Want to see the geekiest thing I ever cross-stitched?

So by now you know that I'm a cross stitch geek.

But I feel that there are certain levels of geekdom and I'm on the cooler end of the scale (if one exists).

One thing that has always made me laugh are the cross stitch magazines. A few of them have a feature that's called something like Stitch a Star and they give you a chart of a celebrity for you to cross stitch.

I've always been baffled by these. They most definitely register as "sad" on the geekometer. For instance, this month in one of these magazines there's a chart of Piers Morgan. Who would want that?! They always put me in mind of the little old ladies who have flying ducks on the wall and pictures of Elvis all over the place. Those little old ladies would love a cross stitch of Piers' face.

But then.

Early in 2009 I saw one of these charts and knew exactly who I could cross stitch it for. American Girl's birthday was coming up and I would cross stitch this person's face and make it into a card. It would be hilarious.

Her birthday was in August so I had plenty of time.

However I am rubbish and didn't get it finished in time to send to her for her birthday.

I'll send it for Thanksgiving I said to myself and carried on.

Then I had a crisis of confidence.

What if she didn't find it hilarious like I did and was offended or something?! What if she thought I had mental problems?! What if she couldn't work out who it was?!

Thanksgiving came and went.

"I'll make it into a card for Christmas" I thought to myself.

Then I thought. What's the point in doing that?! She's going to be coming here a week after Christmas so you might as well just wait and give it to her then.

When The Americans arrived in Hull from their trip to Paris, American Girl gave me a present - a charm for my charm bracelet of the Arc de Triomphe. In turn I thrust a tatty rag into her hands (I hadn't even made it in to a card or given it a quick wash)....

I was lucky. She found it hilarious.

Yes. I did cross stitch Barack Obama's face.

Now who do I know that like Piers Morgan?....