My up and down buttonhole stitches are pretty basic and don't need further description. Note the circular motif in the upper right is part of the bonnet stitching from the previous week. The squiggly line of Basque is made from two Caron threads, single strands of Watercolours and Wildflowers in ambrosia. Juxtaposed I think they make an interesting variation in texture.
I think it may be hard to see, but there are three threads in the second motif. I wanted to figure out a way of alternating up and down stitches in one pass without threads travelling all over the place. My first idea was to create columns of straight stitches through which the basque stitch thread could move from top to bottom . Awkward. I still liked the idea of the columns and thought I could lace threads which would fill in the gaps. So here's what I did. Using a #5 pearl (light blue) I stitched the columns. Then, in a luscious, hand dyed, tone-on-tone blue, silk/wool thread from New Zealand, I worked the basque stitches continuously from left to right and quickly found I didn't have to turn the fabric. The individual stitches looked a little odd, like T's with a jaunty top. I finished (and hopefully made a cohesive combo) by lacing with a #3 pearl in lavendar.
