My first large project was when I was 16. My mom was shopping at a needlepoint store for my aunt. She was looking for something for her for Christmas. It really piqued my interest and my mom bought me a large painted needlepoint canvas of pink roses on a black background along with all of the wool to stitch it. It took me about two years to complete. Of course, this wasn't the first time I had seen needlepoint. My grandmother was an avid stitcher and completed many needlepoint pieces and was capable of doing just about anything with a needle and thread or yarn. From quilting to crocheting to embroidery we have examples of her work throughout the house. My mother, as well, has completed needlepoint canvases and other embroidery projects. My sister has always cross-stitched a bit here and there too. I often wonder if there is a needle craft gene that makes my love for it hereditary.
My love for all things cross stitch began when I was unemployed a few years ago. I was googling something and happened upon a blog that opened my world up to some amazing new things. I had never seen or heard of stitching on linen before this and I began to see all of the amazing designs that were out there. Locally, I never saw much other than the basic cross stitch kits on aida and although I completed a few kits over the years, aida was never my cup of tea. That's probably why in my early years of stitching I stuck with basic needlepoint and pillowcases.
Now, several years later, I totally admit to being a stitchaholic. I'm always up for a challenge and continuously look to progress my stitching capabilities.
