Many really good embroideres only use a handful of different stitches. Everybody will have their favourite stitches, and these can be varied in so many different ways, that LESS really can be MORE.
The size of the stitch – the direction – the thickness of the thread – the colour – the fabric you are working on and any structure or texture, will all play a part in the finished piece.
It can be a good exercise to play with the stitches you know and like, and see how much variation you can create – one stitch at a time. I have made some fabric stich “books” out of my experiments so I always have something to refer to, if need be. I also find it useful to to keep any exercises or mishaps. I put them in a scrap book with a few notes and hope to learn from my mistakes.
jm-artandstitch blog 