It's a Three-Fer!

January 22, 2020 whimsicalstitch

I had a lot of fun with a recent Stitch Concept (that will be posted on the web site very soon) because I was bound and determined to find unique things to do in the too many to count bands and borders (wide and not always very tall) that wasn’t a Satin Stitch. I think I did better than all right.

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.

Starting clockwise from upper left, we have a border six rows tall (Large Diamond Composite), seven rows tall (Split Offset Stripes), and three rows tall (Herringbone over 3), and the ubiquitous stitched samples. The stitched samples are (from the top) over six, seven, and three rows (at the bottom). The over six sample uses Petite Silk Lame (black lines) and Needlepoint Inc Silk Floss (aqua liens). The center stitched sample uses two shades of Petite Sparkle Rays. The bottom stitched sample uses Neon Rays. (All are from the same project on 18-mesh).

All of these stitches are scaleable, though the diamond stitch will work best on borders with an even-numbered height. The student was really happy with the Neon Rays for the Herringbone because it was so smooth and filled the area well. My personal favorite was the offset stripes. It mimicked the canvas painting (always a win) but what I really liked about it was the contrasting colors. I would do this again the minute an opportunity presents itself.

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 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!

I Heart Diamonds of All Sizes

January 19, 2020 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch is a a variation on on my favorite small stitch components, a tiny diamond.

The stitched sample is from a frame in a Stitch Concept I created last year for Frank’s Rug, a fabulous canvas from Maggie & Co. It uses Silk Lame 18M on 13-mesh canvas. (For the inevitable follow-up question, the flowers will be added later with Just Another Button Co’s flower buttons.)

I’ve used this stitch in backgrounds, small shirts, rugs, windows, tiny trees…you name it. The space between the vertical columns creates the diamond. Otherwise, it would be Alicia’s Lace. And that space is a variable for you to play with. Feel free to widen it as needed.

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!

Cold Weather Requires Full Coverage

January 15, 2020 whimsicalstitch

It’s a bleak 30-45 seconds between waking up and getting the heat turned on these days, even here in So. Cal. So I think I need to extend my streak of full coverage stitches so I can get warm over here.

This is an oldie but goodie and from long before #whimsicalwednesday was a twinkle in my eye. This is so from so long ago, hashtags were still pound signs. And for those of you with a keen eye, Santa is NOT flying. He is part of a tree skirt from our friend Melissa Shirley. Since I stitched the background in same stitch in every panel, some of the Santas look wonky if you don’t look at them as part of the whole skirt. (And I would do it that way all over again.)

The stitched sample uses Very Velvet (black lines), Frosty Rays (yellow lines), size 8 Kreinik Metallic (gray lines), and size 16 Kreinik Metallic (turquoise lines) on 13-mesh. Clearly, it’s a great stitch for clothing. You can lighten it up with silk floss (black lines), Flair (yellow lines), Petite Silk Lame (gray lines), and a Kreinik Metallic (turquoise lines) for trees or a roof. I love the diagonal stitch across the top of the smaller Scotch squares. I think that is a really elegant touch. The stitch sequence is black lines followed by yellow lines. Cover the yellow lines with the gray line and cover the gray lines with the turquoise lines. Someday I would like to see a bead for the turquoise lines. I think that would be a darling doll dress.

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! Please enjoy! Have a wonderful #whimsicalwednesday!

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!

Thanks, Hank!

January 1, 2020 whimsicalstitch

And a very happy new year and new decade to us! I hope you had (or are still having) a wonderful holiday break. Let’s ease into the new year with a little pink.

There is a very good reason why the ornament in the photo is in my hand and not on my Christmas tree. Her name is Hank and she is an adorable demon. Her holiday adventures begin here (be sure to swipe to see the video) and include repeatedly climbing up the center of the Christmas tree (prompting its removal after six days), sneaking out the front door and exploring for over an hour before I realized she was outside (she’s an indoor cat), and breaking a brand new toy from her Aunt Gina within a couple hours of non-stop play. Did I mention she is an adorable demon?

But you’re here for the stitch. Oops…sorry about that. Today’s stitch reminds me of the Crown Stitch, a favorite stitch of mine, that I don’t use as often as I would like because of its sheer size. So this is a perfect solution! The stitched sample is a vintage Melissa Shirley ornament and uses four plies pink Splendor (black lines) and Crystal Braid (yellow lines) on 18-mesh.

It’s a great all-purpose stitch that works well for backgrounds (as illustrated), clothing, water, sky, or outdoor spaces. Instead of a contrasting element within a horizontal row (as illustrated), consider making each row a single color. Use two colors and/or thread finishes in alternating rows for interesting clothing. Thread ideas include Vineyard Silk and an overdyed wool for pants. Consider leaving an empty row in between columns for water with a lightweight metallic such as ThreadWorx Metallics or Kreinik Metallics.

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!

Cattywampus

December 18, 2019 whimsicalstitch

Today’s stitch pops up in my Pinterest feed on a fairly regular basis. The offset pattern in the repeated element (over 2-3-4-3-2 rows) is definitely outside my traditional comfort zone, which is most likely why I put off sharing it with you, but I’m pleasantly surprised at how much I’m loving the wide repeated element. And the cattywampus Smyrna Cross in the center will definitely be making a repeat visit in a future stitch.

The stitched sample is me playing with Elegance (gray lines), red Petite Silk Lame (black lines), and blue Petite Silk Lame (turquoise lines). I love the color possibilities of this stitch, which is why I stitched the sample the way I did. I hope it gives you a great jumping-off point for ideas for your own work.

In my mind, the most obvious use for this is clothing. You can make it rugged with a matte group of heavier threads such as Petite Very Velvet (gray lines), an overdyed wool (black lines), and Pepper Pot Silk (turquoise lines). For a dress or shirt, I would use 3-4 plies of Soie D'Alger (gray lines), a size 8 Kreinik Metallic (black lines), and Flair (turquoise lines). What I really want to use this on is a snowman with Flair (gray lines), a size 8 Kreinik Metallic (black lines) and Fyre Werks (turquoise lines) to pull it all together.

If you need more or aren’t a fan of a ton of open space, consider adding an Upright Cross or some beads in the center of the open space.

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!

Deceptive Diagrams

December 11, 2019 whimsicalstitch

Today’s blog post is a wonderful example of how a diagram is just the beginning of what wonderful things can come from putting threads to canvas.

The stitched sample uses two strands of Ruth Schmuff’s Color Dreams Floche (gray lines) and three plies of Gloriana (black lines). By using strands (or plies) of thread and laying them very carefully, it creates an even more interesting look as it appears there are three separate threads for the black lines. (Truth be told, that’s how I diagrammed it at first. Fortunately, I caught that embarrassing error before it came to you.) I love the subtlety and lightness of this thread selection.

I would love to see this stitch as a roof with overdyed wool (black lines) and Rainbow Linen or Tweedy (gray lines). It will make a beautiful grassy area with single strand silk (black lines) and Silk Lame (gray lines). My last thought is to create a beautiful tablecloth with Petite Silk Lame (black lines) and a second color of Petite Silk Lame (gray lines).

This stitched sample comes from a recent project of Ruth’s that you can find here.

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!

Seems Like Yesterday

December 4, 2019 whimsicalstitch

Imagine my very pleasant surprise when I realized I never shared this stitch with you! The monogram on the back dates this pillow to 2008, which says something about the enduring appeal of this stitch.

The stitched sample is Crystal Braid (turquoise lines) and clear beads (yellow circles).

This stitch will make a lovely dress with silk floss and contrasting bead. A different approach would be to alternate two threads (one single strand silk for the horizontal tied cross and the second single strand silk for the vertical tied cross) with a matte bead for a jacket or Santa toy bag. That combo would also work well for greenery. Another fun combo for the greenery is overdyed wool and a solid wool.

As I compiled this post, it dawned on me I probably love this stitch so much because it is a very close cousin to one of my all-time favorite stitches. You do know what this means, right? I’m going to have a blast playing with the rectangles in Alternating Cashmere stitches in the days ahead.

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!

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.

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!

What Rules?

November 20, 2019 whimsicalstitch

I’m not a fan of the needlepoint police. When students ask me if I have any rules, I insist I don’t but acknowledge I have very strong opinions on certain issues. One such “very strong opinion” is plain needlepoint is best for faces. Except, of course, if it is the face of a pumpkin who is sporting purple pants and an olive green jacket. I mean, duh.

The stitched sample uses DMC Perle Cotton (black lines), Petite Silk Lame (aqua lines), Soie D'Alger (gray lines), and Neon Rays (turquoise lines).

So, clearly this is not your typical face stitch nor is it your typical pumpkin…which is why I don’t have rules per se. Everything is relative and you have to have an open mind based on the personality of the piece, the personality of the stitcher, and the final look you are going for.

I would love to see this stitch on any pumpkin (with or without purple pants). You could use it for the purple pants with Petite Very Velvet (black lines), a medium weight Kreinik (aqua lines), any Silk Floss (gray lines), and Silk Lame (turquoise lines). It would be a gorgeous stitch for a fruit tree with your favorite combo of greens for everything but the turquoise lines. Stitch the turquoise lines in the fruit color.

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!

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