Dani... Black Belt Stitching Wizard

Needlepoint... Isn't that what old ladies do?

That seems to be an attitude I face rather frequently from people I know and strangers. First of all, no its not needlepoint, its not knitting, its Cross Stitch! No.. its not for old ladies. I am in my 20's I am not an old lady.

I think for many of us stitchers we initially learn our art in our early years. Something we did briefly in our childhood or teenaged years. My first experience with Cross Stitch was when I was about 13 years old.

We were living in Texas at the time and in my Christmas stocking was a little cross stitch kit of a calico cat (I think... maybe it was a tabby) on aida with a little plastic frame. I couldn't wait to get started! My Mum showed me how to organize my threads and how to make my first little X... its amazing what you can do with a simple X! Soon, the back was this huge lump! I had gotten this idea in my head that I had to work my way from left to right stitching one whole stitch. Cut the thread. Then change colours and do the stitch next to it. Cutting the thread every time. Needless to say that went in the garbage... I wish I had kept it now.

Next I remember a shopping trip to Wally-World Mum and I picked up a bunch of kits on sale. My next project was a vase of flowers. Everything in the 80's seemed to be flowers! Ick! I recall making descent progress on that project. But as soon as I realized I got two of the greens mixed up when sorting the floss... in the garbage that one went too.

After the second failure I didn't give up... I picked up a stamped cross stitch kit of a Siamese cat and another vase of flowers. I started this one, then put it away.

I never picked up my cross stitch again.