It's the Painting, Silly

May 17, 2023 whimsicalstitch

Today’s stitched sample reminds me why I love lightweight threads. Technically, it’s a full-coverage stitch. Yet, I used nothing more than two threads and you can see all of the beautifully painted shading without buying multiple threads or dealing with stark thread changes. It just makes me so happy.

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This is a project from forever ago, so my best guesses on threads are a single strand of DMC Floche (black lines) and a size 4 gold Kreinik (yellow lines) on 18M. The stitch is a straightforward pattern of diamonds wrapped with Chevron-esque borders. The lightweight threads add a simple elegance, allowing the shading to shine.

DMC Floche should never be confused with cotton floss. Floche is a single-strand cotton thread with a slight sheen because it is mercerized. I typically use 1-2 strands depending on the mesh size and the end result I am looking for. It’s an all-around great thread for embroidery and needlepoint. You can read more about it here. (Mary Corbet is my embroidery queen. She has taught me a ton about threads and techniques.)

So, back to the stitch. We’ve seen its value as an “open” stitch with lightweight threads. Truth be told, it also makes a legit full-coverage stitch with heavier threads. It will make a smart jacket with Pepper Pot Silk or Vineyard Silk for the black lines and a heavier Kreink for the yellow lines. I also like the idea of overdyed floss for the yellow lines and a complementary solid silk floss for the black lines for the leaves on a medium to large tree.

Click on image to see the **whimsicalstitch.com Stitch Library** on pinterest.com. Includes all #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.

As you are auditioning stitches (from any stitch source), count the number of canvas threads on the diagram that match your mesh size. And there you have what an inch of the stitch will look like. Evaluate that against the area where you plan to use the stitch and make your final decision. If you start integrating this step into your stitch selection process, you may be surprised at how many stitches you think are large are much smaller than you realize.

By (sometimes) including this step in my own process, I find I am now integrating much longer stitches than I ever thought I would. I used to think a stitch six rows long was super big. I have very much changed my tune, which has helped me expand my creativity, especially for large-space stitches.

Today’s 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 is a series of four books offering contemporary how-to collections of more than 200 stitches (in each volume) for all stitchers, regardless of skill level. All books include updated and sequenced diagrams from this blog, plus a collection of all-new stitches from private lessons and other class projects. Visit here to find a needlepoint retailer that carries my books.

New to needlepoint or looking for a refresher? Please download a handy how-to 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, the layering of colors demonstrates you add them in that order. They can also provide ideas on integrating 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 Cousins

March 3, 2021 whimsicalstitch

Both of today’s stitches use two threads and a shared stitch pattern. I love the two unique stitches that emerged.

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 me playing with Soie d’Alger (3-ply and a size 8 Kreinik Metallic (yellow lines).

This will make a beautiful wallpaper or floor with any silk floss and your favorite lightweight metallic, my favorite being Kreinik or Petite Silk Lame. I also am looking forward to using it for pants as it will help give the area height. This simple stitch has a subtle elegance that I just love.

Truth be told, as I was stitching the sample, I became obsessed with what it would look like without the underlying Kreinik, so I whipped up the sample below.

And here we have it. It’s a really cute look with more Soie d’Alger (black lines) and Trebizond Silk (yellow lines).

As you know, the openness of this stitch makes it ideal for areas with shading. It will be so pretty for many outdoor spaces, such as tree trunks, water, green fields, hills. many options.

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.

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.

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!

Talking to Myself

April 1, 2020 whimsicalstitch

I’m talking to myself (and to inanimate objects) a lot more than usual these days. And I think this cat is telling me how pleased it is with the choice of stitch and threads we used for its fur.

The stitch uses Glisten (gray lines) and Fyre Werks (turquoise lines) on a cat’s face from Este MacLeod’s Snowy. I flipped the stitch 90° for the legs (not shown).

As you may know, I’m a fan of plain needlepoint for all faces…human, animal, or otherwise. (This is needlepoint; we know there are faces other than human or animal.) However, this cat screamed for something more than basketweave as it was an abstract cat and a focal point for the project.

This stitch is great for clothing, as it adds direction and interest to an area. It will make a very handsome coat or pants, using Very Velvet (gray lines) and Flair (turquoise lines) in vertical columns. Vertical columns would also lend themselves very well for a tree trunk with two shades of Rainbow Linen (one shade for gray lines and a second shade for the turquoise lines). It would also make a wonderful border around any needlepoint piece.

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. My favorite needlepoint retailers that carry the book can be found here.

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!

More Full Coverage Proof

January 8, 2020 whimsicalstitch

Today’s stitch was a fun challenge for me. It’s so easy to say fun in hindsight! (And, yes! I do have full coverage stitches in my repertoire…two weeks in a row!)

Truth be told, I was a little panicked. I was creating a guide for the first Emma Williams canvas, such a pretty piece with beautiful colors and shading. The pink and brown roof was beautifully painted but my go-to of an open stitch was out of the cards (for lots of reasons). So, I knew two things. I wanted a full coverage stitch that included soft shapes (no squares or rectangles) and the respective amount of pink and brown (as painted). I started playing with beetle shapes (examples are here and here) but wanted something a tiny bit smaller and a tiny bit different. Enter the addition of the Upright Cross between the brown “crowns.” Voila!

The stitched sample uses ThreadWorx overdyed cotton floss (black lines), Splendor (turquoise lines), and Flair (gray lines) on 13-mesh. It’s a great stitch for clothing with Soie D’Alger (black lines), Flair (turquoise lines), and a Kreinik Metallic (gray lines). I would love to see it as a tree with the threads from the sample in a slightly different pattern. Use the solid floss for the black lines, the overdyed floss for the turquoise lines, and keep the Flair. A fun variation would be to replace the Upright Cross with a single bead over two rows.

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.

IIf 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! 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!

Gobble Gobble

November 6, 2019 whimsicalstitch

Today’s stitch is a clever combination of two different sized leaves from an adorable little turkey. I can’t wait to integrate it into an upcoming project!

The stitched sample is from our friends at the Knotted Needle in Grosse Pointe. It uses Gloriana Silk Floss.

I diagrammed the smaller leaf in a different color to draw attention to the accent. I love integrating tiny accents into leaf stitches. Examples are here, here, and here (scroll down to Classic Leaf with Bead Accent example). The fact that the accent in today’s stitch is integrated directly into the leaf, versus adjacent or as a connecting device) stands out for me. And I like it a lot.

I would love to see the accent stitch in a contrasting thread, whether that is color, finish, or both. It will make a wonderful bird with an overdyed floss (black lines) and a contrasting solid metallic, such as Neon Rays or a Kreinik Metallic (yellow lines). I would flip it 180° for a tree, using an overdyed wool (black lines) with a solid silk floss (yellow lines). I would also like to play with adding 1-2 empty rows between the leaves for something a little different…and a possibility to add a bead to the mix.

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, 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!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

July 10, 2019 whimsicalstitch

This morning’s stitch comes from a frantic search on my phone for a stitched sample. Not the most reliable nor advisable way to find a stitch for a blog post but, wow, I think it turned out better than all right.

I am, literally, leaving on a jet plane in a few hours so this is going to be quick. The stitched sample uses a single strand of Burmilana (black lines), Petite Silk Lame (gray lines), and a Sundance bead on Herondipity (by Charlie Harper), a project I’m working on with a local student.

This large space stitch would be great on a tall tree with beautiful shading, such as a pine tree or a solid Christmas tree with a variegated Silk Floss (Silk ‘N Colors, Gloriana, or ThreadWorx) or a variegated wool (Lorikeet or ThreadWorx). Depending on how the tree was painted, you could add contrasting accents (say silver and red beads for ornaments) or matching accents to accentuate the leafiness. (If leafiness isn’t a real word, I say pshaw. It’s a great word.)

Clearly, this makes a wonderful stitch for bird wings. I would ratchet up the accents for the wings with brighter metallics or larger beads, such as Swarovski round crystals or bi-cones. This stitch is scalable and I will be using a slightly smaller version of this on the Partridge of the Twelvetide Series. It’s going to be adorable.

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!

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