PLOS Week 4 first sampler finished

Well, it is week 4 of PLOS already and now I am really starting to feel like I have learnt A LOT of new stitches! I am not sure that I have memorized all of them, mind you, so I may have to use my notes as reference for a while, but nevertheless, my main aims in joining this course (improving my embroidery technique and learning new stitches) are definitely being fulfilled!

Here's the first sampler for this week. After doing about half I decided I was not pleased with the colors, but oh well, it is supposed to be a learning tool.........(so I kept on with these colors and learnt not to use them again!)

Here's the embroidery key:

The first 6 rows of the sampler (i.e., 12 half rows) is a test of different textures and thickness threads using chevron stitch. The threads I used are:

Line 1A: DMC Pearl 8; Line 1B: Pearl 12
Line 2A: Silken Pearl; Line 2B: 4mm Silken Ribbon
Line 3A: 3 strands Brown Paper Packages Trio; Line 3B: DMC Tapestry Cotton
Line 4A: 7 strands DMC rayon floss; Line 4B: Knitting wool (not sure the ply, probably about 4)
Line 5A: Edmar Iris rayon; Line 5B: 1 strand Caron Wildflowers
Line 6A: Edmar Boucle rayon; Line 6B: 2 strands DMC floss

The rest of the sampler is a study in button hole stitch variations:

Line 7: Buttonhole stitch with height variations in DMC Pearl 8
Line 8: Buttonhole stitch with sloped vertical stitches in DMC Pearl 8
Line 9: Buttonhole stitch with varying height, flipped from one side to another, in DMC Pearl 8
Line 10: Antwerp edging in DMC Tapestry Cotton
Line 11A: Anterp edging close together, flipped side to side, in DMC Pearl 8
Line 11B: Antwerp edging with sloped verticals, flipped side to side, in DMC Pearl 8
Line 12A: Single knotted buttonhole in 1 strand Trio
Line 12B: Beaded Single knotted buttonhole in DMC Pearl 8
Line 13A: Double knotted buttonhole in 6 strands floss
Line 13B: Double knotted buttonhole in DMC Pearl 8 (it is better in Pearl compared with floss!)
Line 14: Feather and chain in DMC Tapestry cotton
Line 15A: Thorn stitch in DMC Pearl 8
Line 15B: Double thorn stitch in DMC Pearl 8
Line 16A: Knotted feather in DMC Tapestry cotton
Line 16B: Crossed buttonhole in 1 strand Trio
Line 17: Two rows offset Up and Down buttonhole in DMC Pearl 8
Line 18A: Diamond pattern in buttonhole in DMC Pearl 8
Line 18B: Buttonhole pattern in knitting yarn
Line 19A: Feathered Up and Down buttonhole in DMC Pearl 8
Line 19B: Flipped buttonhole in triangles in DMC Tapestry cotton (not sure if this has a fancy name in its own right!)

Phew, well, that is a lot of buttonhole. Actually, I like buttonhole a lot and enjoyed these variations. Now, on to my second sampler for this week, in which I intend to go a but more wild and crazy - let's see if I really can get up the courage to do something truly freeform......... (watch this space!)