My First Embroidery Project Found!

A few weekends ago, while visiting my folks, I was standing in the kitchen and saw a bit of this dish towel hanging out of a drawer.  I recognized the feet as the feet of the rooster I'd embroidered in 3rd or 4th grade!

I thought for sure this towel was long gone by now!  But there it was, and my folks were nice enough to let me take it home with me to put into my collection.

 

It's kind of an ugly rooster, but it is a good example of the "it's the process, not the product" philosophy, and as a teacher of preschool aged children, it is a philosophy I believe.

During my 3rd and 4th grade years I had the same teacher, Mrs. Smith, for both years.  Our school was large in size, but small in population.  The elementary classrooms were "doubled".  The 1st and 2nd grades were together, the 3rd and 4th grades together, etc.  Dear Mrs. Smith was one of my favorite teachers.  She was always so patient with me even though I could never sit still, never liked to sit in my seat and was always trying to talk and tell stories.  (I probably had A.D.D but I don't think we knew much about that back then).  Mrs. Smith wasn't afraid to give us hugs, and she always wore dresses and big clip-on earrings, which she would take off half way through the day (the earrings, not the dresses).  Looking back, she reminded me of a teacher who could have stepped out of the 1950s.  She retired from full-time teaching in 1986, the same year our big, brick schoolhouse closed for good.

 

                     

            

As I look at the picture of my hometown school, above, I recall that Mrs. Smith's 3-4 classroom was in the upper left-hand corner in the front of the school.  It always seemed to be such a bright and sunny room and now I see why...the windows were on the south and let in the morning and afternoon sun.

 One year, I don't remember if it was 3rd or 4th,  she had all of us bring a dish towel to stamp and stitch.  I remember some of the boys began to complain about the assignment, but she stuck to her guns and explained that the boys should know how to use a needle and thread too!  Good for you, Mrs. Smith.  She taught us the basic cross stitch, but I don't recall if she taught any other stitches.

 

The transfer I chose was a rooster.  I remember knowing right away that I was going to make the tail feathers very colorful.  Even at a young age, I loved things that were colorful.

 

 

 I don't recall if she had us provide our own thread or if she had thread there for us.  I think she had a tin of thread for us to use.

 

 

As you can see, I wasn't very good at it.  But I do remember that I enjoyed it!  He doesn't have an eye, and I'm not sure why, I suppose I just didn't know how to do a French knot ha!

 

Well, that's all for today, I sure have enjoyed my little walk down memory lane and hope you've enjoyed it too.

Until another time, have a happy, stitching day!