Cousins

This month's first #smallspacesunday is a cousin of one of my go-to small stitches.  It's the exact same concept, simply over five rows (instead of three) and on the horizontal (instead of vertical).

Horizontal Elongated Crosses.jpg

There's nothing overly complicated about this stitch.  I recommend adding the aqua lines first, followed by the gray lines.  The beauty of this stitch, whether it is on the horizontal or vertical axis, is it works well on any narrow space.  It would make a fantastic door or panel in wallpaper.  It would also make a great ground cover, especially with contrasting colors or finishes.  

The stitched sample on Instagram is from my stitch guide for Emma Williams' Rooftops.  It uses DMC Floss and Neon Rays on 13-mesh.

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 for Melissa Shirley Designs, Zecca Designs, and Patience Brewster.  30 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

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

Oops

Technically, today's stitch is a mistake.  What my eyes saw in the stitch book and what my hands wrote on the graph paper were two different things.  So it goes.  My best needlepoint girlfriend assured me that she liked my version better.

As much as I would like to name this the Mistake Stitch, technically it is an Alicia's Lace Variation.

I used this stitch for the pink and turquoise hills in Emma Williams' "The Cottage," distributed by Melissa Shirley.  I wanted an understated stitch because the mountains were in the deep background, but I also wanted to bring attention to them singularly because of their gorgeous color.  So, between this stitch and Lorikeet, I'm hoping it all comes together!

The diagram is in two colors for clarity.  That said, it would be great to use two threads with different finishes to make it pop a little more.  It would be fun in two threads for a small coat, flower, Santa bag, or hat.  Even a small fruit.  (Yes, I can always bring a stitch back to fruit.)  This stitch would also be great with a lightweight Kreinik Metallic on windows or water.

The stitched sample on Instagram is me playing with this stitch on a stitch guide in progress for an event this summer.  

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 for Melissa Shirley Designs, Zecca Designs, and Patience Brewster.  31 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!

Short & Wide

I can be overly focused on the traditional view of perfectly diagonal stitches (45 degrees) in needlepoint.  It's also clear I'm overly comfortable with straight stitches, as illustrated here, here, and here.  So, yes, I can get bored with myself, I mean my stitches.

This is when oblique stitches save the day.  The beauty of oblique stitches is they are often the perfect stitch for that odd-shaped space.  Today's stitch is a chevron stitch with oblique stitches and a skipped row.

Oblique Chevron.jpg

This stitch would be just perfect for receding landscape (mountain or greenery in the background), water, or sky.  Those are just some thought-starters.  The skipped row is essential here as it lightens the stitch and helps with the shading.  The subtlety here is beautiful.  Despite being minimalist, it makes you look twice.

The stitched sample on Instagram is me playing with threads for a background of a floral piece from Melissa Shirley.  I used Elegance and Crystal Braid on 18-mesh.

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 for Melissa Shirley Designs, Zecca Designs, and Patience Brewster.  30 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

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

Triplets

Today's #smallspacesunday is a hybrid stitch inspired by two separate posts in my Pinterest feed.  The first is a stitch diagram and the second is a photo of a different stitch.  Needless to say, I couldn't find the photo again so I started playing to recreate what I thought I found.

The end result is what I am calling the Triplet stitch.  It's a riff on the Horizontal Pairs I shared earlier this month, but with groups of three stitches (instead of two).  

Triplets.jpg

This is really a perfect multi-purpose stitch.  It's ideal for tall narrow spaces.  I like it for a floor, chimney, sweater, small toy bag, water, greenery.  Really, almost anything.

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 for Melissa Shirley Designs, Zecca Designs, and Patience Brewster (Kate Dickerson Designs).  30 guides are currently available, including two new additions for Patience Brewster (visit them here and here), and more are (still!) in the pipeline. 

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

Herringbone, Gobelin, Whatever

The original pin for this stitch did not include a name.  When I first came across it on Pinterest, I thought it was a Gobelin stitch.  When I started to diagram it, I realized it is a Herringbone.  And that, my friends, is how you come up with a blog post title.

Unlike most stitches using a single thread, the sequence is critical.  The core single stitch is easy; it is over two rows and up three.  The graph below illustrates it three ways.

The layered effect of this stitch results from a consistent starting point, specifically the top (or the bottom) for every row.  In addition, to keep the integrity of the stitch intact, note the first stitch is a compensation stitch (the double aqua lines).  

Personally, I have no preference between starting from the bottom or top (or the far right or far left if you are doing this on a horizontal axis).  However, I strongly believe you should do one or the other and not do alternating.  It's a subtle difference but I prefer the consistent pattern presented by the top or bottom starting point.

I am not aware of any trick to make this easier.  It will involve tying off the thread at the end of every row and beginning the next row at the top (or bottom).  If the space is not overly large, you could drag the thread across the back to begin the next row, but that is not always the best solution as it can add bulk to the back of the canvas which can impact finishing, especially framing.

While I may not favor the "Alternating" sequence, that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it!  It could work on a basket or shrubbery stitch, where the alternating directions could enhance the woven appearance.

The stitched sample on Instagram is a small taste of the "starting from bottom" version.

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 for Melissa Shirley Designs and Zecca Designs.  28 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!

A Sweet and Simple #smallspacesunday

And a very sincere Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays to one and all.  To get over the hangover of the holidays, here's a sweet and easy small space stitch that adds a little somethin' somethin' to what may be a boring space.

While this is an absolute riff on the Alternating Plain Needlepoint post I did a few weeks ago, there is something about the texture of the French Knots that make this stand out.  On the stitched sample below, you can see I had nothing but small spaces.  The French Knot texture, along with the thread color, helped further differentiate the area.

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 and more are in the pipeline.  I'm hoping to have some definitive news to share about projects in the pipeline very soon!

Okay, back to whatever you are doing!  I hope it is not cleaning up as that is what children and grandchildren are for.  Hope you have/had a wonderful holiday.   Only nine months until next year's holiday finishing deadline!  Hurry!

Sassy Small Stitch

The stitch itself isn't sassy.  I think it's kinda cute.  My name for it is a little sassy.  It's a riff on the recent Star Octagon theme.  I present Collapsed Star Octagon.

The stitch has the same core element as the Star Octagon, specifically an element over 1-2-1-2-1 rows.  As with the Star Octagon, it alternates directions but from a different point.

I added a bead to the emerging intersection, though that is just one idea.  Alternately, you could leave it empty.

Or add a Cross Stitch for a small quilted look.

The stitched sample on Instagram illustrates the middle diagram (without an accent).  It uses Pepper Pot Silk on 13-mesh.

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 have the perfect spot for this stitch!  Enjoy!

Dot Dot Dot

Yes, the title is dot, dot, dot.  As in Dotted Swiss.

As you know, I am a huge advocate of Plain Needlepoint in every piece.  It provides balance and a place for the eye to rest.  The stitched sample for this stitch is a perfect example of this philosophy.  It's Melissa Shirley's Vintage Pears with a stitch guide by Beverly Churchfield.  The pears are gorgeous.  If you want to do an exquisite version of that canvas, I strongly encourage you to get Bev's stitch guide.

The background is a Dotted Swiss variation to allow the pears to shine as they are truly extraordinary.  That said, I did add a little sparkle to the background as well.

I used DMC Floss and Crystal Braid with similar color values.  And I love it. 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 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 have the perfect spot for this stitch!  Enjoy!

Small Tramme

Truth be told, most Tramme stitches qualify as small space stitches.  However, I singled this background out as a small Tramme background because the stitched sample is an ornament I did many years ago.

The stitch is very straightforward.

Sequence: 1. Dark gray vertical lines (aka base threads) 2. Yellow lines (aka accent threads) 3. Black lines

Sequence: 1. Dark gray vertical lines (aka base threads) 2. Yellow lines (aka accent threads) 3. Black lines

The vertical rows are over three to add a smoothness to the background and moderate the tramme rows in the stitch.  That is a personal choice; you can do over more or fewer rows in your own piece.

The stitched sample is a combination of three different finishes in the same color family.  

The threads are DMC Pearl #8, Very Velvet, and Kreinik Metallics Very Fine Braid, all in a very light blue.  The Kreinik is a very subtle touch and may be hard to see.  That was purposeful...the light weight creates a very subtle metallic pop to the background that I love. 

The possible thread combinations and color combos are endless.  This stitch makes a fantastic background (obviously), but would also be adorable on a pair of pants with the base thread of the tramme row in a contrasting color.  It would serve well as a wallpaper, floor, rooftop (yes, again with the rooftops), or ground cover.  Its strength lies in the tramme rows, which add definition and strength to the stitch.  If you want a strong vertical (or horizontal) design element, this stitch is for you.

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 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!

I Feel Like I'm Cheating

Technically, this is nothing more than traditional, plain, old-fashioned, tent stitch, half tent stitch, or whatever you call it needlepoint.  But alternating finishes in Plain Needlepoint is a fantastic way to brighten up a small space.

The diagram below is a 3-in-1 diagram, illustrating three ways to make this work for your space.

The stitched sample on Instagram illustrates the diagram on the far left.

This is a Meredith Collection Monogram pillow I'm working on.  With so many small spaces and the added complexity of geometric shapes, very simple needlepoint is called for, in my opinion.  (And it's a perfect easy stitch piece.)

I combined different finishes in the same color family.  The Alternating Tent Stitch is also a great way to combine colors, especially for dramatic small spaces.  (I'm thinking Halloween with alternating orange and green stripes.)  And, just for the record, I stitched a space with one thread type at a time, meaning I ended up doing a lot of continental stitches 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.

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 and more are in the pipeline.

Enjoy!