selm

My sixth grade class was only 12 students, roughly half boys and half girls. Periodically the girls were all taken to a small storage room where they had a sewing machine. Our first project was to make a gingham drawstring bag. We used the sewing machine to make the bag. Then we hand embroidered our initials on the bag. After that I loved embroidery making many things over the years. I really liked sewing too and my mother had an old machine that was given to her but she didn't like sewing so really couldn't help except to explain the machine. I took a sewing class in 8th grade and in the first year of high school.
On my own for the most par,t I started sewing for my children when they were young as well as curtains, etc for our home. My ultimate project was when I made my daughter's wedding dress. I've enjoyed making doll clothes and accessories and finally started quilting.

elnan

Our class made a gathered and gored skirt with matching blouse, then modeled them in Assembly. Because I ran out of fabric, that was when I learned to match plaids and stripes or a row of flower motifs. By 9th grade in a different county, more focus was on cooking, but I had an exacting home-ec teacher who insisted I learn to use a thimble, and rip out and re-sew seams that were not up to her standards. Seams were tied off at the end. The footie pajamas I made for my toddler niece were ripped and re-sewn so many times, they were almost worn out. Thank you Mrs. Gist in Lee County for making me believe I could meaure up to the task of cooking and sewing, and thank you Mrs. White in Phillips County for being so exacting in your requirements.
I will add that my younger sister was the only one in the family who never had to take home-ec., and she turned out to be the best cook and seamstress in the family, and we came from a long line of seamstresses.

KalamaQuilts

Miss Finnerud, Mrs Nash, Miss Senn. They were all great home ec teachers in different ways.

tranum

forgot to add: all my prom dresses were made by me.

sewNso

I believe I did an apron that was then fed onto a plastic loop to be put around your waist. it was a large rectangle with pockets all across the bottom. And the horrible suit I made ended up being reclycled into a winter coat for my oldest daughter when she was about 2.

madamekelly

My first project was an A line dress, got a “B”, second project was a princess cut pattern w/ dog collar. I got a “D” on it because I could not make the teacher’s seven step zipper insertion work for me, (I took it home and put an invisible zipper in, and took it back to the teacher) and she down graded me for not showing her each step. (She wanted it basted four separate times, before the zipper touched the fabric...!) crazy.

Innov8R

By the time I got to Home Ec, I had been sewing for 7 years. I remember hating to make the useless padded clothes hanger required in Home Ec. I did learn quite a bit in the class, but the projects were silly. When I got to my senior year in another high school, I took Home Ec II because they offered fewer options and discovered how much difference a really good teacher makes. Mrs. Degrafenreid, let me choose my own projects and encouraged me to learn some fine tailoring. I benefited a great deal from her mentorship because she took me from where I was Encouraged me to expand and improve.

ptquilts

I had Home Ec in 7th and 8th grades. 7th grade was in one city and was all cooking (sewing was to be in 8th grade). We spent about half a year having to memorize where each item was in the cabinets and drawers of the cooking station, not only where to find each item, but to be able to list all items that were in each location. What a waste of time. I don't remember anything we cooked.

8th grade I was in a different city and they did half and half sewing/cooking each year. All I remember making was cream puffs or popovers, and learning how to do tailor tacks in the sewing part. And I think I made a simple skirt. Teacher's name was "Mrs. Lovely." And she was just how you imagine her to be. Sort of like an early Martha Stewart on nitrous oxide.

sailsablazin

I ended up taking Biology instead of Home Ec. No one sewed at my house. After graduating from a "difficult to get into unless you are a brain" college, I went back to Adult Ed to learn how to sew. I felt really stupid because I had no idea how to sew a straight seam. Also took a "Powder Puff Mechanics" course at Adult Ed.--a single female needed to know how to at least appear intelligent when a mechanic opened the hood of my car. (really hoped that I would meet cool guys here, but didn't.)

annievee

My first project in Home Ec was the apron--yes, all the pockets but we made a tie belt for waist, no plastic circle used. Not sure if I remember how to make it, might be useful to use to do my household and garden errands now.