic threads to consider as well. While they may appear lighter weight, they are great threads as they lie flat and wide. They make great accent threads.

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 for Melissa Shirley Designs and Zecca Designs. 28 guides are currently available, including the newest Tea by the Sea, and more are in the pipeline.

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