The prep work is the hardest part

It's not much to look at, I know, but it took me over an hour to stitch the bottom half of the heart outline! Some of that time is spent checking each stitch against the mirror stitch on the other side, something that drives me crazy as I'm working it but something that I know will make all the difference in my success at following Gay Ann's directions later.

So here's a quick look at what I've accomplished last night:


Can you even see anything? I barely can. Tonight I'll finish the top half of the heart--I hope. At least I'll get one side finished. And once that's done the fun can start! I'm hoping to finish this heart this month, and then I'll take it to my local needlepoint shop for finishing. I'm not silly enough to think that it will make it home in time for Christmas...but then, I don't take my tree down until January 6th, so maybe...