TAST - Blanket Stitch

I only used half a page this time. I guess my stitches were more compact. Most of the samples are done in perle cotton size 8.

This was actually listed as a buttonhole stitch but since I'd remembered reading somewhere that a true buttonhole stitch was actually different, I chose to call it blanket stitch. You can find a good explanation of the difference at at this website. Most serious embroiderers, including Sharon, know the distinction, but in almost every instructional book, they are lumped together so they just go with the flow. The true buttonhole stitch has a knot along the line which helps with stress and repeated rubbing when used for a buttonhole, which was the original purpose. I used this stitch near the bottom, in the pale green. I even tried a decorative version at the end of that line, where it curves up and then back down so there's no reason you can't use it for embellishment in the same way the blanket stitch is.

I loved all the variations Sharon showed in her post and tried most of them. I had a little trouble with the heart shape at the beginning but figured it out by the end. The bottom samples are done in embroidery floss. The bright pink was several strands but not 6. The bottom one was only 2 strands of Coats Pastelle thread. I really like the flower shape. Lots of potential with that one.