Susan Battle: Hello! I am Susan Battle, owner of The Point of It All, Washington DC's Premier Needlepoint Shop. Today, I am going to teach you how to needlepoint step by step. Today's stuff include picking out a canvas. Selecting the proper needle size, choosing a fiber, thread the needle, actually stitching using the Continental Stitch, ending your fiber and then we will do a quick overview of other stitches.

The tools you will need are a canvas, a needle, scissors, fiber and a needle threader. You could also use stretcher bars. You may also want a chatelaine which keeps your scissors in one place along with your needle threader, magnifying glasses to see the small holes, a tote bag to keep everything in one place and organized. You might also consider a simulated daylight lamp and it make seeing the dark colors that much easier.

There are too many safety concerns beyond using sharp scissors and the needles are somewhat sharp. I learned to needlepoint when I was seven years old because my mother had not finished my Christmas stocking and I said, It's okay mom, I will learn to needlepoint and I will finish it. I kept needlepointing from when I was seven years old to present day and my husband Chris and I bought the shop about two years ago. The shop had already been in business for 35 years and we are proud to continue the tradition of The Point of It All. Let's get started needlepointing. Our first step will be to select the canvas.