Updated July 26, 2020.
One of the biggest challenges in needlepoint is the question of what do do with the finished stitching. While the stitching is the joy, sometimes it’s discouraging to look at the huge pile of needlepoint left stitched but waiting to be turned into something and loved. Maybe we should call it “The Island of Unloved Needlepoint.”
Birthday plaids and tartans are so much fun, it’s a shame not to make one just because you don’t know what to do with it. Some of my recent commissions give an idea of some of the wonderful things you can do with a stitched plaid.
The boxtop above uses a birthday plaid as the background for a simple monogram. The colors chosen match the room where it will live. Birthday plaids can be done in any colors and are great for this purpose.
You could use this idea for a great baby present. Do it in the nursery’s colors or in a traditional baby palette of pastels.
This is the chart for a belt to be stitched in tartan. Tartan belts can often be seen and many (but not all) tartans work in this narrow space.
Stitch it in perle cotton and finish it as a belt for a unique gift.
The rage for tartan in the 1800’s made lots of tartan-embellished items to appear. Look at some of them for more ideas for stitched plaids. Then visit Needlepoint Plaids or see the plaids section in my Etsy shop to buy an already-charted plaid, order your custom tartan or birthday plaid. My experience in creating stitched plaids will create a wonderful result.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
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