Nama

I learned to sew when my Grandmother taught me to sew on her treadle. I was 7 and made a pair of polka-dot pj's. I now have that treadle. I knew how to sew and how to cook by the time I was in high school. No teacher for sewing, so a Biology teacher (who knew NOTHING about sewing) was roped into teaching our class. Thank goodness I had been sewing for years (4-H+Grandmother). Cooking was even more fun. Knowledgeable teacher but a bit quirky. My partner and I used the kitchen in the back corner. Because both of us had learned to cook years before (again, 4-H), we ended up with either half as much as everyone else if we prepared something neither of us liked (rice pudding), or twice as much if something we liked (chocolate chip cookies!). Our teacher never could figure out why we ended up with so much more or less than the others in the class.

rosiewell

they still do it in my school, alternating with cooking, that's how I get a lot of fabric scraps. Unfortunately kids will cut a 2 inch square out of the middle of 1 yard fabric and discard the rest but I am still happy to get the scraps!

wbfrog

Hello, Stevensgirl
I learned to sew in Home Ec. also but since the schools have lot funding and having to cut budget Home Ec. is a lost art. Check out your adult learning classes in the evenings their may be a sewing teacher out there who is doing classes either at YMCA or Local store, also why not contact your local board of education and see if you can give sewing classes after school since the school are open for sports training maybe you could do classes around the same time, plus the school will be open anyway and they will not have to pay extra to staff. Hope this helps and good luck to you.
-Vontina (Wbfrog)

madamekelly

Oh my, Home Ec, I haven't thought about that in years. We had two different teachers, one for sewing who hated the fact that I had learned so many 'bad' sewing habits, (She had a seven step process to put in a zipper) and unlike most of my classmates, I could actually wear my dress. She would be so shocked to learn I was still sewing after all these years.
The best memories were of Mrs. Moore. She was the cooking teacher and just the sweetest thing. We all loved her. She was probably in her early seventies, and had some kind of issue with her legs that made her shuffle her feet when she walked, which made her very slow moving. We all learned very quickly to set our timers for about four minutes early so she would have time to get to the stove to approve our taking things out(which we could not do, until she checked it), so they would not burn. It never occurred to us to complain or be mean to her because she was so sweet. She passed away at the end of the year that I had her, and the entire school mourned her loss as if she was everyone's favorite grandmother. Thank you for the lovely walk down memory lane. :-)

Snooze2978

I know down in Florida they were cutting out Home Ec, Shop and Music. Too bad as these classes offer great protential to the children for their future. Since most mothers are now working to help support the family, learning how to sew and/or cook is non-existent. My mother worked back in the 50's-60's and I learned these basics out of survival instincts. Either I cooked and cleaned or it didn't get done.

pasovasz

Boys and Girls both have the option of sewing. One local school has the boys sew "shorts". One Mom told me her son "actually wears them", so they must have turned out nicely.

AlvaStitcher

I loved Home Ec so much that I took it 4 years, 7-10 grades. Started with an apron and the last garment I made was a lined suit. Too bad I didn't pay more attention to the cooking part of the classes. LOL

Lady Diana

Texas schools stopped Home Ec and replaced it with some sort of life experience....checking accounting management, caring for a baby, getting a loan, etc. no sewing, quilting, cooking....we used to have half a year of sewing and half a year in cooking. The sewing was pretty intense by the time I got to high school. Had to make a wool structured jacket; steaming and block the wool, adding hand stitched bias interfacings, welted pockets, pleat..or yeah, had to fit perfectly. The teacher made me nervous due to her being a perfectionist, but I am glad she was, I learned a lot and subsequently made clothes that didn't look homemade.

WMUTeach

I teach at a university and part of my Family and Consumer Education department is Career and Technical Education. We prepare high school teachers to teach the content once covered in home ec. in up to date ways. They teach basic nutrition/food preperation, basic sewing skills, basic child care and human relationshipskills and some basics of interior design along with some of the nuts and bolts of finances. These classes are always in demand in the high schools and open to all students. In stead of the basic one pocket apron of the past the students learn how to make PJ bottoms. Tee-Hee as one of their sewing projects in high school. We have many, many college students who have never done more sewing that replacing a button. They discover sewing and become designers. Yes, indeed. We had a gal a couple of years ago, who had never used a machine in her life and in 4 years graduated and is now a head designer and has her own line for a top of the line New York well known designer. Let's keep these folks sewing, cooking, designing interiors and caring for our children and helping families be successful!

Skittl1321

A friend of mine has a son in 6th grade. He was required to sew a pillowcase for a project.