Appendix II: Needlepoint

The women worked very hard to rewrite the brochure. They had all expressed an interest in next doing something fun. We went back to the list of topics that had been brainstormed, and needlepoint was chosen as something they would like to learn. I brought in a number of examples of needlepoint work and a number of pattern books. The women then went out and bought the necessary supplies.

I had intended to do the needlepoint after school and during lunch hour, but again the women took it on with enthusiasm and one half-hour session was not enough. Having turned the last piece into curriculum gave me the idea to use a curriculum approach to needlepoint.

The first piece was reading a chart. The women had to be able to make sense of the directions and the chart. This is a very specialized skill and we practiced by looking at charts and explaining to each other what the symbols and directions meant.

Next, we had to be able to transfer the information we had on the charts into stitches on the cloth. This is not necessarily as easy as it sounds! For example, the women had to learn that one symbol on the chart might mean having to use four holes in the cloth. Also, counting accurately is absolutely essential in needlepoint. If you miscount, the picture does not turn out right.

The women also had to be able to visualize what the finished piece would be like. I encouraged them to choose colours that they felt would look good rather than the colours suggested by the chart.

The academic skills that needlepoint requires are not extensive. Pattern reading can be used as a first step in reading for anyone who is interested in being able to read the patterns. Because it does not take a long time to quickly master all the skills required, this is a very good activity to give a person a quick boost in confidence.

The women in the group thought that pattern reading would be tremendously hard only because no one had ever explained a pattern to them. It took only a few times and a bit of practice before the women were helping each other and I was no longer needed.

At the third workshop, Debbie Heagy took part in a theatre presentation: One of her statements was, "It's freedom - freedom to make your own choices."