Now remembering last week’s commitment to pursue work in areas of my weaknesses, I dutifully started out on some curves. This is the first one on a counted ground (not that I was actually counting the threads). A thread is laced back through the bottom of the bonnet stitch and then pulled by the straight stitches.
Off grid–oops, the curve is way off here isn’t it! I was eyeballing it but I must need a compass!
off grid without the extra bottom thread.
At first I was thinking architecturally of fans above doors and so forth. Then I began thinking of hand fans. I tried a couple of those.
And back on grid with a counted curved line.
A word I use for thinking about stitches when trying a new one is integrity. I don’t think it’s the right word, but what I mean by it is how the thread behaves depending upon the way it is pulled and/or tied down as it is stitched. Part of this is governed by the ground being stitched and another part by the type of thread. When working with a stitch to discover its limits and possibilities, this is one of the things I’m concerned about.
In some ways the bonnet stitch seems rather unstable to me because the second portion of the stitch slides on the first. When the thread is pulled back over and then brought under the first stitch, it has some latitude to slide since it isn’t held in a specific spot and has room to move. I notice this on the curved line above that I worked from right to left. See how straight the top line of the curve looks as it starts on the up side of the curve. Then look at the down side of the curve. It begins to look more like stair steps. Now, I’m not complaining about this–just noticing and trying to understand this stitch better. To me it indicates I’ve pushed by some of its limits in my experiments by using too extreme an angle as I bring that thread over and under the first. I’m going to do more specific experiments in this area because I notice it not only in here but in some earlier samples. I would welcome any thoughts on this in a comment. Thanks!
Quieter Moments 
I can see what you mean; however, I haven’t had time to play with it yet so I’m not sure how the thread pulls. I think the reason is indeed in the angle of the stitches. Also you have four stitches going up and three going down.
I’ve really been enjoying your experiments with all the stitches. You have come up with some very cool ideas. Did you notice that the pink fan looks like it has bunny rabbits frolicking across the top (moving left to right)?
Thanks for the comments, Marty. I do see the rabbits, now!