Maureen is our Needle and Thread: Stitching for Literacy 2011 Bookmark Challenge Super Model. As with beauty pageant participants, Maureen has a platform which she aims to promote while serving her term as our Super Model: Family Reading and Stitching.

Throughout the year, we’re going to follow Super Mo as she does her modeling things, and during the Challenge, she’s going to share her thoughts on and efforts toward Family Reading and Stitching every Friday.

Madison Learning to Stitch

Today I’d like to share a few pictures of my daughter Madison learning to stitch. She is working on a bookmark from a pattern that was on Stitching for Literacy for last year’s Challenge. I thought it would be the perfect pattern for her to learn on. Progress has been slow but, she’ll get there, no doubt about that.

We also started a Mary Kirby pattern by Brightneedle. I am putting the story and patterns, after they are stitched, in a little book for her. I thought it would be fun for her to read it for years to come. The picture shows her progress on that as well.

As you can see we need to get to work on it. Summer is coming and this will keep her busy. Maybe she can finish them all. Is that too much pressure for a 7 year old?

Great question! (Jen butting in, by the way. That’s what that change of color means.) While we want to teach and encourage kids to stitch, I don’t think we want to put pressure on them to do it or like it. We want to provide exposure and opportunity with no strings attached–pun intended, of course. Some will take to it; some will not.

I would say it’s only too much pressure if Madison feels pressure or obligation to do it; i.e., to put in a certain amount of time (like thirty minutes of piano practice every day) or to complete the project. Making materials and instruction available to her, modeling how much pleasure embroidery gives you, and supporting and congratulating her efforts are healthy and wonderful things to offer.

If at some point she decides she doesn’t want to stitch (perish the thought!), we all need to be okay with that. Ultimately, she needs to find her own passions. No one will be passionate about embroidery, though, if s/he isn’t exposed to it and giving the opportunity to try it.

What do you think are some dos and don’ts of teaching kids to stitch?

Keep up with all of Super Mo’s stitchy adventures at Maureen’s Mountain of Stitching blog.