7/17/22 - Week 3 - Sunday Stitches
Posted by Heidi Henrichs on
Welcome back to Week 3 of Sunday Stitches Blog. I hope everyone is enjoying this as much as I am....it never ceases to amaze me how differently a stitch can look stitched compared to the graph!!
This week we are still in Chapter 1, Balanced Stitches, of Whimsical Stitches Volume 3, by Mary Legallet. We are starting on page 16 with a stitch called Alternating Offset Mosaic. Mary warns us that the stitch is "decptively difficult", and I 100% agree!! She recommends we stitch in columns which I did, and once I did a few columns, I was off to the races. Since I was warned of difficulty, I decided to stitch in 2 colors, so I could distinctly identify each row which I think made it easier, and surprisingly, looks pretty. You could use two different colors if you wanted to add in a different color from how the canvas is painted. For examaple, if you wanted a candy cane appearance, and the canvas is painted red, just add in white. This stitch would be great in any small area, too! Don't be intimidated, this one is worth trying!
Up next is Bigger Bling on page 17. For this stitch there are LOTS of options. Mary suggests using (or not using) an Upright Tied Cross as a fill-in stitch for the diamonds. If this stitch is used in a sky, snowy ground or mountain, I would fill in with the Upright Tied Cross. However, I would not fill in if using for the background on a canvas which does not have a painted background. For example, a Santa canvas which is being turned into a standup, this would make a great background which would stitch REALLY fast!!
The third stitch is called Chevrons over 2 with Accents on page 18. I am in LOVE with this stitch because it is simple, but adds great texture. It would be great for bird feathers (be sure to turn stitch depending on direction of the feathers). This stitch is also great for just about any area....if used for a background, I would add one or two empty canvas threads between each column/row which would give it more of a linear/striped effect......I have never met a stripe I don't like!! The sample is stitched on monchromatic colors of vertical stitches in Pepper Pot and diagonal stitches (wings) in Silk Lame.
The fourth sittich is called Cirlce Flowers on page 19. This is a larger stitch which is always good for a background, flower petals/leaves, or any larger area. One entire circle flower is over 12 canvas threads which is less than an inch for 13 and 18 Mesh canvases, so there are lots are areas where this would work. The sample is stitched with base stitch in Silk and Ivory and accents in Straw Silk.
The final stitch this week is Connected Diamonds with Upright Tied Crosses on page 20. This is my favorite from this week's batch of stitches. The Upright Tied Crossed in the middle makes it femine, but I love the linear aspect of the thin diamonds which are separated with vertical stitches.....just plain good looking!! This would look beautiful on clothing, background for smaller items (think ornaments....hhhmmm, I might need to follow my own suggestion). The sample is stitched using Vineyard Silk for diamonds and Silk Lame for crosses.
