Cotton Mama

I made a smock top (it was the 70s). The fabric was too heavy to drape properly, making it look like a tent. We had to wear our projects to school one day, so I altered it at home the night before.

tranum

The women in our family usually made their own dresses & Grandma was a seamstress in a tailor shop before she married. She also made some quilts so I grew up around sewing machines.
Our Home Ec Room had 6 sewing machines, but our class was larger than most, so they brought in a treadle and I remember using it as a Freshman. We made aprons & simple skirts then blouses with darts and set in sleeves. Our teacher was a Minister’s wife, just an awesome lady, and we learned a lot from her.
They moved away and we got a new one fresh out of college who had big shoes to fill, but she could see we needed to be challenged as Seniors. We made 2 piece wool suits and learned how to tailor from her. She also taught us how to knit and do water bath food preservation. I’m grateful to those 2 women for all we learned.

Anniedeb

I switched schools from Catholic to public after 9th grade. Latin solved the language requirement, and religious education somehow equaled Home Ec. So I never had to take it. I did however make two of my girlfriends projects. Both were plaid Nehru jackets with solid skirts. They both got A's!

canmitch1971

The first thing I made in home ec was an A line dress. The second thing was a pleated skirt

quiltingshorttimer

I had made an A-line skirt with zipper at home before 7th grade home ec--where we made the apron on the plastic circle waistband, and then made a very plain housecoat with button holes and raglan sleeves. I got a mediocre grade on the robe cause I used some of the short cuts taught by my Mom and the teacher did not like that! Frankly, I learned much more from my Mom.

Watson

As I remember, we made a teddy bear, with arms and legs that moved.

Watson

Geri B

Lived in city...home ec was offered in high school. I chose business courses-- shorthand, typing, bookkeeping and three years of Latin, these were beside the required English, math, history ......all women in my family were good at cooking, sewing, yarn work, so I learned home ec at home and things I would have not known from school...isn't that why we go?

meanmom

We started play with moms sewing machine when we were pretty young. Sometimes we just sewed pieces of fabric together. We made clothes for our dolls. My mom has an old Domestic machine that is about 70years old. It still works and has never been serviced. She has a ton of attachments that we liked to play with, she didn't know what some of them were for. My dad used to clean and oil it occasionally. It still sews beautifully. I made all of my own Homecoming and Prom dresses. I never had any sewing classes, I am pretty much self taught. I have taken a few quilting classes over the years but not too many.

SusieQOH

Same here only my entire education until college was Catholic schools. They were more interested in us learning the lives of the saints that learning something useful. The first thing I ever sewed was Christmas stockings for us and our new baby. Believe it or not we still use them. Ohhhh the mistakes! They love them. I think they're ugly hahah

EmiliasNana

I started hand sewing when I had Barbie dolls, but made my first A-line skirt with a friend and her mom in about 6th grade. I loved Home Ec. even though I was on a college prep schedule and used my study halls for the home ec. electives. I took every one through junior high and high school. Went on to take Home Ec. as a major in college at the University of Connecticut. Taught sewing one summer for the local Singer store to girls 8-18. I hated it as they were able to pick out any pattern and I was expected to teach beginners to sew and finish their projects in 6 lessons, then have a style show. I still have my first machine that my folks bought me for Christmas when I was 16.