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Teaching Kids To Stitch by Peg Edwards Carolina Country House Introduction This booklet has been created for the benefit of the Needlework Industry. The permission of the author, Peg Edwards of Carolina Country House, is given to copy any or all of this booklet for the purposes of instructions in needlework shops. It is not to be sold, but rather given away and used as a teaching tool for young children in the areas of counted cross stitch and needlepoint. I am the designer and president of Carolina Country House, a needlework design firm founded in 1989. I have many years teaching experience in the classroom, as well as on cable television shows such as Aleene’s Creative Living, The Carol Duval Show, and Crafting for the 90's. My interest in teaching children to stitch came with the birth of my daughter in 1991. The trends of the American family are changing. With the advent of the working mother and grandmother, fewer children are being taught to stitch. It is up to the needlework industry to change this trend and this booklet is one way to accomplish this. I am by no means an expert. I am not a licensed elementary school teacher, child psychologist, or occupational therapist. The lessons taught in this book came from the experiences I had in teaching my daughter to stitch. My knowledge of fine a gross motor functions comes with 6 years of occupational experience in which one of my other children participated and a degree in biology from North Carolina State University. This booklet was done with a sense of gratitude and love for the needlework industry and my hope is that others will also give freely of their knowledge for the benefit of this industry. Peg Contents When to Begin Teaching What Kids Like The Benefits of Teaching My First Project The Progression From Here to Eternity The Stitching Birthday Party Graphs of Projects When to Begin Teaching There are two schools of thought when trying to decide when to teach a child to stitch. The first is when they show an interest. The second is when they have the physical ability. Both are correct. We don’t want to discourage a child from beginning to stitch with the phrase “you’re too young”. A child might not have the ability to form stitches properly, but there is certainly no harm in giving a child a blunt-tip plastic needle and a piece of 11 count aida and letting their imaginations go. As long as the child is old enough to know that we don’t put needles in our mouths or other body parts and can safely carry out the instruction of putting the needle through the fabric, then instruction can begin. As far as teaching a child proper stitch technique, a child is ready when he or she can tie a shoe. This demonstrates the fine motor control that is necessary to stitch properly. Age is not the issue. Some 5-year-olds can accomplish this, or a child may not be six or seven until it happens. The point is that you don’t want to frustrate a child by beginning before he or she is physically able to complete the task. If a mother or father brings a child into a shop and asks a shop owner or employee to teach that child to stitch, the first that should be asked of the child is “Can you tie your shoes yet?” and if the answer is yes, then a child should be taught proper stitching technique. If the answer is no, then the first technique should be taught. The point is that we never turn away an interested stitcher away, unless safety is a factor. What Kids Like If you are not using the suggested projects in this booklet, then you should choose a project that has bright colors in it. For kids, the brighter the better. A project should be simple and easy for you to teach. A child, if given the choice, will always choose a more difficult project so it is better to keep all choices simple. Let the kids make their decisions from your choices. The Benefits of Stitching As a mother of a child with fine and gross motor problems, I have spent many years meeting with occupational therapists and asking many questions. Stitching is one of the best things a child can do to improve fine motor abilities, even if that child has good fine motor skills to begin with. Think of how many times in a 15 minute time frame you place your needle down through fabric or canvas and come back up again. This repetition with needle and thread or yarn will also improve other areas of fine motor skills, such as handwriting. I have seen this with my own daughter. Stitching properly requires good hand-eye coordination, as in placing the needle between threads of a fabric or canvas and reading a graph and placing those stitches properly in line with the graph. It teaches sequencing and helps with reading skills, which the kids are learning in school at the same time. Am entire booklet could be written on the benefits alone, but for kids and adults as well, more than pleasure can be derived from needlework. My First Project There are four projects on the following pages which can be used as a first project. There are no copyrights on these projects and they can be copied for shop projects to be given away to children (or adults). When you teach a child to cross stitch or needlepoint, the K.I.S.S. Rule should be followed. KEEP IT SIMPLE SILLY. This translates into one color, one symbol in cross-stitch and one color on a needlepoint canvas. Anything more can frustrate a child and that is the one thing you don’t want to do. Children are not known for patience and when teaching, you should always give them a project that is as mistake-proof as possible. Make a game out of threading the needle, stranding embroidery floss, metallics, or wool. Give them a small piece of fabric or canvas to demonstrate the first stitches and make sure they use a proper stitching technique before you let them begin the project. This takes such a small amount of time, but gives them confidence to begin the project. Whatever you do, when teaching stitching to kids, take the word “wrong” out of your vocabulary. Suggesting that a stitch looks right, but that next time trying to get it through the hole would make it even better is preferable. Kids respond to a lot of praise, so by all means, PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE. The first materials that should be used are 11 - count white aida in cross-stitch with a #18 or #20 needle. The first materials in needlepoint should be either a hand-painted or printed 10 - count canvas or a plain canvas with a graph as an attachment and the same needle. These materials are much easier to use for kids and a lot less frustrating than 14 or 13 - count fabric or canvas. For cross-stitch, I would use three or four strands, depending on the fiber that is chosen. In needlepoint, I would use three strands of tapestry wool. Teach kids the proper ways to begin (waste knots or double-strand loops) and end (running the fiber under several stitches) their work. Again, make a game of it, as in asking the child which hole the bunny should come out of, etc. For older children you won’t have to do this, as they catch on more easily. These projects are so easy, they can be completed in-shop, making sure the child has a sense of completion of the first project. Many adults lack this so it is important for the first project to be completed. Lastly, have fun! Children need to experience that stitching is fun as well as relaxing. The Progression After the first project is completed, the second should be easy, yet a bit more challenging. On the following pages are the same projects for the first-time stitcher, but with another color/symbol added. The child is more attentive to the graph with the addition new symbol. Then more symbols/colors can be added gradually. The child has mastered 10 or 11 - count canvas or fabric at this point and can be adjusted to a more difficult count of 13 or 14 perhaps. Then, different stitches can be taught, and before you know it, the child will be a proficient stitcher. Always wait until a child is comfortable with one step before progressing to the next step. It may take two projects working with a one color/one symbol graph before going up to multiple colors/symbols. If you are having classes for children, not all the children will be progressing at the same rate, so let them go at their own paces, so as not to frustrate or bore them. From Here To Eternity Once you have a proficient stitcher, you have a good customer, no matter the age. I have an antique sampler stitched by a 7- year-old child in 1800. It was worked on linen and the only way I can tell the front from the back is the way the letters run. Don’t be afraid to introduce linen and different fibers. Discovering new stitches on new fabrics with new fibers is as exciting for children as it is for adults. It is also great for a child’s self esteem when a new stitch or different technique is mastered. The Stitching Birthday Party In today’s world, most children have their birthday parties at places other than their homes. A stitching party is a great way to entertain children, as well as, teach them a new skill. If you have a table in your shop where you have classes, then you are equipped. Having the party in your shop does two things. First it provides revenue. You charge by the child, usually $10 to $20. This includes your project, decoration, cake and juice or soda and a goodie bag, which has a second project to take home in it. Second, mothers or fathers bring their children into the shop to drop them off and pick them up. A mom or dad who has not stitched in a while might be attracted to a book or kit and might decide to stay for the party to shop for a new project. The vast majority of birthday parties you book will be for girls so keep this in mind. You can use the projects provided in this booklet and supplies that you already have in your shop. Themes are endless. All that is required is that you advertise. Put a sign in your shop to let your customers know that you are offering parties. If you have a yellow Pages ad, the next time you renew put in a blurb like “Birthday Parties Available”. You might decide to do parties only when the shop is close or have the anytime. You should have one instructor for every six children. You may decide on offering several themes to choose from like a Colonial Party, where you duplicate a sampler school of the 1700's and dress in that time period. You could serve sandwiches and hot chocolate out of a chocolate pot and call the children by “Mistress Ann” or “Mistress Mary”. They love pretend games and this would make it even more fun. You could also have a Tea Party theme where the kids wear hats, boas, shawls, etc. from a dress-up box you provide and pretend to be adults. These parties are limited only by imagination. The party should be about two hours in length, a half-hour of which should be left for singing Happy Birthday, having cake and opening presents. Most children today are provided “goodie bags” at parties. Again these are limited only by imagination. An idea would be to provide needle, floss/wool, fabric/canvas and pattern to do a second project, and a treat such as chocolate kisses, gum or hard candy. Remember, you want these party goers to become customers. The main idea is to have fun. If a child comes to the party, who already knows how to stitch, introduce her to new fibers or fabrics. Keep your party lively and you are sure to have referrals to moms who do not stitch, but want to have a different kind of party. If you have any comment or suggestions, please give Carolina Country House a call at (800) 927-6037 or write us at 10326 Hollybrook Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina 28277. Graphs of Projects Graph 1 
Click on the image to see a larger version! Click on the image to see a larger version! Click on the image to see a larger version! Graph 4 |
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