In my planning on what to take to Japan (only a day and a week away!) I had bought of a new black straw hat. When I got it out to add to the pile of stuff, it seemed rather bare and plain. So I got the idea of adding a beaded band. I wanted to use a certain netting technique I used to know, but no matter how hard I looked I could not find the instructions nor remember how it was started. Finally I found this interesting Chevron stitch and was able to do it. Then it seemed the hat needed flowers so I began making my usual brick-stitched flowers. Before I even got this first flower done, I began to realize how heavy my suitcase already was, how far I would have to drag it over the next two weeks and the hat with its beaded trim seemed too much to bear.