Hi Bose, I’d suggest starting with short, structured projects that introduce one or two simple techniques at a time, so students feel a sense of achievement without being overwhelmed. Books that focus on small-scale textile art can be really inspiring for this – look out for titles like Textile Nature by Anne Kelly or Stitch Stories by Cas Holmes, which show how simple ideas can be developed into personal pieces. For very accessible projects, Beginner’s Guide to Machine Embroidery by Pam Watts or Creative Stitching by Sue Spargo give clear step-by-step approaches that are achievable in a few sessions.

Magazines such as Embroidery (from the UK’s Embroiderers’ Guild) and Fiber Art Now often feature short projects and exercises too.

Another approach is to work from prompts, ie: “make a stitched postcard” or “use fabric scraps to create a mini landscape” so that the time is contained, but students still get to be creative.
I hope this helps! Warmly, Siân