This article is an excerpt from the WHE 4th Grade Handwork Curriculum Guide coming out October 4th, 2024!
Ideally, 4th grade will be a balance of both embroidery and cross-stitch. But what comes first? Embroidery or cross-stitch? This is a question we often hear in discussions with handwork teachers around the world. There is no one right answer. As with everything you teach, the first step in planning your year is to know the children. Every child and every group of children has different needs. They are a unique constellation of handwork skills, social skills, and emotional needs. You will also likely find that there is a wide range of children who are each a unique combination of thinking, feeling, and willing. The amount of time you have to teach plays a big part too (once a week or twice, half or whole year, etc). Local culture, availability of supplies, seasonal traditions, and more, can all play a role in deciding what is the best plan forward for your 4th grade handwork class. With that in mind, let’s explore the benefits of embroidery and cross-stitch together.
Embroidery projects tend to be smaller and can be easily modified for different skill levels. Whether you are bringing an embroidered zipper bag, a sewing roll, or a scissor case, the entire piece of cloth does not need to be filled with embroidery. The stitches are embellishments so some children may add lots of details, while others may add a few simple designs. Embroidery is very free flowing. It can almost be thought of as drawing with thread. Stitches can go in any direction and there are a wide variety of different techniques to learn to create an infinite number of patterns and designs.
One of the blessings of embroidery is its ability to be modified for a wide range of skill levels. Children who are still building their fine motor skills can make lovely designs with very simple stitches. Advanced students can learn a variety of stitches to create very intricate designs. For beginning sewers, or at the beginning of the year, we recommend using some cross-stitch fabric to help guide the length and direction of stitches. Embroidery does not have to cover the entire piece of fabric, and some cross-stitches can be practiced as part of the embroidery before students jump into the 'deep end' of a full cross-stitch project. If you want to start the year with shorter projects and lots of room for modifications, embroidery can be an excellent choice.
Cross-stitch projects differ in that in the Waldorf tradition, the entire piece of cloth should be filled with stitches. There is a very clear beginning, middle, and end. Cross-stitch projects can also be modified for various skills levels, but in a different way than embroidery. Advanced students can create very intricate designs using many different colors blending and breathing together. While slower workers can choose fewer colors. The teacher can also change the size of the project for varying skill levels. One of the greatest benefits of cross-stitch is working with a clear and organized grid of holes for the needle to follow. This can be a good choice for students who are new to needlework because the grid helps the children learn to control the length of their stitches and the direction of their needle. There is a very consistent and repetitive rhythm to cross-stitch which can be quite soothing to the nervous system. Cross-stitch can be thought of as the ‘form’ and embroidery as the ‘freedom’. So, starting the year with cross-stitch can be a way to introduce form before freedom. If you want to start the year off with form and consistent rhythmic stitches, cross-stitch can be an excellent choice.
In our 4th Grade Handwork Curriculum Guide we offer a wide variety of both embroidery and cross-stitch projects for you to choose from. Browse around, think about your unique children, and decide what you think would be the best first project. There is no right or wrong answer here. Whatever you choose, we hope you, and your students, will enjoy the peaceful flow of stitches, colors, and designs in 4th grade handwork.
To learn more about cross-stitch, embroidery, and the art of teaching handwork, explore our Handwork Curriculum Guides for grades 1-4!
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