Specialty Stitches I

Specialty Stitches I by JBW Designs — a small square sampler whose whole point is to put one of each specialty stitch on the canvas instead of plain cross stitch. Reading across the field: a row of blue chain-stitched 2023 at top-left, a single purple bullion-knot thistle beside it, a column of Rhodes-stitch chrysanthemums in lavender at centre, a tall upright cross / herringbone tree rising along the right, a gold Smyrna-and-queen-stitch basket holding it, and a scatter of eyelet stars filling the remaining ground. The border is a chestnut-and-stars zigzag framed by a deep red running stitch — the kind of sampler frame that lets you read each stitch type in isolation.

This was my fourth Jingle Ball 2023 class finish, after Wintergreen Santa, Santa’s Night Tree, and the Candy Cane Biscornu, and before the Jingle All the Way Block.

Stitched on 25ct white evenweave I already had in my stash rather than the chart’s recommended fabric — 25ct is a bit chunkier than what these specialty-stitch charts usually call for, which makes the Rhodes flowers and queen-stitch basket sit up taller and read as the small 3D objects the chart wants them to be.

Threads are DMC in colours I pulled at random from my floss box rather than following the chart palette — purples and lavenders for the flowers, gold for the basket, blue for the date band, chestnut and dark red for the border, and a soft sage for the stems and stars. The chart doesn’t really care what colours you use; the specialty stitches are the point and any palette that gives them contrast against the white ground works.

Finished as a square hanging pillow ornament — twisted green metallic cord running the full perimeter and looping up as the hanger, with a grey snowflake-print cotton backing fabric on the reverse.

Finished December 2, 2023.