I cannot count my day complete
'Til needle, thread and fabric meet.
~Author Unknown

Sharing a common thread with those who love the art of hand embroidery

Sunday, July 13, 2014

A dear friend asked me if I would teach an embroidery class

for a group of her nieces and great nieces. This is Beverlyn.
She owns and operates a sweet and charming antique shop!
Teaching embroidery classes is something that I have always wanted to do 

so I got everything  I could possibly think of to do hand embroidery and gathered it all together

and joined with this wonderful little group to introduce them to the wonderful world of stitching. 
They ranged in  ages from 6 on up.
There was also a sweet 3 year old, who picked out pink floss and took interest for a few moments and then was gone like a graceful butterfly, tiring of what we were doing. 
We covered how to iron on transfers, how to trace and make one's own embroidery designs and the basic embroidery stitches. 

I chose this design to start them all on because it is good design to incorporate the various stitches........
 like outline stitch, lazy daisy, french knot, satin stitch, chain stitch and straight stitch. 



Look at this little darling........only 6 and she kept up with everyone.
I love to see  how focused everyone is on their stitching!

This little genius on the left is only 8. She draws and designs dresses and makes her own clothes using her own sewing machine!

While most teens would rather text on their phones......this sweet 13 year old got seriously into her stitching and caught on so quickly!

The lady in the right is the gracious hostess who allowed us to take over her home for the afternoon. 
I was amazed and delighted at how quickly everyone understood the stitches and at how lovely their stitching was. I regret that I forgot to take a photo of their stitched pieces. They were very pretty. 

The day was full of laughter, stitching, and wonderful food prepared by the hostess. 
Even the young ones stayed until the very end........still stitching their projects. 
We plan to gather again and I can't wait to see what they have been stitching on 
since this first class!




15 comments:

The Tea Lady's Journal said...

What a wonderful day for all. So nice that you were asked to teach a class; and that everyone took such an interest. And such goodies afterwards. And I am sure that "memories" of a special day will long be remembered.

ladycobblestones said...

Congrats on your class. That was a good design to show all the stitches. When I visit my kids (far away and not often enough) my grand daughters hover about when ever I pull out my stitching. I teach them to make a stitch and how to untangle thread. Each time they remember and are ready for more the next visit. Looking at your pictures of all the stuff you packed up for the class, I think I will pack up a lot more embroidery supplies and be more prepared on my next visit. The baggies with all the stuff already ready to go is a great idea I can use. Thanks for sharing. When you go back for show and tell, make sure to take pics.
Smiles to you.
Linda

Shirley said...

There is nothing like teaching the young to follow a tradition that I learn as a small child from my mother. It is so wonderful to watch the little ones working on their embroidery. I have enjoyed catching up with you this morning before I head to my youngest grandson's ball game. Have a wonderful day. Hugs and Prayers from Your Missouri Friend.

lil red hen said...

Kathleen, this is such a wonderful idea! And of course the girls had the best teacher possible! I'm sure they all enjoyed the lesson and I hope they continue with this craft.

Wren said...

How fun for all! I think it is so important to pass down our crafts to the next generation! Thank you for doing such a good job at grabbing their interest! Amazing!!!!

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Wow, that is really neat! They were all so intently stitching away.

It's nice to teach younger ones an artistic craft like embroidery.

FlowerLady

Anonymous said...

Yes, how exciting for you Kathleen. So sweet of you to teach them as I learn to stitch at 10 and it has stayed with me allllllll these years.
blessings, jill

Cindy said...

That looks like a lot of fun - for you and the learners!

Preeti said...

Great to know you enjoyed to do what you wanted to do !:) and also it is nice to see kids enjoying that too.

papel1 said...

I am thrilled to see young girls doing hand embroidery. What a wonderful gathering. I can see why you want to do it again.
Judy

Karen said...

It looks like everyone is having such fun, it's good of you to spread the joy of embroidery!

Gina E. said...

What a lovely post! It is a such a delight to introduce the art of embroidery to others, especially small girls. I don't have children, but Ken's niece has two dear little girls, and they love watching me sew. So one day I took over some calico, a pencil, needles and thread, and invited them to draw something simple on the calico, and once they'd done that, I showed them how to thread the needle and fill in the lines with straight stitch, then stem stitch. I only see them once or twice a year, which is a shame because I'd love to teach them some more.

KathyB. said...

Oh I love to see young ones learning how to embroider and even if they don't pick up the needle to embroider again for awhile, I know they will return to this craft & art at some point in their adult lives. My mom taught us to embroider when we were young and she made us stick to it every Christmas when she had us embroider dish towels for our grandparents. I thought I hated that craft but returned to it for pleasure when I became a Mom.

You're so gifted I imagine being around you and embroidering must be inspiration. Love this post !

A Colorful World said...

What fun! And how rewarding! Embroidery is such a lovely skill. I know they are happy to learn from you. You do such wonderful work!

janice15 said...

This post touched my heart.. so excited to see young one have an opportunity to learn like we did.. things are so ugly in this world today I'm so happy they took an interest would have loved to been there.. I don't know how to make my own transfers and would love to thanks for sharing. with love Janice