Stitch Sampler
This little sampler got so much love (and so many questions) that she earned her own post. So here it is: the colors, the canvas, and every stitch from top to bottom, so you can stitch right along with me.
She's being worked up for the sample photos in Skeins, my thread-estimating app — but her real future is a fold-over clutch. That's the fun of a sampler: it starts as practice and ends as something you actually carry.
The fiber
This was the question I got most. She's stitched in Silk & Ivory — Asparagus and Blue Yonder: a fresh green against a calm, clouded blue. Silk & Ivory is one of my go-to blends for a 13 mesh canvas — the silk gives the stitches a quiet shine, and the wool keeps everything durable for it's future purpose.
The canvas
A few of you asked what she's stitched on and how big she is. She's worked on a 17″ × 14″ piece of 13-mesh mono canvas. Thirteen-mesh is a lovely choice for a sampler — the larger holes let decorative stitches show off, and it's forgiving while you're learning a new pattern. Here's the important part: leave at least 1″ of blank mesh all the way around so she can be properly finished later — that margin is what your finisher (or you) needs to work with. With that border, the final stitched piece comes out to about 15″ × 12″ — a lovely size for a fold-over clutch. Go bigger or smaller for your own, just remember to leave the blank mesh.
How to stitch along
Every stitch is listed below. Swap in your own favorites wherever you like; there are no rules at all, stitch what makes you happy. I'll keep posting progress, and once she's finished, the full guide goes up free on the site. Every stitch here also lives in the Skeins stitch library if you want the step-by-step.
Top half
Basketweave · Criss-Cross Hungarian · Cashmere Checker · Scotch · Bargello (single color) · Horizontal Milanese · Byzantine · Diagonal Hungarian Ground · Continuous 2–4 Woven Scotch · Diamond Straight · Diagonal Roumanian · Corduroy · Alternating Mosaic
Bottom half
Double Hungarian · Byzantine Scotch · Hesitation · Balloon Stitch · Bubble Stitch · Diagonal Triple Parisian · Bargello (two colors — 3 blue, 2 green) · Cushion Stitch
Stitch along with me
Grab your mesh, pick your threads, and follow along as she comes together. Tag @grantpointdesigns so I can cheer you on — I love seeing your colorways.
— Samantha