Here’s the first finished of my handmade Christmas gifts this year. A needlepoint initial pillow for my sister-in-law (and her husband…sort of:) I knew she loved these ones, but their price is about 5x the set $20 budget for the gift exchange. I had never needlepointed before, but I figured it couldn’t be that hard, right?

Well, it isn’t hard at all…just time consuming. I began in September (to be well ahead of the game for when we did the exchange over Thanksgiving weekend while the family was all in town) and I finished last night. Granted, I’ve been doing other things along the way but I am much more accustomed to a start-and-finish project than a start-and-work-and-work-and-work-and-work-and-then-finish project. Here’s a look at the process: Step one: Head to Joann Fabric and ask the salesperson what I need to make a needlepoint pillow. Buy the things she tells me, including a needlepoint canvas, 100% wool yarn in the colors I wanted, and a large eye embroidery needle and black linen for the back (total cost:$18.00).

Step two: Print a large letter M onto printer paper to use as a stencil, and trace around it in the center of the canvas. I modified the font a bit when tracing to make the legs of the M a little chunkier like I wanted. Also, using a ruler, marker a frame around the initial.  Step 3: Google “needlepoint stitches” and read some tutorials about how to do this thing. When I don’t understand what they’re talking about, I thread the black yarn through the needle and begin to invent my own stitches. After about two hours the first eighth of the frame is done. Awesome.

Step 4: Spend every spare moment in the car and watching reruns of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon stitching.Step 5: After several hours, finally finish the border and the M and switch to cream yarn to fill in the background.

Step 6: Stitch along the road trip to Richmond for the half-marathon. And along the road trip to Annapolis for Thanksgiving. Give a half-finished needlepoint canvas to Sarah at the gift exchange with an “IOU a finished product:)” Step 7: Stitch at the dentists office. Stitch at home watching Elf. Stitch at church. Stitch in my dreams.

Step 8: Finally finish the background. Take a break from stitching to eat some Chocolate Covered Joe Joes. Then sew the black material onto the back on 3.5 sides. Stuff full of fluff, then hand stitch the pillow closed. Done and finally done.Even though it was quite possibly the longest project I’ve ever completed, I love the way it turned out. And Sarah is worth it. I am almost tempted to make one for myself. Maybe on my next flight to Hawaii without kids. Or, you know, never.

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