Here's the completed leaf, front side. It's not quite what I had in mind but I went off on some tangents and learned in the process. I thought I would make the same stitch or maybe only two stitches but each would be in a different color and with differing spacing and tension.

I'm easily bored however.

So I went for some fancier fillings. I think I've tried the chain stitch before but I'm not sure I used it in a finished project. The other stitch I tried was a radical departure from the usual. It's a buttonhole "button" that sits on top of a Single Brussels base. I'm still not clear on whether they are made separately or along the way. Since there wasn't much room anyway, I just made it on the spot. It's the yellow tip. Kind of hard to see. First you weave around a spot only for maybe two rounds and then you do the buttonhole stitch over it, starting at the center and working your way around back to the center. It is more effective over a larger open base or perhaps even in two colors. I saw it done on two different bases. I like the way it sits on top of the "fabric".

The varigated thread probably wasn't the best choice. It had green in it but not in the portion I used. Over the center and veins, I started with the regular buttonhole stitch but it bunched up and looked horrid. I could NOT get a smooth series of stitches going, so I took it out and tried doing the buttonhole stitch in alternating directions, which seemed to work much better.

This is the back of the leaf. There is no way to tell how well you are covering up the back as you go. Although it does look tidy, I didn't get the threads covered all that well on the back.

I have a few more projects already lined up but I'm tatting right now so it will be a bit before I get to them.