07 July
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In Custom Plaids, Stitching a Plaid, Tartans
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A great way to use a tartan is to make a belt. Needlepoint belts are 21 threads high on 18-mesh canvas (or 1.25″) on 13-mesh they would be 18 threads high. With that narrow space creating an attractive belt is more than just randomly picking a section of plaid. I work with you to create a selection from your tartan (or personal plaid) that will make an exciting and dynamic design. You can see some examples in this article. The project pack comes with all the instructions you need to stitch your plaid and to prepare it for finishing as a belt. We can evenRead More →

30 June
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In Stitching a Plaid
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When a quilter picks fabric for a quilt, she will look at different parts of a print to select the parts that work best. A well-made striped shirt, or slipcover, is cut so that the pattern matches at the seams. Choosing the best parts of a tartan so that the pattern will look its best is an important part of making a successful needlepoint. One aspect of this is centering the plaid. For a really large sett, like Royal Stewart (the biggest I’ve done), placing the interesting part of the pattern in the center prevents you from having a really large red square smack inRead More →

30 June
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In Stitching a Plaid, Tartans
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If you spend much time around tartans, as I have, you begin to recognize that the scale of the pattern differs greatly. Some, like Rob Roy, are small, some, like Royal Stewart are quite large. This can be a real challenge in selecting a tartan to stitch. Since it’s the relative size of the stripes that makes a tartan distinctive, the more stripes there are before a repeat of the pattern, the bigger the scale is. In addition, the width of the narrowest stripe determines the width of all the other stripes. This isn’t an issue in woven plaids because the threads are so narrowRead More →

14 June
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In Tartans
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Recently I was accused of illegally charting and selling tartans illegally. I want to publicly say that this accusation is completely and totally false. I did extensive research and even went and asked the folks at the tartan registry about it. Here’s the full story. When you make a tartan you can take the plaid you have created and have it registered by the Tartan Registry. This is kind of like recording a copyright for a book. The folks at the Registry require information like the sett (weaving pattern), name, and restrictions on use. If it’s sufficiently different from other tartan, it will be registered.Read More →

09 June
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In Custom Plaids, Stitching a Plaid, Tartans
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A tartan is defined by the width and sequence of stripes, called the sett. They are defined and registered through a threadcount, which is the formula for weaving the plaid. The fabric you see is the result of applying the formula to weaving. Threadcounts are never used to create the needlework charts. I look at a good picture of the tartan. These must have colors that are distinct in the picture and be flat. From this picture I find the narrowest stripe. Looking at the picture I then calculate the widths of the other stripes. Once I have this figured out, I then calculate howRead More →

01 June
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In Birthday Plaids, Stitching a Plaid, Tartans
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PLAID HAPPENS! As we learned in the article about tartans, a plaid is just stripe made in two directions. We use this aspect of plaids to stitch them as well. As long as you know the colors, the stripes’ widths, and the sequence, you can stitch any plaid. They are all stitched exactly the same way. We’ll use the Rob Roy plaid as the example. Begin by stitching the vertical stripes. The picture above shows the chart for this. Since you stitched every other stitch, the result looks like very odd stripes. Once the vertical stripes are complete, fill in the horizontal stripes. As youRead More →

01 June
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In Tartans
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Tartans, most properly, are symmetrical plaids usually associated with Scotland or Scottish items. In fact, to be a tartan the plaid must be registered in the Official Tartan Registry. There are tartans not only for clans (Scottish families), military units, bands, colleges and universities, companies, clubs, cities, states, and even countries. Most correctly, you wear the plaids associated with you. So if you lived in the Yukon and were Irish, you could wear both the Texas Bluebonnet plaid, and the Irish plaid. How are tartan plaids constructed? They are made from a particular sequence of stripes of various widths and colors woven in a regularRead More →

01 June
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In Birthday Plaids
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Birthday plaids are made so that the vertical and horizontal stripes reflect the name and birthdate of a person. They make unique gifts, especially for a baby. I especially like them as baby presents because they must be finished after the baby is born. Numbers are stitched with stripes the width of each digit. Letters are converted into numbers. You can pick the colors you like, they are always charming. My most recent plaid is pictured above, and below, you will see some other examples of birthday plaids.Read More →

01 June
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In Custom Plaids, Products, Tartans
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There can be a bewildering array of choices for many last names. Be as specific as you can about the plaid you want. I will email you with questions and to confirm your choice of tartan. Your custom tartan will be charted and ready in about two weeks. The cost is for the charting service, and the considerable work involved in this process. This is a two-step process. First you must specify what you need for the plaid by filling out the form below. Then you must pay for the plaid. No work is undertaken unless both steps are completed. You will be emailed aRead More →

01 June
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In Birthday Plaids, Custom Plaids, Products
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Looking for a plaid for a special person or occasion? Why not create a unique stitched plaid, based on any name, word or date. Just specify what you want for the horizontal and vertical directions, the colors you want and whether you want needlepoint or cross stitch. Your custom plaid will be charted and ready in about two weeks. This is a two-step process. First you must specify what you need for the plaid by filling out the form below. Then you must pay for the plaid. No work is undertaken unless both steps are completed. You will be emailed a confirmation with an expectedRead More →