Pretty in Pink

June 26, 2019 whimsicalstitch

I’ve admired this full coverage stitch from afar for a while. And, while I was pulling together the stitched sample, I discovered that leaving out half of it is just as fun!

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The stitched sample is me playing with 6 plies of Splendor (black lines) and Neon Rays (gray lines) on 13-mesh. Most of the other stitched samples I’ve seen for this stitch used the same thread for both lines. I used two colors to add interest and more distinct and unique direction to the stitch. It’s a great stitch whether you use one or two threads.

It will make a great jacket or pants with a strandable Merino wool or single strand silk. Flip it 90°, thread up with some overdyed silk floss and, voila!, you have a beautiful grass field. Consider stitching the single stitches (that are going in the opposite direction) in a contrasting thread, whether that be finish or color. That could make a very interesting floor or roof.

The second photograph is the stitch in progress before I added the Neon Rays. As I was stitching this step, I kept thinking what a pretty glass stitch this would make. I would love to use it on one of the large windows from a Sandra Gilmore room. It would be gorgeous with a lightweight Kreinik Metallic, Petite Silk Lame, or Bijoux.

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 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!

Oops

June 19, 2019 whimsicalstitch

Today’s stitch reigns in my laundry room. I’m not a fan of laundry so this piece is the only thing that makes me smile when I go in there.

The stitched sample is a large red flower from a retired Linda Carter Holman piece (through Melissa Shirley Designs) with Fyre Werks (black lines) and Neon Rays (gray lines). It’s a great case study in the “rules” of needlepoint.

Generally speaking, I don’t believe in hard and fast rules of needlepoint nor do I appreciate the “needlepoint police.” That said, I have very strong POV’s on select things. For example, I believe plain needlepoint (umbrella term for basketweave, continental, tent stitches) belongs in every piece. It provides balance to what I truly love, which are beautiful decorative stitches. If someone disagrees with that POV, great! No harm, no foul. All of us are stitching projects for ourselves or ones we adore. It is up to the individual stitcher to stitch what she/he wants and how they want to stitch it.

That’s a really long preamble to my point. I’ve wanted to share this stitch with you for a long time but I held back because the stitched sample is technically not correct. I remember being explicitly told to slide the last stitch (of the gray lines) UNDER the pre-existing stitch. And that is what the diagram shows. (That is also sequenced for clarity.) The stitched sample? Not so much. Big oops and a big “oh, well.” It’s still pretty. And, even though it’s what I see whenever I stare at the piece (while avoiding said laundry), I still love the stitch. (In fact, I just put it in a new Stitch Concept I’ll be sharing with you in August).

This stitch will grab attention due to its size. I would love to see this as a Santa coat with Very Velvet (black lines) and Fyre Werks (gray lines). Consider it for a sampler with Soie D’Alger and Silk Lame. An overdyed silk floss and Petite Silk Lame make a dramatic and different approach for a large bird. It would make a great dollhouse roof with Silk Perle and a Kreinik Metallic.

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

A Small Stitching Sunday

June 16, 2019 whimsicalstitch

Today’s #stitchingsunday is the tiniest of variations on one of my current favorite small space stitches. Removing the bead makes it into a delicate and understated open stitch.

Today’s stitched sample uses three plies of Soie D’Alger on 18-mesh. This stitch would also make a great field, walls of a house, clothing, or a tiny roof.

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! 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!

Not Available Right Now

June 12, 2019 whimsicalstitch

Today’s stitch came from a recent foray into the internet rabbit hole. For once, I reappeared from said rabbit hole a. after a reasonable amount of time, b. with a darling new stitch idea, and c. no new and unusable knowledge about contemporary pop culture. Take that, internet rabbit hole!

The stitched sample is me playing on 18-mesh with a size 12 red Kreinik and a green Fyre Werks. (More on that below.)

These squares are really rounded squares as the corners are over two rows (on the diagonal). I put an empty row between the squares because the sides don’t line up perfectly and I was afraid you would lose the distinct pattern of each square.

In all honesty, the first thing I thought of when I pulled this stitch together was how cute these would be in a random placement. Yes, I know random anything gives some stitchers hives, but hear me out. The size of these begs for random placement. They would be wonderful sprinkled on a solid background, like one of the new tall Zecca birds or a Mary Lake Thompson still life white background. Or, put them in columns, alternating color or finishes or both between columns. You may add as much open space between columns as you need.

These would make a great addition to a sampler. I like the idea of alternating them with another 10X10 square stitch, creating a checkerboard. As I mentioned earlier, I think they would make a wonderful background stitch. Using a Mary Lake Thompson still life as an example, I would stitch these in columns, leaving 3-4 empty rows between columns with a lightweight silk perle. Returning to the stitched sample for a moment, you see the distinct difference the Kreinik makes in defining the individual stitches. That is important since the empty rows between the stitches is an important part of the design.

BUT! Consider filling those empty rows in between the metallic stitches with a contrasting color for some real drama. That could make a fantastic Santa Coat on a tall stand up Santa, such as Amanda Lawford’s line. You could also add a single Upright Cross in the center of each square or a single bead over two rows on the vertical.

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!

Big Blue

June 5, 2019 whimsicalstitch

Open stitches can be wildly interesting patterns on their own. But their ability to integrate the beautiful shading of a painted canvas is what keeps me drawn to them. Today’s stitch is case in point.

The stitched sample uses 6 plies of Splendor on 18-mesh and is the tabletop from my Lemons project. I love this stitch because it was large enough to make the table stand out and still integrate the beautiful blue shading of the same table.

This stitch would make a wonderful field of…whatever. Grass. Wheat. Snow. You get the idea. For grass or wheat, I would use an overdyed silk floss such as Silk ‘N Colors or Gloriana. I love Flair for snow. Hear me out. I know Flair can be a challenge to stitch with. However, Flair is so good at absorbing the color it is covering, especially white Flair. I navigate Flair’s fragility by snipping the end of the thread the moment the thread starts to fray. This stitch would also make a gorgeous roof.

Flip this stitch 90° and it will make a gorgeous wallpaper, background, or clothing stitch. For wallpaper or background, my go-to threads are Elegance, silk floss (with a lighter ply count), DMC Floche, or Soie Perlee. For clothing, I would alternate a matte and a metallic thread every other column. For the matte, I would use a single strand silk such as Vineyard Silk or Pepper Pot. I would use Silk Lame or Fyre Werks for the metallic (depending on how bright you want the contrast to be).

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!

Challenging Myself

May 29, 2019 whimsicalstitch

I love any and all tramme stitches, sometimes referred to as layered stitches. I can whip out a straight tramme stitch as a solution for almost anything. I’m not so good at diagonal tramme, so I love sharing this one with you.

Today’s inspiration comes from Ruth Schmuff at Bedecked and Beadazzled. It uses two plies of silk floss on 18-mesh.

A quick distinction between layered and tramme. For me, base threads from edge to edge (gray lines) distinguish tramme stitches from layered stitches. (Visit this blog post I wrote about tramme for insight on the history of tramme.)

This stitch would make a great architectural stitch, such as a roof or floor. Thought starters for threads for a roof are overdyed wool (ThreadWorx, Lorikeet) for the base threads (gray lines) covered with a solid Rainbow Linen (turquoise lines). Petite Silk Lame (gray lines) and Elegance or Subtlety (turquoise lines) would make a great combo for a floor or wallpaper. For a dramatic look on clothing, consider a single strand silk such as Vineyard Silk or Pepper Pot Silk (gray lines) covered with a heavier metallic such as Kreinik size 12 or 16.

If you want to go really crazy, consider making the center diagonal stitch (in the groups of three) a string of 4-5 beads. Just a fun thought that I WILL be trying someday.

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!

Procrastination Squared

May 26, 2019 whimsicalstitch

I need to rip out a section on a current needlepoint project. Naturally, the solution is to post the blog I intended to post last Sunday. I am confident my kitchen cabinet will be reorganized before I finish ripping out the stitching. Okay, before I even start.

A stitching friend shared this stitch (without the beads) with me a while ago. I immediately forgot about it (#middleagedbrain) and went on my merry way. While looking for a small stitch for a wing, I stumbled across it in my photo stream, added some beads, and voila!

The stitched sample comes from Joanna at the Plum Stitchery. It’s from 4 Colly Birds, part of the Twelvetide Club hosted by the Wool & the Willow in Cleveland Heights. It uses two plies of Needlepoint Inc. silk floss and a size 14 Sundance Bead (on 18-mesh).

This stitch would be perfect for water with a lightweight metallic (Kreinik size 4 or size 8, ThreadWorx size 4 or size 8, Petite Silk Lame, or Flair) and a seed bead. (Great seed bead resources include Bead Dazzle, Caravan Beads, Sundance Designs, or S&J Designs.) This stitch will make an adorable jacket for an elf or a doll dress with Petite Very Velvet and a size 11 seed bead. Consider alternating matte and metallic threads by horizontal row. A suggested thread combo is 4 plies of silk floss for the matte with Silk Lame (18-count) for the metallic with a seed bead or a Swarovski round crystal for the bead accent.

Why 4-ply when you used 2-ply in the stitched sample? It’s all a matter of taste, the thread combos, and what your are trying to accomplish. I used two plies for the birds because I wanted the shading on the chest to show through. I recommended four plies for the alternating example because I needed the weight of the matte thread to be similar to the weight of the metallic thread. Otherwise, the metallic thread would overpower the area.

Technically, today is a two-fer as you can eliminate the beads for a more straightforward small space stitch. You could also add two small beads in each intersection for a truly glamorous stitch. (Stitch diagrams are never truly to scale, so please trust me that this will work.) You could also add the beads over three holes, instead of two as illustrated, for even more possibilities.

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.

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!

But is it Small?

May 22, 2019 whimsicalstitch

When I assembled today’s stitch, it was going to be a #smallspacesunday. The reality is its size belies its impact. There is a lot of eye candy in this stitch, so #whimsicalwednesday it is.

The stitched sample is me playing on plain 18-mesh canvas with blue Elegance (black lines) and red Petite Silk Lame (turquoise lines). Stitch all of the black lines before you add the second group of stitches (turquoise lines). I used what I call a modified back stitch to create the tiny octagons. The sequence followed the shape of any given single octagon. Your first stitch may go right to left; your next stitch will go from left to right. And repeat to create an octagon. That said, I obsessed less about dragging threads on this because the layer of octagons on top was very forgiving.

This stitch is perfect for areas where you want to add interest but not so much that it obliterates everything around it. I’m considering using it for the chest of a bird as it will add said interest without overwhelming where I want the real attention to go…the wings. It will make beautiful wallpaper or floor covering. I think it is important to use two lighter weight threads (both in literal size and relative to the canvas mesh) so the stitches on top do not create the effect of burying the first layer of octagons. The two threads can be different colors, different finishes, or both (as the stitched sample illustrates).

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!

It's Hard to Not Smile

May 15, 2019 whimsicalstitch

Today’s stitch makes me smile. It’s light, airy, and oh so pretty.

Ruth Schmuff, an FOW (friend of whimsicalstitch.com), integrated this stitch for a background in her guide for Sudden Realization by David Galchutt. It uses Gloriana Silk Floss (black lines) and Petite Silk Lame (gray lines) (on 18-mesh).

The intriguing pattern belies its delicateness. I’m integrating it into teapot that has beautiful shading for an upcoming Stitch Concept, using a solid color silk floss (black lines) and a ThreadWorx overdyed metallic (gray lines). I’m also adding a bead in the center of the smaller flowers. Using clear beading thread for the beads provides the ability to drag the beading thread across the canvas. If you are using solid beading thread, add the beads up and down vertical columns or from right to left and back in the horizontal columns.

I would love to see it for a solid background with a Silk Perle (black lines) and a bright Kreinik Metallic or Fyre Werks (gray lines). It could make a very pretty sky with overdyed pearl cotton or solid silk floss (black lines) and light metallic (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.

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

Excuse Me

May 8, 2019 whimsicalstitch

I made the mistake of thinking pulling together today’s stitched sample was going to be easy. Au contraire. I kept getting distracted by variations that kept popping up in my head as I stitched it for you.

I named it Interrupted Satin Stitch because every fourth stitch is an interruption of sorts. You think you know where it’s going (over two rows) and…bam!…nope (over three rows). The stitched sample is me playing with Splendor (black lines) and Petite Silk Lame (turquoise lines) on 18-mesh.

This full coverage diagonal stitch (above center) is perfect for areas you want to add some direction, such as a roof or walkway. I love the idea of flipping it 90° and using it for pants or wall covering (above right).

I love uneven matte threads for roofs, such as Rainbow Linen or Rainbow Tweed. Glisten is a good alternative because the metallic filament adds a subtle unevenness. Partner any of those with a lightweight soft metallic, such as Trebizond Silk, for the tent stitches. I would use a single strand silk with a favorite metallic for pants and Soie D’Alger with Petite Silk Lame for a wall covering. Consider swapping the tent stitches for seed beads if you want to make it even more glamorous.

Another use popped into my head while stitching it. Leave out the tent stitches, use a lightweight metallic, and use it for a water stitch. The stitch over three adds an interesting choppy wave affect. While stitching, I also realized how scalable this stitch is. Consider changing the over 2 and over 3 rows to over 3 and 4, respectively for a slightly larger stitch.

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.

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

#whimsicalwednesday blog