Ever had a sewing needle adopt you?

Things started when I received a patch from Dan Daetz after I backed his Kickstarter for ​The Hole Man​. It had vivid gold letters, a striking jet image, and the words “Sci Fi Jet Pilot.” This could not stay in my desk drawer.

I snagged an Air Force colonel’s jacket from an estate sale and reached out to my sister, who sewed on the emblem with her machine.

Then a badge arrived from another author friend, A.J. Eliot, for her Kickstarter book, ​Windrider​. I knew this patch needed to go on the uniform, too, plus I had a deadline.

I wanted to wear the blazer to a writers’ conference where I’d see A.J. I procrastinated but finally reached into my sewing box. It consisted of four microscopic spools of thread and a tomato pin cushion with all the pins driven to their necks.

And one needle that was already threaded. My miracle needle. Trying to push a thread the size of a hair through a hole the size of two hairs is a great way to spend your evening.

I didn’t have to do that, so I sewed. The strand got shorter and shorter. When I tried to knot the thread, I found out there wasn’t enough left.

I tossed the blazer over a chair. The patch stayed in place so I was set.

I flew to the writer’s conference and got many comments on the jacket and emblems.

During a session, I hung the coat over my chair and a writer sitting behind me tapped me on the shoulder. “Do you know that you have a needle hanging on the inside of your jacket?”

That forgotten needle. I shoved the point into thicker fabric.

I had already gone through security and flown about 1000 miles crammed in a tight seat with this needle dangling inside my jacket. I had to shed my belt, my watch, and a necklace to get through the security gate, but the needle didn’t trigger a single alarm.

My trip home included the same airport security and the same 1000 miles. The needle never registered an alert.

It hasn’t poked me once, so I haven’t tackled the next step yet.

We’re starting to become buddies. I am honoring two authors and a miracle needle at the same time.

Plus procrastinating.