The Long Days Archives

 

 

As promised (though no one actually asked for it) here is my little "how the kids and I learned embroidery together" post.  It all started with the book "See & Sew" by Tina Davis....a sewing book for children. My friend found the book at Goodwill. And I was intrigued. So I did what I always do...I requested a copy from the library! Less than a week later I had it in my hands. Isaiah immediately looked through the entire book. My boy loves crafts:) Just like his mama! After some deliberation, he chose embroidery as his first project.

 

Now admittedly, Isaiah has a lot of "projects" he wants to create with my help. Most of these projects never come to fruition because....well...because I am lazy. But as luck would have it, I knew Monday was going to be yet another snow day so this time I was motivated to find a way to occupy our time inside. The kids and I zipped right on over to our nearest craft supply store and bought our supplies (before the cold front hit).

 

 

Here's the breakdown of what we purchased:

Two - 4" embroidery hoops - $1.49/each

36 pack of embroidery floss - $4.99

 

The fabric is scraps I already owned (from an old duvet cover) and the needles I owned as well. They were part of a multi-needle pack and handily enough were labeled "embroidery". Basically I think any large needle with a large eye will work. But what do I know? I thought the small hoops would be good for the kids. Later my mom informed me bigger would have been better, easier to handle with more work space. So maybe splurge and get the 8" hoop for $1.99! Oh and if the pack of floss is too much for the ole' budget, individual packs of floss are CHEAP. Like forty cents cheap. I went crazy this time and jumped in with both feet and I don't regret it one bit. The kids LOVE having so many colors to choose from.

 

 

That is the what. Moving right along to the how. Not much to say here. Basically the kids and I looked at the illustrations in the book and gave it a whirl. Isaiah picked it up after I showed him two stitches (stem stitches to be exact). While Charlotte....well she got the concept but couldn't execute it quite as precisely. Regardless, they both had a blast! Seriously they sat quietly working on their embroidery for most of the morning! It was wonderful!! I got some dishes done and was only interrupted to re-thread their needles from time to time. The book is excellent. Easy illustrations to follow.

 

 

Hannah also liked embroidery because it meant she got free reign of the entire house without her brother or sister bossing her around!

In the end Charlotte created a chick, albeit unintentionally. She was a free-style embroiderer while Isaiah had a plan and executed it. As is obvious in the finished product pictures, I helped Charlotte with her creation. She needed a little guidance:) Isaiah on the other hand, only needed me to do the first stitch or two of each kind and then he was able to take off. His scene was created using the following stitches: stem, cross, chain, and blanket. Nearly all the stitches in the book!

Both finished products are now framed and proudly displayed in the kids' rooms.

 

Who knew my kids would enjoy embroidery so much? Certainly not I. But that was a pleasant surprise! We will definitely be doing more embroidery around here.