And the winner is...

Jamie Fredrickson!  Congratulations, Jamie!  If you want to drop me an email, with your tartan and style choice, I'll get your pattern to you via email as soon as possible!

For anyone interested, the various tartan charts are always available for sale on my website:  Tartan Surnames.  I am in the process of updating the list and adding the links for each tartan.  The link for this is always available on the right hand side of this blog as well.

Also, I have a ton of tartan items (shirts, mugs, cards, mousepads, etc.) available in my online shop, Things Scottish.  The link for my shop is also available on the right hand side of my blog.

---

Julie, the tartan for the Lord of Lovat is Fraser of Lovat.  While Lord Henry Lovat was the last person beheaded at the Tower, the title of Lord Lovat was eventually "resurrected" and there is a current Lord Lovat who is the head of the Fraser clan.  Lord Lovat at Wikipedia

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Pattern Giveaway...tomorrow!

Just a reminder that I will be giving away a Scottish tartan cross stitch pattern tomorrow!  For details, you can go directly to the original post.  At the moment, I have a total of 10 entries so your odds are pretty good.  If you haven't entered, please comment on the original post to enter.

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

In Memory of...

Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum of Told in a Garden, Butternut Road, and Lavender and Lace, who passed away yesterday, I thought I would share the designs of her's that I have stitched.

The Bride - Lavender and Lace

I did this for my college roommate when she got married.










Earthdancer - Butternut Road

I stitched this for my secret pal from church as a "revealing gift".











Angel of Spring - Lavender and Lace

This was also stitched as a revealing gift for my secret pal from church (different lady, different year).










I have at least a couple more of Marilyn's designs in my stash.  I know that 2MuchXS, is planning a stitch along in Marilyn's memory.

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Ribbons!

Just picked up the two items I entered in our county fair:  Twilight Repose and Wild Menagerie.

I didn't make it to the fair this year, so I didn't know how I'd done until I got my items back.

Twilight Repose got a blue ribbon (first place).  Wild Menagerie got a blue ribbon (first place), best of section ribbon (for cross stitch), and First Place rosette (for all items considered needle arts by hand)!

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

12 Days...progress photo

My latest project in rotation has been 12 Days of Christmas by Teresa Wentzler.  While I love the beauty of the pattern, it relies heavily on backstitch which I don't enjoy.  I now have Day 4 completed plus the border areas for Days 5 & 6.

Here is the progress photo:

Because it was so late at night when I finished this bit, I haven't run the randomizer to see what my next project will be.  We shall see...

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Time on a Project?

What is the longest amount of time that it's taken you to finish a project?  I'm not referring to actual time spent stitching but rather the span from the first day started to the day it was finished.

I'm pretty sure that my longest project was Miss Hathaway's Garden from Pegasus Originals.  It was 6 years from the time I started until it was finished.  Here's a picture of it for reference:

I did do other things during that 6 year period:  several afghans, small cross stitch, possibly some quilting.  There were probably months at a time where I never touched MHG.

I'm sure that since I've discovered HAED, I'll surpass the 6 year mark on a project, especially since I currently have 5 of their patterns in my rotation!

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

WIP photo and Rotation

This last round of my rotation had me working on La Belle Dame Sans Merci from HAED.  Here is how it's looking now that page 5 is completed.

It looks a bit wonky because it's a bit loose in the scroll frame and I was too lazy to tighten it.  Also, in the lower right corner, you can just make out the knight's nose.  I knew by the colors that it had to be part of his face but until I looked at the photo, I couldn't make it out.

Next up in the rotation:  12 Days of Christmas by Teresa Wentzler

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Ever find yourself...

...talking to yourself while you stitch?

I notice myself doing it occasionally.  It usually goes something like this:

"The square symbol, what color is that?"
"Next, the diamond.  Where is the diamond?"
"The solid box, that's 3371."

Please tell me that I'm not alone in this or else my next post might be from a padded room!

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Pattern Giveaway

Well, since no one guessed correctly in the previous giveaway that I offered, I decided that I would do a giveaway that will have a definite winner!

I will give a Scottish tartan cross stitch pattern to a random winner.  All you have to do is comment on this post to be entered.  On August 31, I will use my randomizer app to select from all those who commented.  The winner will get to choose which tartan they want and the style of the chart (full tartan, terrier, heart, etc.).

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

If you are the winner and you know that you have Scottish heritage but are not sure which tartan you want, I can research that for you.  Most Scottish surnames do not have their own tartan.

Tartan Cross Stitch Charts

I don't know how many of you know this but I chart Scottish tartans for cross stitch.  I've been doing this for a number of years and have hundreds of charts available.  There is now a permanent link on the top right hand side of my blog or you can click here.

Here are some samples of the tartans and styles of chart that I offer:

Shown in:  Deas #2154
full tartan

Shown in:  MacCullough #3339
Celtic knot

  Shown in:  Dorward #2533
  monogram

Shown in:  Colquhoun #0274
Celtic cross

Shown in:  Wallace #1208
thistle

Shown in:  Blair #0416
heart

Shown in:  MacDonald #0419
stocking, toe right (toe left is also an option)

Shown in:  Christie #1355
Scotland map

Shown in:  Chisholm of Strathglass #1455
lion

Shown in:  Connel #1854
Scottish Terrier







Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Scroll Rod tip - simple but Clever!

I personally haven't had any problems keeping my fabric clean when I'm working with scroll rods but then I use a floor stand so I don't have much physical contact with the scrolled part of the fabric.

For anyone who does need help or just wants to be extra careful with their fabric, this is the cleverest idea I've encountered.  This is from Meari's Musings blog.

Stitching Dilemma

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

Blog Hop #7 - Leftover Floss

Here's the question for this edition of the Blog Hop:

What do you do with the floss, thread, beads, and other elements you have left over from full project kits?

Hmm.  I usually avoid kits like the plague but there are times when you just have to purchase one, mostly because it's the only way to get a certain pattern.

Any leftover floss that I have from a kit, I toss.  Some kits seem to have an inferior floss that feels rough to the touch so I definitely wouldn't want it for any other project.  Other kits don't have DMC (or Anchor) numbers so finding their matches would just take too long.  Even if I know the numbers, I worry about variations between dye lots.  The little bits, aka orts, that I have left when I finish a length of floss, I sometimes save.  They're not kits, but I am saving the orts from two of my projects (separately):  God Speed and the Sistine Chapel both from HAED.  When I am done (years from now) with one of these projects, I plan to either cover a simple glass ornament with all the orts or stuff them in a clear glass ornament.

Beads?  This is interesting that it's part of the question because I just had to think about this yesterday.  I just finished one of Mill Hill's Charmed Santa Faces and they are very generous with the floss and beads.  I tossed the floss but dumped all the remaining beads in a small jar.  I currently have at least three more of these kits that I'm going to do and I thought I'd keep all the extra beads together.  When I have a good number of beads in the jar, I think I'll make a small beaded bag with them.  I won't have a pattern, just whatever bead I grab next out of the jar.  It should be interesting to see how it turns out.

Needles from kits I always keep.  You can never have too many needles!

Happy Stitching!

Stacy

P.S.  After reading a bunch of comments about letting kids use the leftover floss, I think in the future I'll save mine for my nieces.

Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Blogger Blog Hop:
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