Flip Flop

April 15, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Today's #stitchingsunday is a riff on a post from last year.

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. — 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.

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 Pinterest account. Visit pinterest.com/whimsicalstitch/whimsicalwednesday for a library of all #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.

She stitched up one of her new ornaments with a very recent #whimsicalwednesday stitch. So, of course I love the stitch but I'm thrilled she flipped it on its side. The stitched sample uses two plies of Soie D'Alger and a Sundance bead.

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, and Patience Brewster. 61 guides are currently available, with 13 new Stitch Concepts just added! 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! Enjoy! Happy #smallspacesunday!

Ginabean

March 18, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch is an ode to short, powerful, and surprising. Kinda like my dear friend, Gina(bean). She's all kinds of short and awesome, just like today's stitch. I think the technical name is Alternating Diagonal Mosaic, but I know it as the Ginabean.

The stitched sample is Soie D'Alger with Entice for the accent. Two things happened on the way to the stitched sample. First, I really liked the stitch without the accent. But, I also love it with the accent! So, your stitched sample is both. Magic!

This stitch would make a great small almost anything. The diagram includes a bead; the stitched sample uses a Cross Stitch in lieu of the bead. The bead version would make fantastic water, angel wings, small dresses or aprons, somewhere where you may want a little extra pop or extra added femininity. I see the Cross Stitch version as more multi-purpose. Sure, I would use it for any of the items I mentioned for the bead as well as clouds, receding landscape, tree leaves, roof, water, angel wings, small dresses or aprons. I think you get the idea.

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! Enjoy! Happy #smallspacesunday!

It Sure Doesn't Look Small

March 4, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch packs a lot of interesting detail for a small stitch. And it's fantastic.

The stitched sample uses DMC Floss and Kreinik Metallic for a roof on a small house from a Melissa Shirley vintage Halloween village. The symmetry makes it a perfect roof stitch.

The stitched sample used the same thread (the black Kreinik) to fill the open 2X2 intersections. Using two different threads for those intersections, as the diagram illustrates, offers a bunch of fun ideas. Consider it for a small coat or dress with Soie D'Alger for the black lines, Entice or Kreinik for the gray lines, and Petite Silk Lame for the turquoise lines. Another idea is to combine Gloriana Lorikeet for the black lines, Straw Silk for the gray lines, and Vineyard Silk for the turquoise lines. One last thought is to replace the gray lines with a bead and this could make a great small water stitch. You can have a lot of fun with this.

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! Enjoy! Happy #smallspacesunday!

Baby Leaves!

February 4, 2018 whimsicalstitch

I love finding new (to me) small stitches as it is always good to expand your repertoire beyond your traditional small stitches. I continue to be amazed at how many small space stitches are out there. Today's is especially cute!

I love a good leaf stitch and today's is a perfect one for a small space. It's offers generous coverage and is just plain cute.

The diagram is colored to offer clarity on the steps. Personally, I would stitch the diamonds first (dark gray lines) and add the leaves afterwards (light gray lines). As always, thread selection truly depends on the look you are going for.

Clearly, this stitch would make a great tree or shrub. A single overdyed floss or silk would be lovely (for the entire stitch). If the area has room for more personality, consider using two different shades of a single color. The stitched sample uses three plies of Soie D'Alger on 18-mesh. Adding one more ply certainly wouldn't hurt.

The diamonds around the small leaves extend its appeal beyond greenery. If this isn't going to be foliage, for goodness sake, have fun with dramatic color and finish combinations. Frankly, it would make an adorable coat or a floor covering. For the coat, I think a combo of Very Velvet plus a deep Kreinik Metallic or Entice would be gorgeous. For a lighter look, try silk perle (Rainbow Gallery Elegance or Subtlety, or Gloriana Princess Perle) for the diamond and a Petite Silk Lame for the inside.

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, and Patience Brewster. 60 guides are currently available, with 12 new Stitch Concepts just added! 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! Enjoy!

Or Not

January 3, 2018 whimsicalstitch

Welcome to a new year of #whimsicalwednesdays! Let's kick off the year with open stitches, sparkly threads, and beads, shall we?

Let's start with the first stitch. The stitch is connected octagons with all sides over two rows. While I am aware the primary shape is the octagon, I see the diamonds first, hence the name.

This version would be great for nature, especially areas that don't need a heavy stitch. Think water, sky, clouds. It's a wonderful way to show off the canvas painting. The stitched sample uses Sparkle! Braid for a sky on 18-mesh.

Make it the "Or Not" version by adding an Upright Tied Cross in the center and a bead inside the diamond. It's really something, especially when you mix threads and add beads. A stitcher friend shared a wonderful sample with me.

Click on image to see on whimsicalstitch.com on Pinterest.  Visit pinterest.com/whimsicalstitch/whimsicalwednesday for a library of all #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams. — Click on image to see on whimsicalstitch.com on Pinterest. 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 for a library of stitched samples for select #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams. — Click on image to see on whimsicalstitch.com's Instagram account. Visit instagram.com/whimsicalstitch for a library of stitched samples for select #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday stitch diagrams.

The first stitched sample uses Kreinik Metallics Medium Braid for the diamonds, Rachel for the Upright Tied Cross, and a Sundance Bead. It's exquisite and inspiring. She is using it for a large flower petal. It would be great for clothing, especially dresses or dramatic coats. Replace the bead with an Upright Cross and change the focus to matte threads, such as Pepper Pot, Gloriana Silk Floss, or even Straw Silk, and you would have fantastic greenery.

The second stitched sample is an illustration of thread weights. The sample includes Soie D'Alger and a Sundance Bead. The octagons are two plies of Soie D'Alger and the Upright Tied Cross is a single strand of the same Soie D'Alger. I love the lightness of it. And the shading shines through beautifully.

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 and stitch concepts for Melissa Shirley Designs, Zecca Designs, and Patience Brewster. 48 guides are currently available and more are in the works. I will be posting about 15 new Stitch Concepts later this month, so stay tuned!

I hope you have the perfect spot for this stitch! Enjoy! And happy, happy 2018!

Boo!

November 15, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch is a full coverage stitch I found in a book forever ago. I had all but forgotten about it until I pulled out my Halloween decorations.

The stitched sample includes DMC Perle Cotton #8 with Flair. It's a tricky little stitch. Do NOT overlook the fact the beetles alternate sizes on the horizontal and vertical axises. I strongly recommend adding the beetles first (gray lines), and fill in the parallelograms (turquoise lines) when you are done with the beetles.

This full coverage stitch will draw attention to a medium- to large-sized space. It would be a fantastic coat or bag with rich threads such as Pepper Pot Silk, Very Velvet, Soie D'Alger or Gloriana Silk Floss for the beetles. Combine those with a strong metallic such as Fyre Werks, Kreinik Metallics Medium Braid (#16), Silk Lame, Rachelette, or Frosty Rays. It would make a wonderful basket or floor with lighter weight matte threads such as DMC Perle, Elegance, Subtlety, or Prescencia. Combine colors and finishes to get your desired effect.

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, and Patience Brewster. 48 guides are currently available and more are in the works!

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

More Trifecta Goodness

October 25, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Part of the joy of traveling to teach at stores outside of my neighborhood is seeing a variety of thread inventories, learning about regional nuances (for me, the use of the pin stitch) and seeing lovely stitched samples (the most fun).

The stitch below combines several things I came across during recent travels. It includes overlapping diamonds (shades of a recent post), a tramme (a long time favorite of mine), and open work.

The stitched sample includes Rainbow Gallery's Cashmere (aqua lines), Princess Perle (dark gray lines), and Entice (light gray lines).

I used two different colors for the base threads to mix it up a little bit. While this stitch is complex, it would still serve well as a background with 2-3 different threads in the same color. Or stitch the dark gray base thread in a contrasting metallic. It would make a great basket or ground cover with matte thread combinations such as Lorikeet, Soie D'Alger, Planet Earth Merino Wool, or Rainbow Linen. Use it for clothing with Very Velvet, silk perles, and Kreinik. I hope these thought-starters help you come up with something perfect for your 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.

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, and Patience Brewster. 48 guides are currently available and more are in the works!

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

Ouch

October 4, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Today's stitch comes from our stitching friend, Ruth Schmuff, of Bedecked and Beadazzled. I adore everything about this stitch from the offset diamonds on top of diamonds along with the perfect weight of the gold thread. (Oh, and I adore Ruth.)

I say "ouch" because creating this stitch diagram made my head hurt. I relied on the stitched sample more than most diagramming projects.

There were two keys that helped me navigate this stitch. First, I stitched the stitch in two distinct steps. Add the diamonds first (aqua lines), followed by the herringbone accent (gray lines). Understanding it is a herringbone stitch will help you navigate the crisscrossing threads.

The stitched sample is from a beautiful geisha project from Ruth. This stitch would be beautiful almost anywhere. The area will help you determine the thread weight required. That said, one thing that drew me to this stitch was the lightweight metallic.

The stitched sample establishes it works well for clothing with Soie D'Alger and Kreinik Japan Thread #1. For a heavier look for clothing (or a bag), consider Very Velvet with Petite Silk Lame. Another heavier look includes Planet Earth Silk with Rainbow Gallery Neon Rays or Caron Collection Rachele or Rachelette as the accent. I would love to see it as a floor with an overdyed floss or silk with a solid matte accent such as Rainbow Gallery Subtlety or even a single strand of Impressions.

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, and Patience Brewster. 48 guides are currently available and more are in the works!

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

I Can't Help Myself

October 1, 2017 whimsicalstitch

You're either going to love me or hate me for this one. My oblique obsession continues into this week's #smallspacesunday. I continued playing after stitching the sample for the last #smallspacesunday and ended up with a teeny tiny Alternating Oblique Cross stitch!

The stitched sample uses four plies of Soie D'Alger and a Sundance bead for the accent (on 18-mesh). The alternating oblique crosses filled the space just fine on their own, so there is a case to be made for not including the bead accent. That is illustrated on the second (bonus!) stitched sample on Instagram.

I can't wait to use this for a tiny coat, dress, or ornament on a stocking. It would serve well as greenery, with the accent being in a contrasting color. I also see it as a perfect stitch for a small bird or even a leaf. There are really countless applications for this stitch. I hope you love it as much as I do!

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, and Patience Brewster. 48 guides are currently available and more are in the works!

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

#stitchingsunday

May 14, 2017 whimsicalstitch

Welcome to our newest blog theme, #stitchingsunday. #stitchingsunday is an addition to the existing rotation of #whimsicalwednesday and #smallspacesunday. This new theme will highlight stitches from blog posts in current stitching projects.

Today's inaugural #stitchingsunday is one of my go-to stitches, a weave stitch. The original post featured a slightly more glamorous version that included a matte and metallic thread combo.

Today's version aligns with the original stitch diagram but with a much more subtle application. I used two plies of Soie D'Alger on 18-mesh for a very light look and feel on a background behind some very glamorous objects. I wanted the objects to pop and not clash with the background. Also, truth be told, I didn't want to invest the time in doing the background in plain needlepoint, which was a very viable (and good looking) option.

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, Zecca Designs, and Patience Brewster. 41 guides are currently available and more are in the pipeline.

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

#whimsicalwednesday blog