I'm not surprised.. I'm in a suburban area out of NYC, and I have to drive to Joann's 1/2 hour away for anything.. The Walmart doesn't have any fabric.. I'm very upset when people I talk to go into shock when I tell them I quilt.. The sewing bug skipped a generation with my mom, and her sisters.. My mom is an active 84 yo, and none of her friends sew, much less quilt.. I have no friends out here that quilt..
Do I have a partial solution? Possibly.... I'm trying to sneakly get my staff to get the quilting bug.. I'm hoping that one out of four will get the bug.. How am I doing it? I started by making squares out of scraps.. They came over to choose the ones they want for their quilt.. They put them in the order they want them, and I will sew them.. Then I will have them come back to sandwich them.. and I will FMQ them.. I will have them come back, and we will do the labels.. and then I will show them how to make the binding.. They don't know what they are in for.. I would love to set them up with their own antique machines.. and am willing to set them up with enough supplies to start.. My staff has been with me for the 31 years, 19 years, and 8 years.. Am I banking on the wrong group? Possibly, but I can only try.. If I have one that will pick it up.. I'd be excited..

In my school all of our classrooms have standard clocks and our students are taught how to tell time this way then digital so they know both. No cooking classes though-insurance, liability costs - schools have to make choices, and parents want other things that they feel are more important for college. We need a longer school day to get everything in!!!

What a great experience you gave your pre-schoolers! Sadly, many of today's children are growing up lacking in so many things....sewing, baking, piano lessons (or any musical instrument), etc. In my small community, every child is being groomed to become the next famous pro-athlete. LOL Even at church...we project just the words to the hymns onto a big screen....our worship comm says it doesn't matter because people can't read music anyway so why bother with hymnals. I teach kdg and I see a need, firsthand, for young parents to be taught some domestic and parenting skills! I really worry about the future sometimes.

My neices learned to sew their first quilts in full at my side at five and six years old. I also teach so I take sewing machines to work with me and my students learn to sew several of my class made quilts this year. I have a small class of students in a Christian School with all grades in one classroom. first through 12

My GD'S sit on my lap and help me sew. Their little hands down and mine on top to guide them.

I'm going to guess most died in the wool sewers learned from a friend or relative----------not school.

I find that the domestic skills are becoming of more interest to the current generation. I could cook and sew when I was 8 years old but I didn't want people to know that even when I was an adult. One of my most embarrassing moments in junior high was winning a home ec award. Thanks to cable tv these skills are no longer looked down upon and it is okay to find pleasure in them.

Today in a meeting at work one of my co-workers said she thought I should make everyone a quilt for Christmas and that she just LOVED quilts. Twenty years ago I wouldn't have let her know I sewed let alone quilted. Times are changing.

My DIL is a medical resident I taught to sew. Some of her friends now want her to teach them. Society is reaching the point where we can appreciate the skill and talent in all fields, I believe. It wouldn't surprise me to see one of these mothers pursue sewing because we are so interested in keeping our children happy today.

Interesting. A former classmate sent me some pictures of our junior high cooking classes (carrots in white sauce -yuck) and I don't guess liability was such a big issue back in the stone age. I learned to sew in school in the 6th grade on a treadle. My grandmother had a treadle that she used to let us play on. My aunt has it now and even though she never uses it won't give it to me until she passes. Bummer.

Maybe the children will remember their experience when they're older and think "if I could use a sewing machine when I was in preschool, maybe I could use one now." Wouldn't it be great if you've created one or 2 future sewing enthusiasts? Good for you for exposing them to something they may never experience otherwise.

I remember a student teacher that was in my classroom when I was in sixth grade. We had a luau on cushions she brought in herself and she did the cooking. She wanted us to be curious about how other people lived. You did a wonderful thing Laura. I've run into kids that have never had sheets on their bed. We live in a questionable world right now.