When it comes to picking out background stitches, everyone seems to worry about whether or not they are picking the right one!
Yes, of course, background stitches are important. But, arguably the background is the least important part of your piece.
Let us explain…Consider this ornament below:
What part of the design do you want to draw attention to? The sky? Or the darling cardinal perched on the mailbox?
When you think about it this way, the answer seems obvious. The cardinal and mailbox are the focal point of the design, so that is where you should add fun stitches, beads and sparkly threads to stand out.
Adding a light openwork background is the perfect way to give some sort of texture to your background, without taking away from the rest of the design. These stitches create an understated effect, and never detract from the rest of the ornament.
Today we’re sharing our two favorite openwork background stitches that will work on almost any canvas.
Skip Tent Stitch
If you know how to Basketweave, Skip Tent Stitch will come as second nature to you! Skip Tent Stitch forms subtle diagonal lines on your canvas. When working on this stitch, work on the diagonal in the same way you would Basketweave, however, you will work every other line of canvas threads.
Take a look at the stitch diagram below:
T- Stitch
T-Stitch is named for the little diagonal “T” pattern that the stitch makes when stitched into a canvas. It is made up of a combination of Tent Stitches and Reverse Tent Stitches arranged in horizontal rows.
Follow the stitch diagram below to learn more:
Using the right thread is equally important when doing these light-coverage stitches. We love Petite Silk Lamé Braid because it is thin, lightweight and lovely to work with!
To learn more tried and true background stitches, as well as how to select your own, consider taking our two best-selling online classes:
How To Pick a Background Stitch
