Sunday Stitches — background stitch

  A play on a parisian stitch, the Zig Zag Ladder adds additional long stitches in between the vertical stitches creating almost a ladder appearance. For the purpose of the diagram the stitches are shown in alternating blue and green color, however, depending on the desired affect for your project you can stick to only one color way. This full coverage stitch provides dimension and texture to any project and is perfect for medium and larger areas of your canvas. Watch Heidi stitch the Zig Zag Ladder stitch in action on instagram

  Working on a project in honor of your favorite four-legged fur baby? While there are many different threads that can be used to honor your pup, try the No Dog Days Stitch to tie in the theme of your canvas! This is an open stitch that can be used in many ways such as creating a border or adding a background. In this example the bones are spaced out both horizontally and vertically but you can mix and match with direction, size, and even the space in between! Need some canvas inspiration for this stitch? See the stitch and...

What better name for a stitch inspired by the Texas State Fair season than "Oh My Stars"?! This open background stitch is sure to razzle-dazzle your next large project such as a pillow, tray, or maybe even a stocking! Heidi's tip: A sparkley thread such as silk lame or kreinik floss would add the perfect amount of sparkle to the start stitch! See Heidi stitch the Oh My Stars stitch on Instagram!

In honor of the newest member of the Chaparral team, (puppy dog) Dolly Parton, this stitch is sugar and spice - perfect for Valentines day! Using a combination of satin sand oblique stitches, the pattern of hearts, bows, and stripes gives a wallpaper appearance, ideal for a background! Heidi's tip: This stitch is very forgiving, allowing for possibilities to make it shorter or longer to fit the need of your canvas.   See Heidi stitch the Dolly Parton stitch on Instagram!

A spin on the trellis and scotch stitches, this trellis diamond stitch is ideal for larger areas. Following a four canvas thread count up andover to make up the trellis and variation of the scotch stitch, this background stitch is perfect regardless of the color of the canvas! Given it's full coverage nature, this is a perfect option for both a blank background or maybe one you want to color swap! Heidi's tip: Use a ribbon or silk for the trellis stitch and use a variegated thread such as straw silk or dinky dyes for the fill in stitch! If...