Embroidered Collage

I've finally begun a needle lace stitches sampler, although in an atypical fashion.  I'm using cardstock as my substrate, since most of this stitching will be on top of and integrated into my other art, and working with a #8 perle cotton.  I chose ATC sized pieces so I could slip them into the card pages and view and rearrange and play with, when necessary.  I'm starting by working my way through Jill Nordfors-Clark's earlier book, "Needle Lace and Needleweaving", and then I'll check to see if there are variations in the newer book and my other books that I want to add.

Last night I did the basic detached buttonhole, a buttonhole with a straight stitch return, then the latter with the next row of loops going through the eyes, then using it to couch.  The first two didn't hold surprises for me, as I'd used them before, but I was interested in the basketweave effect of the third.  The couching didn't hold my attention at first - why not just use regular couching if you're not making transparent stand alone lace?  But then I realized that in my applications it might be nice to not have to pierce the surface of the substrate very often, depending on how thick and layered I had made it.

It felt really good to start on this process instead of putting it off. :)