I am honored and humbled to be recognized by the staff at Stitch by Stitch to be their stitcher of the
month.
My needlework began when I was a young girl. My grandmother taught me how to knit at the age of 8 and during my teens, I dabbled in cross-stitch.

I was familiar with needlepoint but had never been exposed to it until my Aunt Susie, my husband and I (along with our 8 month old son) rented a house in Martha's Vineyard.

My Aunt had heard that the needlepoint shop in Edgartown was amazing, so we decided to check it out. I was fascinated and bought three small kitted ocean themed squares. I couldn't wait to get started. My Aunt was so patient as she taught me how to basketweave - up the steps and down the poles.

I worked non stop, even on the ferry ride home! She exposed me to a lifelong hobby...and I'll always be thankful to her for that among many other things!

I didn't pick up needlepoint again until a few years later as I was keeping busy with a knitting group and three young boys. One day my aunt stopped by, as she often did (and still does) and showed me a new needlepoint project she had picked up at our LNS in Connecticut. It was a belt that would be attached to the top portion f a purse. It was colorful and fun! On that day, I was in a stay at home mom "funk" and I suspect she picked up on it and she suggested that I get one too!

We waited for my husband to come home and off we went. I found a colorful, fun crab belt and finished it quickly. My next purchase was a Rebecca Wood stocking for my son. I was back! At that time, I was still knitting and happened to meet an older woman named Jane K. at our local knitting shop in Ct. We talked about knitting but we also talked about our love for needlepoint. I asked where she shopped, and Jane told me that she shopped at Stitch by Stitch and that I should check it out.

I took Jane's advice. The following weekend I made the 25 minute drive to Larchmont, NY. I thought what a beautiful store with so many fun and interesting things to look at! I was also intrigued by the ladies stitching at the front table (Jane, Mary Ellen and Shirley to name a few) and noticed the projects they were working on were NOT basketweave! At that moment I promised myself that after I completed Christmas Stockings for my boys, I would delve into the world of "fancy stitches".

It took me 13 years to complete their stockings and once I finished them, I set out for a "fancy stitch" project. I found Rebecca Wood's Banner Series which included a banner for each month of the year. What solidified the project for me was that there was a stitch guide written for the entire series. After all, I didn't even know how to do a fancy stitch let alone choose one.

SOLD!

It's been such a fun and satisfying project. I've completed 7 of 12 banners. I hang them on the inside of our front door and get so much enjoyment from them. I average one banner per year as I simultaneously work on other projects including 11 belts, 1 purse strap, 1 pair of Dr. Schols, 1 Mindy purse and 7 of 25 ornaments for Kate Dickerson's advent calendar.

I'm a sucker for a BIG project! For more than a year now, I've been attending Saturday Studio Time with Mary Ellen at Stitch by Stitch. Not only have I learned to become a better stitcher, but I have also formed great friendships with the other girls at the table and the staff. You all know who you are. Studio Time gives me something to look forward to during my busy work week and has become my "Happy Place" as I continue to learn the craft.

I one hundred percent consider myself a "needlepoint nerd"! I get as much enjoyment from organizing my threads, kitting my projects, laminating my stitch guides, scrolling through Needlepoint Nation and watching instagram videos as much as I do from stitching itself. I shared my thread storage method on Needlepoint Nation a few years ago and within days the containers were sold out on Amazon!!

I’ve been stiching for 22 years and still have a LONG way to go with my stitching skills but what a wonderful way and special place to learn.  As always, I extend a huge a thank you to Betty, Madalena and the amazing staff at Stitch by Stitch for all you do to keep us “in the know” for the latest and greatest in the needlepoint world and for creating a wonderful shopping and stitching environment for us.