Take a Stitch Tuesday - Up and Down Buttonhole Stitch - Week 28

This week for Take a Stitch Tuesday, the featured stitch is the Up and Down Buttonhole. It is a stitch I had not heard of prior to doing TAST. Like last week's stitch (Bonnet), I enjoyed doing this one and was happy with the results.

For the first sampler, I did the:
- first row 3 spaces high and 3 spaces wide.
- second row 5 spaces and then 3 spaces high; and 3 spaces wide.
- third row in a 5-4-3 pattern; and 3 spaces wide.

For the second sampler, I wanted to try couching with this stitch. I ended up couching/weaving two strands of a variegated cotton perle thread with the yellow perle thread.

I integrated the embroidered pieces into my TAST journal. On the left hand side of the layout is a reflection about what happened during the past week, the name of the stitch, and images of a bear and cow. 

Both of these images tie into the county fair: Sophia and Olivia each did a project about dairy cows for one of their 4-H projects. This year, Sophia did 27 projects and Olivia did 17. Out of the projects, Sophia received 24 blue and 3 red ribbons; and Olivia received 15 blue and 2 red ribbons. 

For each project they met with a judge who asked questions about their project and assessed their knowledge about the topic. The ribbons reflect 50% on the project itself and 50% on the child's knowledge.

On our way to the fair on Wednesday, I saw something black in the ditch along the highway. It was moving, but being in the distance I couldn't figure out what it was. As I drove by, Sophia said, "It's a bear! It's standing up!"

Needless to say, that was pretty exciting. It's not every day that you see a bear!

On the right side of the layout is a background with dragonflies (which are abundant at this time of the year), ferns (which are doing well under the pine trees in the front yard), mushrooms (which are sprouting up in the yard in various places), a quilt (to reflect one of the 4-H projects that Olivia did and I helped her with...like pressing the sewing pedal since her feet don't reach the floor yet), and a bear that's standing up.

There also is a gratitude list with five things or experiences I'm grateful for during the past few days.

I'm happy that I have each of these components in the journal - embroidery, reflection, gratitude list, images that reflect what happened during the past week, and the name of the stitch. It is truly something I enjoy reading, looking at, and touching (having tactile elements in it is different than any journal I've kept in the past).