Kids Learn To Embroider: Story Chapter Two
Welcome back to the Embroidery for Kids and Me podcast. I share sewing crafts for kids that are centered in embroidery. Stories about Charlotte who learns how to embroider from her friend Willow, who happens to be a wood nymph, will excite and teach your children how embroider. These stories are written with children ages 8 and up in mind, but the whole family will enjoy them! Follow along the adventures to learn the very beginning of embroidery to the end where your children can sew their very own candy cottage from Hansel and Gretel and all the steps in between.
Mom’s, this podcast and blog is for you too. This time working together will be cherished forever. Don’t worry if you don’t know anything about embroidery. I have you covered! I will share free tools, tips, and more along the way.
Now lets get started!
Kids Learn To Embroider
Chapter Two
Waiting Is Such A Hardship
Charlotte Oak was waiting. Waiting waiting waiting. She was sitting on the couch, looking out the front window. Would the delivery truck never arrive? Two whole days of waiting! Can such a hardship be borne? No indeed it can NOT!
“You know, two days is not that long a wait.” said mom.
Charlotte was indignant! “Two days is a long time when you are super excited!”
Mom laughed. “Well, when you put it that way I suppose it is.”
Mom came to sit beside her daughter. They both waited. And waited and waited.”
“Why don’t we make banana bread?”
Charlotte looked out the window and sighed. “Might as well. It’s not coming anytime soon.”
“It’s supposed to come after dinner time.” said mom, ” It’s only 12:30.”
“Alright.”
Off mother and daughter went. William, Charlotte’s older brother saw the goings on and came to join them. Soon the banana bread was in the oven. Charlotte had just gone back to the window when the door bell rang. She jumped up and was at the door before the door bell finished it’s song.
It was the package! The package full of embroidery supplies that she was waiting forever for! It was here! She tore through the package and held every item. The hoop was here, floss, needles, fabric, a sheet of blue felt, scissors, and a basket to put it in. Yep it was all here.
“Yay, it’s here!” called mom, ” Are you sure you remember how to embroider from school?”
What mom didn’t know is that a wood nymph name Willow was going to teach her. After William laughed at her when she told him about her tiny friend, she decided not to tell her parents, at least not yet.
“I’m sure I can. May I go sew in the woods?”
“Yes. Just don’t go to far.”
With a quick grab of her basket she just filled with her embroidery things, Charlotte ran off into the woods at the back of her house with the swiftness of a happy heart.
Kids Learn To Embroider
Charlotte Finds Her Friend
Charlotte found the mossy spot where she first met her friend Willow, the tiny wood nymph. Willow was nowhere to be found.
Charlotte remembered what her friend said. She just needed to walk 200 feet this direction and she would find the only willow tree in the whole forest which was the home of her wood nymph friend. She wasn’t sure how long a foot was but she guessed it’s about the size her dad’s feet.
So she walked, counting as she went.
At around step 180, Charlotte came to a small clearing. at the back of the clearing was a willow tree. She found it!
Off she ran like a pony. Her whole body felt light with her excitement. Just as she was arriving she heard a familiar voice.
Kids Learn To Embroider
Together Again
“You came back!” It was Willow. She had a long dark braid down her back, a sun hat on her head, and a dress that looked like she had made herself.
Charlotte sighed. “It felt like the delivery would never come!”
“Let’s get started.” Declared Willow, who did not like waiting any more than Charlotte did. “I brought my sewing basket with me so I can make a needle book with you.”
“Thank you. That will help a lot!” said the grateful Charlotte.
Charlotte loved to see the tiny basket with the tiny scissors, hoop and everything. It was the cutest sight.
“First take out your felt and scissors.”
Charlotte pulled out her scissors and then her fabric. When she did so, Willow saw Charlotte’s white cotton fabric.
“You have a lot have fabric!” exclaimed Willow.
“Yes,” replied Willow, “I didn’t know how much to get so mom just ordered me a yard. I didn’t know a yard was 3 ft!”
As good friends do, Willow assured her that she would love embroidery so much that she would use it all up before she knew it.
Willow continued her instructions, “First we will make your needle book. Cut one piece of felt in the shape of a book that is opened and on its belly. Cut the next piece the same way but a little smaller.” Willow brought out her scissors and felt and cut right along with Charlotte. The tininess of Willow’s felt and scissors was just too cute that Charlotte blurted out,
“I absolutely love how tiny your scissors are! “
Willow who was not one to be easily offended, laughed gaily and replied, “tiny things are cute. I love my baby sister’s clothes, they are so sweet. “
“I’m sure they are,” replied Charlotte
They started talking about their baby sisters (Charlotte had one too) until the cutting was done.
Kids Learn To Embroider
Charlotte’s First Sewing Lesson!
“Now put the smaller piece on top of the bigger one. Then make sure that both middles line up. Just like a book.” When that was done Willow said, ” That’s right. Now let’s get out our needle and floss. Cut the floss this long, ” Willow showed her the length she needed which is the length from your nose to your out stretched hand.
“Now we need to thread the needle. Put one end in your mouth to wet it, like this. Yes that’s right. Make sure all six strands are the same length at the tip there. Now push it through the needle.”
“Oh no!” exclaimed Charlotte, “I can’t even thread the needle!
Willow looked at the disobedient floss and said, “Naughty floss, you need to behave better than that for my friend. ” She made a very cross face.
Charlotte laughed! A good hearty laughed restored her spirits and she tried again. Then a few more times.
“When the floss frays like that be sure to wet it again.”
Charlotte wetted it again and tried once more.
“Haha! Success!” exclaimed Charlotte.
“Hurray! Next we knot the end. Wrap the end once around your pointer finger then Mr. Thumb comes in to help wiggle the floss down and off your finger. Now your fingers and thumb finish the job by going to the top of the almost knot and pulling down until you can’t pull no more.”
Charlotte giggled, “I love the way you talk.”
“I love the way you talk too, ” smiled Willow with pleasure. “It’s the way my mother taught me. Your knot is done!”
Charlotte followed right along with Willow. She was quite proud of her knot!
Willow continued, “Starting from the top, go to the middle of the two felt pieces and pull your thread up. This way we don’t see the knot.
“Then go down through both pieces of felt, then up, then down, then up, following the line down the middle. All the way down we go. Keep them pretty small. Make the next one a little smaller. Yes that’s right”
The girls were quiet as they sewed.
Kids Learn To Embroider
Triumph!
“I did it!” exclaimed Charlotte.
She showed her friend.
Willow was well-pleased.
“To knot, wrap your floss around your needle three or so times. That’s right, just slide through your last stitch to make a knot stitch. You can make the knot invisible but let’s not do that your first time. That’s good. now cut the floss.”
Charlotte concentrated hard. “Done!” announced Charlotte proudly.
“Great! Did you remember to bring your ribbon or some yarn? “
“Yes! I brought yarn because I had some left over from when I made my hat last winter.”
“Great! We make a knot at the end just like we did before. Put a piece long enough to tie a bow with for the middle of the front and back piece. Pull the needle up on one side of your yarn, pull down on the other. Repeat 3 or 4 more times. Knot the end just like you did before.”
“Oh shoot!” exclaimed Charlotte, “There’s a huge rats nest here. “
“That’s okay, “assured Willow, “Here I’ll help you.”
Willow pulled out the knot until there was only a few tiny knots left. She pulled it through and told Charlotte to try again.
Concentrating hard, Charlotte wound the floss 3 times around the needle, she pulled through the back of her last stitch. This time she didn’t go so fast.
“I did it!” beamed Charlotte.
Kids Learn To Embroider
Nearly Done
“Yes you did!” Willow was a very proud teacher. “Now you do the same thing on the other side.”
Charlotte completed the other side with more confidence and fewer mistakes.
Willow brought out her needle book she just made along side her friend to show her pupil where to store the needles in her new book. “You put them inside just like this.”
“You can make your needle book as fancy as you wish to when you have learned some stitches and had some practice. My mama says that embroidering helped her learn that patience bears beautiful fruit with diligence. I didn’t know what she meant at first, but I do now! It took a lot of practice to beautify my old book, but I’m so glad I did. ” Willow brought out her old needle book. “You will be able to as well. I have no doubt of it!”
It was a beautiful needle! Charlotte oohed and aahed until Willow’s face became quite red.
Charlotte wasn’t as sure of herself as her friend was, but she determined to do her best.
“For your next lesson bring a piece of paper, sharp pencil, and a ruler.” called Willow as Charlotte started to walk home.
“I will!”
Kids Learn To Embroider
Home Again
“Willow! Where are you?” came a distant voice.
“Oh I plum forgot! I promised my mama I would help care for baby Mossy today so she could help grandma at 3:00.” Pulling out her quaint pocket watch she exclaimed, “Why, it’s 3:15? I’m sorry but I must go! “
“Oh okay! See you later. Thank you for your help!”
Charlotte rushed home, excited to show her family what she made and hoping she didn’t Willow in trouble.
“Cute,” said William, “did your woodland friend help you make it?” teased William.
“Yes my wood nymph friend did help me.” Charlotte was to happy to be bothered by her brothers teasing.
“That’s darling, ” approved mother, ” it looks just like a book, but tiny. You should show it to dad when he comes home. You know I used to make sewing crafts as a child. I should start sewing again.”
“We could sew together!” replied Charlotte excitedly. Sewing with mom would be great fun!
Baby Lucy was in mother’s arms and she wiggled her approval.
“Read it to me!” demanded 3 year old Charlie
“Would you read it to me, please?” corrected mom.
“Would you please read it to me?”
Charlotte let him look at it, but since there were no pictures, he gave it right back and went off to play.
We feel our proudest when we have worked our hardest. Charlotte felt this to be true when she looked at her imperfect needle book. She wondered when her next lesson would be.
The end, for now.
Thank You For Coming!
I hope you are enjoying these stories! Moms, I invite you to work along with your children as Willow worked with Charlotte. It will be a lot of fun sewing and learning together. If you have ideas of sewing crafts for your kids, let me know. Willow just might teach you how to make it!
Until next time! Goodbye for now!
You May Also Like:
- Having a hard time finding time to sew yourself? I have 5 tips to help you create time to embroider.
- If you or your children would like to sew a more complicated needle book there are many DIY’s out there. Charlotte will pretty up her needle book but she needs more lesson first. While you wait here are three different options I found This one is quite fancy. This one is a darling house one. And lastly this one is the easiest of the three and is hand sewn. It uses felt which makes the tasks much quicker.
