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Weekly decorative stitch charts and creative favorites to ignite inspiration in your summer stitching.

STITCH OF THE WEEK:

There are many new needlepointers in the world! Welcome!

Needlepoint has been a beloved pastime in my family for over one hundred years and a big part of my life for the last eleven. Growing up with a lot of confusing dialogue around needlearts, I decided several years ago to dive into my needlepoint lineage as a means to reclaim this matriarchal art form. Needlepoint, for me, has served as an outlet for healing, connection, friendship, and most importantly, as a way to unplug.

The Renderie by Brooke Thorn is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

I am passionate about turning to art as a way to overcome adversity, and in that same vein, love teaching people how to tap into their creativity.

I am a basketweaver, through and through; however, I love decorative stitches as a way to add texture to my projects. Sometimes, it simply makes the project go quicker!

So! I will be sharing with you a decorative stitch each week! Bookmark these for future inspiration, or feel free to browse my archive at a later date.

If you would like to tag along, I invite you to pick up a project hiding in your closet or start fresh to make a sampler on a blank swatch of canvas.

Want to jump ahead? I have two sampler guides available on my website. There is no overlap in the guides, so they build on each other. I’ll be jumping between them for stitchspiration. Volume II includes alphabet charts (unique to my other charts), a quick how-to paint guide, and more. They are digital only, as I live in Canada, but make for great access on the go on your mobile device.

Brooke's Sampler Guides

In the meantime, these posts will be free, and charts can be found below!

xo,

Brooke

Diagonal Cashmere Stitch:

Stitch of the week! 🤍 Diagonal Cashmere stitch— a great stitch for Diagonal Mosaic lovers and scoopers!

This stitch is a variation of the cashmere stitch and adds a condensed texture. It would look great on architectural features or outdoor landscape swatches. For compensation, this stitch is relatively easy. I recommend starting in the top left corner (NW) and making your way SE. Stitch up as much as you can following the stitch method, and then go back in afterwards with a tent stitch wherever seems incomplete. When moving to the next diagonal column, consider moving to the left of the column you just completed to keep the final stitch taught and directionally cohesive. The navy color indicates the compensated stitches.

Upright Cross-Stitch:

This week’s stitch of the week! 🤍 Upright cross-stitch— a great stitch for Brick lovers!

As the name states, this stitch is an upright cross-stitch that forms diamond-shaped stitches. Perfect for a quilting look or to add small-scale, dense texture to a section of your work. I think it would look gorgeous as scales on fish and reptiles. Upright cross-stitch could be useful for depicting baskets, nets, or upholstery as well. Mixed threads, mixed dye lots, or variegated threads would also look stellar. For a small but mighty stitch, this can be applied almost anywhere. I think a snake with this stitch would be stunning! Do keep in mind that it creates a fairly dense fabric and uses a lot of thread. To stitch a 3.5” x 3.5” square requires a full skein. It is a small-scale stitch, so I recommend it on 13 mesh vs 18 mesh unless you are using it as a way to add small detail and texture.

I was a little hasty with my stitches for this swatch as it took me nearly eight hours! So, I scooped them, but you get the gist! I used Artichoke by Silk & Ivory on 13 mesh.

CHARTS:

Compensating stitches:

Need help compensating stitches? I’ve got you covered:

Weekly Glimmers:

Current WIP:

Inspired by adventures in Telluride, Glacier National Park, and Banff, I have been stitching up this desert paintbrush kindle case. It is part of my Thorn Alexander line with KCN Designers. I tend to be a cool-toned person, so this is out of my comfort zone.

Listening to on repeat:

The crescendo that starts building at 2:34 is just as good as Hozier’s yell. Chills.

Recent Collaboration:

Inspired by a Texan childhood under southwestern skies and many nights sleeping under the stars ✨, the Kismet clutch is now live—available through Isabel Harte 🤍. The horseshoe in both orientations symbolizes collecting an abundance of good fortune so that you may share it with others. It is beautifully beaded and ready to wear.

The clutch is 10” x 6.5” with a red silk lining and magnetic closure. Inside, you will find one interior pocket and a removable gold chain strap. Dust bag included. Price is $180 USD + shipping.

Something scary I did this week:

I submitted my first chapter of my book to a writing contest! Even if it is a shot in the dark, I’m so proud of myself for putting it out into the world and am even more grateful to my friends for their wonderful feedback.

What I’m reading:

Biked down to my local library to pick up this hold. While I am a big nature nerd myself, sometimes I try to take some time to learn about my partner’s field in marine science. This one happens to be written by a local writer on the island, and I’m enjoying it so far!

Sing Like Fish by Amorina Kingdom on Bookshop.org

Leaving room for magic: Three Good Things

Apparently, my husband thinks about my characters while he’s going about his day 🥹. Last night at dinner, he pulled up his notes app with some of his ideas.
Had amazing long-distance phone call with two of my besties from college. One tried on her wedding dress via FaceTime, and the other shared some exciting life updates she’s worked her butt off for. We’re all learning to say “no.” We may live coast to coast, but we still cheer each other on.
These are some of our deer friends and neighbors. I see them almost every day when I walk to the grocery store or bike downtown, and it never makes me squeal with glee.

Each design featured on this site is either (1) the unique and original creation of Brooke Thorn McGowan and owned by Thorn Alexander LLC, or (2) is the unique and original creation of another artist with whom she has collaborated. Visitors to this site are hereby given notice that the copyright and all other intellectual property rights for all designs featured on this site remain the sole and exclusive property of their creator. No reproduction of any kind may be made of any of the designs without specific written permission from the copyright owner.