Today’s #whimsicalwednesday stitch is the elusive full-coverage stitch, a rare find on this blog. And, full disclosure, I can not take credit for the perfect French Knots on the stitched sample. All credit is happily bestowed upon one of my favorite stitchers.

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.

Byzantine is one of the most versatile full coverage stitches as you can make it as square as you want or as tall as you want, as today’s stitched sample illustrates.

I prefer the tall versions. I love the height and interest they provide. They are great for wintery clothing with wools. The stitched sample uses ThreadWorx overdyed floss for a sweet little Easter tree. (Come on, it’s needlepoint. We have holiday trees for almost everything.) Flip the stitch 90° and you have a great floor or green field. You can use basketweave, beads, or a 2X4 cashmere square in lieu of the French Knots. If there is shading you would like to integrate, feel free to leave the blocks of French Knots unstitched.

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, 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 for free the first chapter from my first book which covers 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!

I got to catch up with a dear stitching friend this weekend (virtually of course). We spent time regaling each other with family news and crazy current events. But, truth be told, we spent more time talking about stitches and current projects. She slipped me today’s adorable stitch and stitched sample. The stitch is as charming as my dear friend.

The stitched sample is a background on an adorable Rebecca Woods Easter bunny with Rainbow Gallery’s Elegance on 18-mesh. This pattern is very similar to darning stitches I’ve shared in the past. However, it is a traditional wrapped stitch. Start at the top of a column, add the three stitches on the horizontal axis (over 2-1-2 rows), drop down and switch the pattern to 1-2-1 rows. (See where I got the stitch name?)

Clearly, this makes a charming background. I’m looking forward to using it for tall and narrow clothing, like pants or jackets with a matte thread such as Vineyard Silk, silk floss, or an overdyed wool. Flip it 90° for water or a snow-covered path. My favorite threads for those kinds of areas are Flair and Kreinik Metallics.

Two things I want to play with when I use this stitch. The first is to alternate between matte and metallic in the columns. For example, the groups of stitches over 2-1-2 stitches would be a matte thread while the 1-2-1 stitches would use a metallic thread. Or alternate matte and metallic by entire columns. Also, consider adding more empty rows between the columns to give more space, especially if the canvas has beautiful shading.

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Please enjoy! Have a wonderful #whimsicalwednesday!

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