100 Stitches - Portuguese Border Stitch

Bom Dia! This beautiful stitch is the Portuguese Border Stitch:

This stitch is the latest stitch I have learned from 100 Stitches.  It is my favorite type of stitch: complex looking but fairly easy to learn and fun to do!

First you need some "foundation bars", which are just a row of horizontal straight stitches. 

I spaced mine about 3/8" apart:

The foundation bars run horizontally and this stitch is done from the bottom to the top.  Come up through the fabric centered below the first foundation bar.
   

Pull the working thread all the way through and up and over the first two foundation bars.  Now the needle is going to slip under the first two foundation bars.  It won't be piercing any fabric, just sliding under the foundation bars.  Notice the needle position here - the working floss is always staying to the left of the needle. 

Slide under both bars:

and gently pull all the way:

Then take the working floss up and over the bars again.  Keeping the floss to the left of the needle still, the needle now slides under JUST the second foundation bar this time:

and OVER the first foundation bar:

Gently pull all the way through.  That is the stitch!  To continue, take the working floss back up and over the second and third foundation bar and slide back under the third and second foundation bars.  Just like before, not piercing the fabric, just sliding under the bars.  The working floss is staying to the left of the needle:

Slide under the third and second bars only and pull gently all the way through.  Bring the working floss up and over the second and third foundation bars and then slide the needle under the third foundation bar only and over the second foundation bar:

Pull all the way through and then up and over the third and fourth foundation bar and slide under the fourth and third...

Same as before until...

You finish stitching around the top foundation bar.  100 Stitches didn't specify how to finish when you were at the top bar so when I slid my needle under the top foundation bar for the last time

I just went back into the fabric and brought my needle to the bottom of the first foundation bar.  Now the stitching starts over.  Come up through the fabric below the first foundation bar and to the left of your previous stitching:

You do everything exactly the same on this side, only this time the working floss always stays to the RIGHT of the needle:

Stitch all the way to the top:

Here is what the underside of my stitch looks like:

Isn't this such a beautiful stitch?!

For the floss, I used DMC pearl cotton color variations #4025.  The Portuguese Border Stitch is #63 and is in the Composite Stitches section of 100 Stitches.