The Head Stitch in Charge: Debbie
The woman who taught me how to needlepoint and forever changed how I value my happiness.
If you’ve been around here for a bit, you may already be familiar with the story behind how and why I got started with needlepoint. But if you aren’t, take a few moments and check out my post called “Syllabus” here, for the full unabridged story.
If you want the footnotes, here they are:
I learned to needlepoint in the fall of 2020 after the birth of my first child during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic and postpartum depression. I was so in love with our new little baby, yet something inside didn’t feel quite right. I knew I needed to reconnect with myself and prioritize my happiness in a different way and thought a new hobby, like needlepoint might be a good place to start. 🪡
During a conversation with my mom, I told her about wanting to try my hand at needlepoint, but that I also wanted someone to show me in-person (I am a visual learner through and through). My mom suggested I reach out to Debbie, who was an avid needlepointer and whom my mother had done some custom needlepoint pillow finishing for. One phone call to Debbie later and we had a date set for me to come for my first “lesson”. The rest is history.
Throughout the years since, we have met up to stitch together, have sent countless text messages to one another about our favorite hobby (“what do I do when the stitch pops out!?”, “how would you begin to tackle this project”, “which color looks best to you”, etc.) and most of all, have formed a friendship that has forever impacted my life and how I view prioritizing my happiness.
Earlier this spring, I sat down with Debbie and told her about this “idea” I had for my new blog and asked if she would have any interest in being my first “Head Stitch In Charge” feature. True to form, she agreed whole-heartedly. Here is a peek inside our afternoon together and my small homage to the person I think of every time I pick up a needle and thread.
(Super Side Note: If you are listening to the audio version of this, I (Emily) am reading the questions and Debbie’s answers, due to some audio recording issues we had when filming.)
How and when did you learn to needlepoint? A friend of my sister’s mother taught my sister and me in the early 70s. It just looked and seemed like such a beautiful thing to do. I have been stitching for 50+ years and it has brought me nothing but absolute joy. Shortly after I learned, I then turned around and taught my mother how to needlepoint. She quickly fell in love with it, just like I had. Towards the end of my mother’s beautiful life, there was very little she remembered, but she remembered how to basketweave up until the very end.
What was the first project you stitched? My first project was a pillow for my uncle’s daughter, Christine and that was it. I was hooked. Pillows weren’t my favorite thing to stitch back then, but they were what I stitched the most because they were flat, easy for me to stitch and the easiest thing to come by at the time. I have always stitched basketweave and almost exclusively used wool.
Did you ever have an issue with moths because you stitched with wool? Never!
What is your favorite project you have ever stitched? There are far too many to choose from but the most memorable or meaningful project was probably a “Villanova” canvas, stitched for my daughter years ago when she was a student there. My mom had actually bought and started stitching the canvas for my daughter. She worked on it tirelessly but unfortunately she passed before she could finish it. After her passing, I finished stitching the canvas for my daughter and had it finished into a pillow for her.
What is the best piece of advice you can give a needlepointer, especially a new one: Find something you absolutely love and just got for it. What matters is that YOU love it. If you don’t, you wont love the end result and will miss the magic in the making. Always take the time to work on something that brings you joy and remember, in the end, your opinion matters most.
Currently working on: Due to health reasons, Debbie has been unable to stitch as of late, but she always projects a plenty waiting in the queue and looks forward to resuming stitching soon.
Oh and Debbie, you will always be the Queen of this sport in my book.
Who taught you how to needlepoint? I would love to know your story in the comments section below - please share!
Kiana at West Village knit and needle taught me how to stitch!
Stephanie of Spellbound Stitchery taught me. I can't wait to meet her in person and thank her 💕 Debbie is a true gem. Thanks for sharing her story.