Take a Stitch Tuesday - Crossed Buttonhole Stitch - Week 18

This week for Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST), the featured stitch is the crossed buttonhole stitch. This stitch is a variation of the buttonhole (a.k.a blanket) stitch which can be used as an edging, a linear stitch, or a filler.

Initially, since I have never done this stitch before, I tried it on fabric since I like to embroider on fabric rather than Aida cloth for the samplers. However, after a few dismal-looking stitches, I realized it would be best for me to learn and practice this stitch on Aida cloth.

I did four different variations of the stitch - altering the length of the "X" itself or one of its cross-stitches for a more lop-sided look.

Generally, any stitch that I do an Aida cloth seems to take me longer than the ones I do on fabric. The former stitches require more counting and precision to look nice. Thus, there are only four lines of stitching.

As with other weeks, I included the sampler along with a journal entry and gratitude list. This week the journal entry is briefer since I just completed the 17th week of TAST on Tuesday morning...a bit late because of being sick for the past couple of weeks.

I included images of items of things I've seen and/or heard during this time period (e.g., blooming flowers/tulips, singing birds, vivid colors in the landscape, my favorite oak tree).

The image of the tree on the lower right of the second page is one I clipped from a magazine. It is from a Unitarian Universalist church (I can't remember where) that did a mosaic. Each of the leaves is a mosiac of items that the congregants donated from their homes.

In that same spirit, this embroidery journal is a collection of items that I've been using from what I have on hand - fabric, Aida cloth, embroidery floss, images from greeting cards, yarn, felt, and buttons.  During the past few days I have been cleaning my craft supplies - finding some to donate, toss, or recycle, and others to use in the journal. It's been a good feeling to simplify my crafting supplies and keep only what I plan to use.

Between last week's stitch (wheatear) and this week's stitch, I'm excited to learn new embroidery stitches that I didn't even know existed. It will be interesting to see what the remaining weeks of the TAST challenge will present.