proud mum

On Saturday I had a half day just with my younger daughter, age 6. She had expressed a very strong desire to do some embroidery with me. So we did.

Firstly she drew a flower on some paper, and I traced it onto the fabric. We were using fabric and thread left over from my mini class at the craft show last year, so while there were only a few colours of thread to choose from, she was quite happy with them.

She decided to outline the flower petals in outline stitch. I started her off, and then she kept going. I did have to restart her for each new petal, because outline (and the closely related stem stitch) are not the most easy ones to change direction with. She’s not the most exacting little girl, so she didn’t really worry if the needle accidentally came out on the wrong side of the thread! 🙂

Once the petals were complete, she chain stitched the stem. I showed her one stitch and she was off. Then she wanted to choose another stitch for around the leaves but wasn’t sure what. She looked through the entire The Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion (she’s a leftie too) but nothing caught her fancy (oh dear, my book is wanting!). So she “made up” her own stitch. Actually it was just running stitch, but she worked it short and knobby, so she named it “knob stitch” and was extremely proud of herself for devising a “new stitch”.

Then she worked a cross stitch in the flower centre, and French knots around it. I showed her one French knot and she didn’t need me anymore for them either. She then worked two French knots in the leaves.

I was very surprised about how independent she was with her stitching. I really only needed to be there to demonstrate the stitches once, thread needles, start new threads, and listen to her unending commentary about where she’s up to!

Once she’d finished the embroidery, I asked her if she’d like to make it into a cushion. She was so excited! So we got out the sewing machine and I set it up for her. She couldn’t reach the floor to press the presser foot, so I put a carton of my books there and placed the presser foot on top.

We pinned the front and back of the cushion together, with right sides together. She understood why they had to be right sides together. She operated the presser foot, and I guided the fabric through the machine. She learnt how to pivot at the corners, including getting the needle to stay down in the fabric, then lifting the sewing foot, and turning the fabric.

Please understand this whole process is accompanied with a very high level of excitement!

I showed her how to tie off the threads and clip the corners of the cushion. We turned it right side out through a gap we left in one side, making sure the corners were fully turned. It was stuffed with polyester fibre fill, and then together we whip stitched the gap closed. I started it off for her, she did a bit, then she got me to do the rest.

And she was the absolute picture of happiness, looking at her first embroidery project made into something REAL! She’s been showing it off to family and friends ever since, and now I’m showing it off to you! 🙂