Playing with stitch

My work just now seems to be calling out for a different stitching approach so recently I've been trying out thoughts.

First of all, I think I'll want to use seeding but I don't want it to become too obvious. I'm thinking suggestion, a drift of colour or tonal gradation to unify the image rather than a bold statement or line of stitches. It will need to be very small, almost dot sized, so I've been wondering how small it would be possible to go without it disappearing into the fabric completely.

Experiments were needed as I usually stitch quite large. The smallest here on a fine cotton measured about 2mm. Anything smaller disappeared into the cloth. 

Next, I experimented to achieve line in different weights using a fine crochet thread and a No 8 perlé using plain running stitch, back stitch and whipped running stitch. I then tried running stitch randomly spaced and thickened in places, working with and responding to pattern on the cloth. Last of all, I played with the boundaries of the piece, stitching beyond the image. 

Then I tried introducing a new shape perhaps to be used as a counterbalance within the design. 

Again it extended beyond the original image. I used a simple circle since I think circles will play quite a part in my work.

Next I played with ways of stitching one circle within the other using whipped running stitch, a vertical stab stitch, satin stitch shapes and lastly threads whipped with buttonhole stitch. All were arranged in circles and again extended beyond the original image. They used some of the imagery from my recent trip (I will reveal all when it's more formulated ...)

Putting all this together produced this study (and one or two others, not yet completed). It gives me lots to think about, which is, after all, what studies are for.

If nothing else, I've realised one thing ... that I'll need to limit the number of different stitches in each piece or it will become a mere sampler, a piece using a multitude of stitches just because I can.