I just started to embroider this winter and I am really enjoying it. One thing I found though is that I don’t want to learn a stitch on the final project so I have a practice piece of fabric. Never thought it would become a teaching experience for me AND the kids…
This is the piece I practiced satin stitch and some long/short stitch on. I found different tutorials had different ways of doing satin stitch so I wanted to check them out before using it on a bigger scale.
Today I was starting a new practice piece because I wanted a bigger piece of fabric to put all my practice and notes on to use for later reference.
My son said to me ” Mom, isn’t that a waste of materials?”
So, I asked him “Is it a waste for you to write your spelling words?” To my relief he said no.
Then I replied ” But it’s not like your writing a book a bunch of people are going to read?”
He then said “Oh, then i guess you’re not wasting stuff.”
Gotta love teachable moments.
Learning is never a waste. This piece of fabric will eventually be a mishmash of color, notes and techniques. It will never be on display, but it is a beautiful example of learning.
On the note of learning. I learned the basics from my Mom , but I have been following the blog Mary Corbet’s Needle ‘n Thread http://www.needlenthread.com and she is a great inspiration. She also has some wonderful written and video tutorials for many different stitches. Wonderful stuff.
So, keep learning!
– The Frabjus Lady
Frabjus Lady and The Screwy Carpenter 
when I teach I ask students to gather around a large frame in groups and stitch along with me to learn the technique, then at the end of class I chop the practice canvas up and give them each thier piece (I really must start rememebering to get everyone to write thier name next to thier stitches though, it would save me running round like a headless chicken at the end of the day)
I’ve been embrodiering over 30 years and I still do practices on scraps, either to learn new or refresh my memory
I love that picture of you all gathered around a canvas to learn…what a fun way to learn embroidery. I have a feeling I will be making many practice scraps in my future. My Grandmother taught me tatting and when she passed away I found some of her “scraps”. I put them in my sewing. They are my most precious reminders of her.