Clusters are a good way to experiment with shishas….They allow you to play with different threads, shapes and design ideas…CrazyQstitcher has blogged a lovely cluster of shishas that not only shows how different threads stitch up differently but also shows a variety of the different objects that can be used…and my cluster, for which I have used only a DMC varigated #5 cotton perle thread, shows a variety of different ways to attach the shisha and different stitches that can be used to surround and decorate the shisha.
The first of the shishas in this line was anchored to the fabric from Sharon B’s instructions with the surrounding stitching done from my instructions with the stitches spaced out to create a lacey look.
The second and third shishas were already on the fabric, the second one has very close surrounding stitches and is surrounded by Colonial knots the surrounding stitches on the third shisha are not as widley spaced as #1 nor as close together as #2
 The 4th shisha is a 1.25 inch diameter mirror that Sharon B gave me to play with….I used its size to experiment with embroidering on top of the shisha, after anchoring and stitching around it I used the surrounding stitches as a base for a row of Up and Down Buttonhole Stitch which I chose because of the loop that the thread makes between the stitches.
 I anchored the last shisha with a Star which holds the shisha in place so the surrounding stitches don’t have to attach to the shisha, it is there to soften/protect the edge of the shisha. I surrounded it with a row of Portuguese stem stitch but it was a thick mirror and the first row wasn’t deep enough so I did a second row of Portuguese stem stitch on top of the first row.
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