When I started this project I thought about how embroidery is one of the many art forms that has been lost over the years. (if not lost at least not seen as much) The more videos I searched for about embroidery the more I saw that it was making a comeback and in a big way. The number of videos that I found of young people doing embroidery on clothing, shoes, hats, bags, and making wall hangings was amazing. It might not be the same as it was when our Grandma did embroidery on pillowcases or tablecloths but it has a purpose.

I think that there are many different art forms and life skills that have been lost over the years and I am grateful that I have a Mom and had a Grandma that taught me some of these like sewing, crocheting, cooking and baking. When I was in Grade 4 my younger sister and I went and spent a few weeks in BC with my grandparents. I had had very little sewing opportunity prior to this. (I had sewn a few cloth diapers for my baby brother. Didn’t do a good job though.) My Grandma took the time to teach me how to sew a blanket. I had to learn how to cut, iron and sew. She helped with lots of this but also allowed me the chance to try and make mistakes.

I have sewn denim blankets the last few years but it is all just straight sewing and there isn’t much more to what I have done. This project gave me the chance to bring a bit of my creative and artsy side into the sewing. I really enjoyed learning how to embroider and like stated in my last post am excited to see what else I might be able to embroider. I ordered a few patterns that you put onto the fabric you do your embroidery and then place in water and the pattern dissolves.

During class on Monday I worked on my family heart! It felt good knowing that I was getting one step closer to having this part of my project almost complete. I took some snap shots of each of the families handprints and their hearts. It is amazing to see how unique each family is and how together we complete this blanket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made a little video that allows the viewer to take a closer look at the final middle section of the blanket that I will make for my Mom. I am now looking forward to starting work on the frame around the middle section of the blanket. I need to pick a few bugs, flowers and leaves that I can add to the denim that will frame this middle section. Although the middle section took me time to complete the frame work with take time as I will have to decide the number of embellishments and then put these into a pattern that doesn’t have them all in one area.

The final touch on the blanket will be three fabric feathers that I will make. My Mom taught be how to make these a few years ago and now every time I make them I think of her. One summer I made a ton of them and then attached them to yarn and they hang from my ceiling in my class attached to some branches from trees. My students love them and watching them flutter in the breeze.

Friday my water dissolvable embroidery patterns showed up in the mail. Naturally I had to try them out so I put a pink flower on my white shoes and then I took some denim shorts I had made and put daisies in the back pocket and a few on the front with some leaves. Using this backing made it easy to follow the pattern and have my work turn out looking good. It was easy to use as you just peal and stick. I made a video showing me rinsing the backing off after I was done. Here is what they look like when they are all done and the backing has been washed off. Below is a little photo gallery of the shoes and shorts that I made up with some embroidery. I had a fellow teacher see what I was doing and she said that this would be a great activity to do with students. I know that it is something that I have found very relaxing and enjoyable. I am already thinking of my next project. I might find a cloth bag that I am able to add some personality to.

What began as an assignment to teach myself how to do something with the use of social media platforms has become something that I will continue to use and learn to do more with. I began this journey thinking I will get what I need to get done for this blanket for my mom, then I will do my sewing and move on. I have fallen in love with embroidery and all of the possibilities that it has as a craft and a hobby. I am already looking ahead to next school year and how I could purchase a little cloth bag for each of my students and embroider their name on it for them to use when they take out their library books.

Although I haven’t had the opportunity to get the sewing of the denim frame done as of yet I know that once school is out I will have a bit of extra time on my hands and will be able to sit down and get that done. I will add some embroidery details to the denim and will sew the backing on. I have shared with my Mom that I am making this for her and she was almost in tears with what a meaningful gift this is and the thought, time, love and work that she knows is going into it.

Teachers give their students assignments in hopes that they will take something away from them and that they will learn and grow. I know that this is an assignment that has done this for me. I have learned that I can do more than I give myself credit for and that it is through hard work and determination that we can accomplish new things. I had used YouTube to teach myself how to crochet and do some other crafts in the past but this time using TikTok and Twitter also helped and I have some individuals that I am now following that I am learning a great deal from.