many stitchers shy away from Straight Stitches, I don’t know why because they can be both useful and ornamental. Looking for a background stitch for this ginkgo leaf (from One Part Whimsy on Etsy), I wanted something that gave me a nice pattern, ut that would be easy to stitch. Because I am going to be stitching the leaf entirely in shaded metallic, the background color needed to stand up to that bold leaf.
This stitch, which I call Hyacinth has straight stitches going over two threads, both horizontally and vertically. It alternates blocks of three vertical stitches with one horizontal stitch, giving it a woven look. Unlike many “woven” stitches, Hyacinth does not have any overlapping stitches, making it really easy to do. I just love the way it is turning out.
It’s stitched using Grandeur G879.
In case you are wondering if all these background stitch columns are making a dent in my pile of projects to stitch — yes they are. They have helped me get a huge head start on my Christmas ornaments for next, allowed me to stitch some other projects, and given me lots of fun new stitches.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
This is really nice stitch, thanks for posting. I am doing a blue ridge landscape and I was looking for a smallish stitch with a nice repeating pattern for a pair of small hills. This worked out perfectly. Thanks so much.
Thanks for letting us know this. It’s perfect because I have a mountain background & I’m going to do this.
Keep stitching,
Janet