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Posted by Carole-Retired and Loving It on May 16, 2008, 12:06 pm
Or when cotton clothing you've made goes out of style or no longer
fits, but is still in good shape, it is perfect for cutting into
pieces and adding to your stash. I've done that LOTS of times! The
buttons go back into my button box.
wrote:
show/hide quoted text
>I do give lessons. <VBG> Love to teach and help folks learn how to have
>While making clothes can take time away from quilting it really isn't
>any more time consuming than shopping for clothes. Plus, if you use
>cotton fabric (or even other fabrics, depending....) you can use the
>excess for quilting. (Gee, what a concept... make a shirt and use the
>leftover bits and pieces to make a quilt. <G>)
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Posted by Pati Cook on May 15, 2008, 9:07 pm
show/hide quoted text
L, you just hit a sore spot... <VBG> "Whatever happened to Home Ec.????"
Let me tell you a bit about that. <G> (I taught jr. high "Home Ec.", now
usually called "Life Management" or "Life Skills" or such, BTW, for 6
and a half years. Or tried to.) Budgets have been cut, salary dollars
are at a premium, and supplies/equipment cost too much. When I was
teaching I usually had classes of 28 or more, and 10 sewing machines. We
had 3 "kitchen set up" and had to accommodate everyone in the class. I
got very creative with all of that. And we didn't always manage to get a
cooking session in. (The kids had to "earn" that privilege and show that
show/hide quoted text
they could do regular class stuff first. Another whole story there. <G>)
For sewing we ended up with some projects that included both hand and
machine work, so they could share machines.
And trying to keep an eye on/corral that many students with no other
adult helper could get "dicey".
The last year I was there, one of the kindergarten teachers wanted to
move into the former "art" room next door. So I got moved too.....into a
portable. And by Feb. I still had no bulletin boards or chalk/white
boards!!! Then I got told, by the principal, that the kids didn't want
to learn what I was teaching so I should change my curriculum!!!!! That
is when I gave up. Literally.
But blame over crowded classrooms, no money for equipment/supplies, plus
the need to "teach to the standardized tests"(which cuts way down on
class room time for other stuff) for the decline in Home Ec, shop and
other classes.
show/hide quoted text
Sorry, I will get off my soapbox now. <VBG>
Pati, in Phx.
L wrote:
show/hide quoted text
>
> Probably they are thinking "WHY can't I find modest but not old-fashioned
> clothing for my daughter"?
>
> I started sewing because, in the 60's, 5'8" was considered tall. I can let
> down a mean hem. But, other than a simple dress or skirt, my fashion-sewing
> skill is very limited (much easier to sew a set-in seam in a quilt block
> than to sew a nice looking blouse - at least for me).
>
> Once, in desperation, I spent EIGHTY DOLLARS(!) at a Lord & Taylor
> department store for a knee length skirt for my oldest to wear to bible
> study, as she had had a really quick growth spurt. The first day she wore
> it, someone remarked that it 'rode up' when she sat down, to about 3 inches
> above the knee.
>
> She never wore it again.
>
> I found a wonderful seamstress and had some clothes made in a classic style
> that have lasted some time. But, we have lost so many local fabric stores in
> our area that it has been some time since I've seen nice fabrics with which
> to replace the old stuff. TSWLTH has a very poor selection of fabrics for
> clothing, IMO.
>
> As for me, I'm BIG. I have no problem with my size, but I DO have a problem
> finding clothes. Even in the larger sizes, the clothing seems to be cut with
> less and less cloth.
>
> With fewer resources for learning to sew (whatever happened to home ec?),
> fewer local resources for finding materials, and less time for 'hobbies',
> the manufacturers know that we will buy what they sell. Hoochie mama style
> is, after all, cheap in every sense of the word.
>
>
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Posted by maryd on May 16, 2008, 12:57 am
Home Ec was there......I was focused on college entrance courses and ignored
it. I took science and language courses. Home Ec was looked upon the same
as basket weaving courses for college athletes. I am a good to excellent
homemaker, cook, and seamstress and never took a class in school. Life
taught me more in this area than any classroom could IMO
--
Mary
http://community.webshots.com/user/mardor1948?vhost=community
show/hide quoted text
> L, you just hit a sore spot... <VBG> "Whatever happened to Home Ec.????"
> Let me tell you a bit about that. <G> (I taught jr. high "Home Ec.", now
> usually called "Life Management" or "Life Skills" or such, BTW, for 6 and
> a half years. Or tried to.) Budgets have been cut, salary dollars are at a
> premium, and supplies/equipment cost too much. When I was teaching I
> usually had classes of 28 or more, and 10 sewing machines. We had 3
> "kitchen set up" and had to accommodate everyone in the class. I got very
> creative with all of that. And we didn't always manage to get a cooking
> session in. (The kids had to "earn" that privilege and show that they
> could do regular class stuff first. Another whole story there. <G>)
> For sewing we ended up with some projects that included both hand and
> machine work, so they could share machines.
> And trying to keep an eye on/corral that many students with no other adult
> helper could get "dicey".
> The last year I was there, one of the kindergarten teachers wanted to move
> into the former "art" room next door. So I got moved too.....into a
> portable. And by Feb. I still had no bulletin boards or chalk/white
> boards!!! Then I got told, by the principal, that the kids didn't want to
> learn what I was teaching so I should change my curriculum!!!!! That is
> when I gave up. Literally.
> But blame over crowded classrooms, no money for equipment/supplies, plus
> the need to "teach to the standardized tests"(which cuts way down on class
> room time for other stuff) for the decline in Home Ec, shop and other
> classes.
> Pati, in Phx.
> L wrote:
>> Probably they are thinking "WHY can't I find modest but not old-fashioned
>> clothing for my daughter"?
>> I started sewing because, in the 60's, 5'8" was considered tall. I can
>> let down a mean hem. But, other than a simple dress or skirt, my
>> fashion-sewing skill is very limited (much easier to sew a set-in seam in
>> a quilt block than to sew a nice looking blouse - at least for me).
>> Once, in desperation, I spent EIGHTY DOLLARS(!) at a Lord & Taylor
>> department store for a knee length skirt for my oldest to wear to bible
>> study, as she had had a really quick growth spurt. The first day she wore
>> it, someone remarked that it 'rode up' when she sat down, to about 3
>> inches above the knee.
>> She never wore it again.
>> I found a wonderful seamstress and had some clothes made in a classic
>> style that have lasted some time. But, we have lost so many local fabric
>> stores in our area that it has been some time since I've seen nice
>> fabrics with which to replace the old stuff. TSWLTH has a very poor
>> selection of fabrics for clothing, IMO.
>> As for me, I'm BIG. I have no problem with my size, but I DO have a
>> problem finding clothes. Even in the larger sizes, the clothing seems to
>> be cut with less and less cloth.
>> With fewer resources for learning to sew (whatever happened to home ec?),
>> fewer local resources for finding materials, and less time for 'hobbies',
>> the manufacturers know that we will buy what they sell. Hoochie mama
>> style is, after all, cheap in every sense of the word.
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Posted by Hanne Gottliebsen on May 16, 2008, 4:18 am
In school in Denmark (the 80's, but afaik still going on), I had home ec
(really, cooking and cleaning) for one year, textiles (sewing, knitting,
embroidery etc) for one year and woodwork for one year. I did optional
textiles for another couple of years after that.
In each case it was 2-3 hours a week for the full school year. Enough
that if you paid a little attention, you learnt the basics. In cookery,
we did some theory every week (nutrition, health/safety etc) and then
cooked and cleaned up. With the cooking there was usually a particular
skill involved. Of course, I also remember having to clean out the
disgusting fridge!
I still have some of the items I made in both sewing and woodwork class.
We did make some clothing items, but funds was a serious issue for that.
One smart thing my school did: the sewing class was the year before the
cooking class, and towards the end of the sewing classes, we all made
aprons. These aprons never went home that summer - they went straight to
the class cupboard in the kitchen classroom for use while cooking.
Everyone had an apron, and they were ours, so we looked after them well.
I remember fondly how much we used to just enjoy chatting along while
working, and somehow the usual cliques did not matter - I guess because
mostly none of us knew what we were doing. It was great talking practice
for the 3 refugees who joined my class at that time too.
It is a real shame that we just don't take the time (and money) to
provide this for the kids now. Even if you don't learn to be _good_ at
sewing, cooking, whatever, if you know more or less what you are doing,
you can handle the basics, right? Grown ups who think (really!) they
can't sew on a button almost makes me want to dry. And I know people
like that, and it's not because they are lazy or afraid to try new
things. They just have no clue where to even start.
Enough of my rambling.
Hanne in London
Pati Cook wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> L, you just hit a sore spot... <VBG> "Whatever happened to Home Ec.????"
> Let me tell you a bit about that. <G> (I taught jr. high "Home Ec.", now
> usually called "Life Management" or "Life Skills" or such, BTW, for 6
> and a half years. Or tried to.) Budgets have been cut, salary dollars
> are at a premium, and supplies/equipment cost too much. When I was
> teaching I usually had classes of 28 or more, and 10 sewing machines. We
> had 3 "kitchen set up" and had to accommodate everyone in the class. I
> got very creative with all of that. And we didn't always manage to get a
> cooking session in. (The kids had to "earn" that privilege and show that
> they could do regular class stuff first. Another whole story there. <G>)
> For sewing we ended up with some projects that included both hand and
> machine work, so they could share machines.
> And trying to keep an eye on/corral that many students with no other
> adult helper could get "dicey".
> The last year I was there, one of the kindergarten teachers wanted to
> move into the former "art" room next door. So I got moved too.....into a
> portable. And by Feb. I still had no bulletin boards or chalk/white
> boards!!! Then I got told, by the principal, that the kids didn't want
> to learn what I was teaching so I should change my curriculum!!!!! That
> is when I gave up. Literally.
>
> But blame over crowded classrooms, no money for equipment/supplies, plus
> the need to "teach to the standardized tests"(which cuts way down on
> class room time for other stuff) for the decline in Home Ec, shop and
> other classes.
>
>
> Pati, in Phx.
>
> L wrote:
>> Probably they are thinking "WHY can't I find modest but not
>> old-fashioned clothing for my daughter"?
>> I started sewing because, in the 60's, 5'8" was considered tall. I can
>> let down a mean hem. But, other than a simple dress or skirt, my
>> fashion-sewing skill is very limited (much easier to sew a set-in seam
>> in a quilt block than to sew a nice looking blouse - at least for me).
>> Once, in desperation, I spent EIGHTY DOLLARS(!) at a Lord & Taylor
>> department store for a knee length skirt for my oldest to wear to
>> bible study, as she had had a really quick growth spurt. The first day
>> she wore it, someone remarked that it 'rode up' when she sat down, to
>> about 3 inches above the knee.
>> She never wore it again.
>> I found a wonderful seamstress and had some clothes made in a classic
>> style that have lasted some time. But, we have lost so many local
>> fabric stores in our area that it has been some time since I've seen
>> nice fabrics with which to replace the old stuff. TSWLTH has a very
>> poor selection of fabrics for clothing, IMO.
>> As for me, I'm BIG. I have no problem with my size, but I DO have a
>> problem finding clothes. Even in the larger sizes, the clothing seems
>> to be cut with less and less cloth.
>> With fewer resources for learning to sew (whatever happened to home
>> ec?), fewer local resources for finding materials, and less time for
>> 'hobbies', the manufacturers know that we will buy what they sell.
>> Hoochie mama style is, after all, cheap in every sense of the word.
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Posted by Roberta Zollner on May 16, 2008, 4:49 am
Back in the Dark Ages when I was in school, Home Ec seemed a pointless waste
of time, since I could already make most of my clothes and cook everything
they planned to teach us. Girls didn't do wood or metal shop back then,
which would have interested me.
But you are absolutely right, this is essential knowledge, and many parents
no longer know enough to teach their children. A local charity helps
low-income children with school work (their parents are sometimes
illiterate), and with finding entry-level jobs when they finish school. The
director said one of the first things they do with a new group of kids is
teach them how to eat a balanced meal on a plate with a knife and fork,
sitting at a table. Many of them lack even this most basic skill! They also
learn how to dress for a job interview, how to make eye contact, how to shop
and interact in a store, how to wash themselves and care for their clothing,
etc.
Roberta in D
show/hide quoted text
> L, you just hit a sore spot... <VBG> "Whatever happened to Home Ec.????"
> Let me tell you a bit about that. <G> (I taught jr. high "Home Ec.", now
> usually called "Life Management" or "Life Skills" or such, BTW, for 6 and
> a half years. Or tried to.) Budgets have been cut, salary dollars are at a
> premium, and supplies/equipment cost too much. When I was teaching I
> usually had classes of 28 or more, and 10 sewing machines. We had 3
> "kitchen set up" and had to accommodate everyone in the class. I got very
> creative with all of that. And we didn't always manage to get a cooking
> session in. (The kids had to "earn" that privilege and show that they
> could do regular class stuff first. Another whole story there. <G>)
> For sewing we ended up with some projects that included both hand and
> machine work, so they could share machines.
> And trying to keep an eye on/corral that many students with no other adult
> helper could get "dicey".
> The last year I was there, one of the kindergarten teachers wanted to move
> into the former "art" room next door. So I got moved too.....into a
> portable. And by Feb. I still had no bulletin boards or chalk/white
> boards!!! Then I got told, by the principal, that the kids didn't want to
> learn what I was teaching so I should change my curriculum!!!!! That is
> when I gave up. Literally.
> But blame over crowded classrooms, no money for equipment/supplies, plus
> the need to "teach to the standardized tests"(which cuts way down on class
> room time for other stuff) for the decline in Home Ec, shop and other
> classes.
> Pati, in Phx.
> L wrote:
>> Probably they are thinking "WHY can't I find modest but not old-fashioned
>> clothing for my daughter"?
>> I started sewing because, in the 60's, 5'8" was considered tall. I can
>> let down a mean hem. But, other than a simple dress or skirt, my
>> fashion-sewing skill is very limited (much easier to sew a set-in seam in
>> a quilt block than to sew a nice looking blouse - at least for me).
>> Once, in desperation, I spent EIGHTY DOLLARS(!) at a Lord & Taylor
>> department store for a knee length skirt for my oldest to wear to bible
>> study, as she had had a really quick growth spurt. The first day she wore
>> it, someone remarked that it 'rode up' when she sat down, to about 3
>> inches above the knee.
>> She never wore it again.
>> I found a wonderful seamstress and had some clothes made in a classic
>> style that have lasted some time. But, we have lost so many local fabric
>> stores in our area that it has been some time since I've seen nice
>> fabrics with which to replace the old stuff. TSWLTH has a very poor
>> selection of fabrics for clothing, IMO.
>> As for me, I'm BIG. I have no problem with my size, but I DO have a
>> problem finding clothes. Even in the larger sizes, the clothing seems to
>> be cut with less and less cloth.
>> With fewer resources for learning to sew (whatever happened to home ec?),
>> fewer local resources for finding materials, and less time for 'hobbies',
>> the manufacturers know that we will buy what they sell. Hoochie mama
>> style is, after all, cheap in every sense of the word.
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>While making clothes can take time away from quilting it really isn't
>any more time consuming than shopping for clothes. Plus, if you use
>cotton fabric (or even other fabrics, depending....) you can use the
>excess for quilting. (Gee, what a concept... make a shirt and use the
>leftover bits and pieces to make a quilt. <G>)