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Open and background stitches · Intermediate

Diamond ray stitch

A fan of five straight stitches that share one hole, shaped like a small diamond or leaf. Fans are set in staggered rows that lock together.

Diamond ray stitch: the finished stitch on canvas, 25 stitches, lying several ways, in two colors
The finished stitch on canvas. Every stitch runs from one hole to another; the two colors are only there to tell the stitches apart. In the steps, new stitches are red, and the numbers give the order: up at each number in turn, down in the hole they all share.

How to work it

  1. The center stitch

    Diamond ray stitch, step 1: the first stitch on the canvas. Numeral 1 marks where it starts.

    Start at the top left of the area. Come up at the top edge, two canvas threads in from the left, and go down four threads straight below. All five stitches of the fan go down in this hole, the shared hole.

  2. The two outer stitches

    Diamond ray stitch, step 2: three stitches on the canvas, the two this step adds in red. Numerals 2 and 3 mark where the new stitches start, in working order.

    Come up two threads to the left of the shared hole and two up, and go down in the shared hole. Do the same on the right.

  3. The two stitches in between

    Diamond ray stitch, step 3: five stitches on the canvas, the two this step adds in red. Numerals 4 and 5 mark where the new stitches start, in working order.

    Come up one thread to the left of the shared hole and three up, and go down in the shared hole. Do the same on the right.

  4. The next fan along the row

    Diamond ray stitch, step 4: ten stitches on the canvas, the five this step adds in red.

    Work the next fan with its shared hole four threads to the right. Its left outer stitch comes up in the hole where the right outer stitch of the first fan began. Continue along the row.

  5. Set the row below half a fan along

    Diamond ray stitch, step 5: 15 stitches on the canvas, the five this step adds in red.

    Work the next row back from right to left. Each shared hole is four threads straight below a hole where two fans above meet. The center stitch comes up in that meeting hole and the outer stitches in the shared holes of those two fans.

  6. A third row under the first

    Diamond ray stitch, step 6: 25 stitches on the canvas, the ten this step adds in red.

    Work the third row like the first. Each center stitch comes up in the shared hole two rows above. Continue down the area, alternating the two rows.

At a glance

Used for
evergreen trees and garlands; bird feathers and wings; grass and bushes; single leaves; backgrounds and larger areas
Coverage
Light to full, depending on the thread
Direction
Slanted both ways and upright
Stitch length
Over 2 to 4 canvas threads

Diamond ray is an eyelet stitch. Each fan fills a diamond four canvas threads wide and four tall.

Rows of fans read as foliage or feathers, which suits evergreen trees, garlands, bushes, grass and birds. Over a background or other large area the stitch is good for shading and covers the back of the canvas well, but it is slow to work.

Tips

  • Use a finer thread or fewer strands than the canvas usually takes: eight stitches end up in every shared hole, and too much makes a lump. Specks of canvas show between the fans. A heavier thread hides them but crowds the shared holes: try it on spare canvas first.
  • Try an overdyed or variegated thread: in greens it makes trees and bushes look more natural.

When it goes wrong

The needle splits stitches already in place.
From the second row on, stitches come up in holes the row above has used or covered. Come up beside the thread already there, and push aside with a fingernail any stitch lying over the hole. Twist the needle in a tight shared hole to open it.
Half fans are left over along the edges.
Work the whole fans first, then the stitches of each half fan that fit. A center or outer stitch that would cross the edge stops at it, a compensating stitch at the same angle. An in-between stitch has no hole there to stop in: work tent stitch in its place, and wherever a half fan looks awkward.

Variations

  • Downward and sideways diamond ray. The fan turned upside down, or on its side for a bird's wing. Work downward fans from the top row down, so that most stitches come up in empty holes.
  • Facing rows with upright crosses. Two rows of fans worked from one row of shared holes, one opening upward and one downward, with a contrasting upright cross stitch between the pairs.
  • A single leaf. One fan worked alone, its stitches lengthened, shortened or turned to fit the painted outline.

Questions

Is diamond ray stitch the same as ray stitch?
No. Ray stitch is either a square block whose stitches all go down in one corner hole or a larger fan of five with its center stitch over five threads. If a stitch guide calls for ray stitch, look at its chart.

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