Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Wednesday Whimsies

Today I will share with you the Cashmere Stitch  What a versatile stitch.

The Cashmere can be used in any number of ways - clothing on any type demographic, architecture such as buildings, walkways and paths, brick walls, etc., and in addition to the always standby of a background, it is a great fill for all sorts of areas - moons, trees, etc.  I think it is considered a 'brick' when you look at it, so it is natural that it becomes walls, walks, etc. Isn't it something that this is called a Cashmere and looks like a brick, but the Brick stitch not so much?

This guy can be stitched in all directions - horizontally,vertically and diagonally.  Now, don't get the Diagonal Cashmere Stitch confused with the Cashmere Stitch done diagonally - two totally different stitches!  I'll post the Diagonal Cashmere Stitch soon to help you see the difference - in fact I'll probably do that next (otherwise I'll probably forget and lord only knows when it would show up in the lineup).

There are also many variations where the stitches are wider and the rows longer - some have other names, some don't.  The point I'm making here is that if you like the look of the stitch but your area is 3 canvas threads wide, try it and see if you like it.  The stitch-name police aren't going to come after you saying 'oh no, that's not a Cashmere, it is over 3 canvas threads instead of 2 canvas threads'.  Heaven knows we designers abuse stitch names daily - and not always intentionally.  How many times do you stitch a stitch but cannot for the life of you remember the name of it?  Sometimes you are in position where you are asked 'what is that stitch' and instead of saying I can't remember the name you call it something like diagonal Gobelin variation (the Cashmere is a group of diagonal Gobelins after all).

My stitched sample shows the stitch done in all three ways. No matter which of these three ways you stitch, it should always line up beside itself and over top (or underneath) itself like the sample in the top right. Also look at the placement of the stitch.  In the horizontal row, for example.  I stitched from right to left.  If you stitch it from the left to the right, place your needle in a position of coming up in an unoccupied hole so that you exit into a shared hole.  This leaves the thread less disturbed.  When coming up in an occupied hole (and sometimes we have no other choice) one must be careful to try and not split the threads of the previous stitch - not always an easy task.


Okay, enough already.  Those in the Yahoo Group who do not follow the blog miss all this gibberish that I interject here - are they lucky or missing out?  That is for you to determine - lol.

So stitch your sample and get that page into the notebook.  You will start seeing how quickly this will truly become a Stitch Sampler Notebook.

Stitch with a Smile!

Sandy


No comments: