I was so sad...
 

I work with preschoolers and for Mother's Day this year I thought it would be fun learning experience if they got to use a sewing machine to sew a pillow for their moms. I cut the fronts of white muslin and the backs of an assortment of pretty fabrics. The children used fabric markers to make a picture and write their names on the fronts and chose fabric for the backs. We read a couple of books about fabric and talked about our clothing, blankets and other textiles.

Here's what made me sad... of my class of 9 children not a single one had ever seen a sewing machine. I showed them the parts, they helped thread it, how it worked, etc and they were so excited by the process. I put the foot pedal on the table next to the machine... they "hit the gas" using their hands and I guided the fabric. (I used a s l o w speed!) It was a smashing success! Even sadder, only one of my co-workers owns a sewing machine. One mom did come in and say her son couldn't stop talking about using "Miss Laura's Machine" to the point where she took the plants off the top of her great grandmother's treadle machine to show it to him.

At least now there are 9 more humans who have seen, touched and used a sewing machine. Maybe one of them willl become a quilter!

Laura

I don't think many schools off sewing construction classes so it will only get worse.

My kids and grand kids have grown up with sewing machines. My oldest son does his own sewing to make stuff for camping. One of my daughter sews and sell on Esty. Another has a sewing machine and six needle embroidery machine. Myself, I have several machines, a six needle Brother embroidery machine and a longarm quilter.

Oh.:( I guess the saddest thing was when my 9 year old neighborhood boy came over to my house to sell me a school fund raiser. His eye got big and he said what is that smell? I was baking cookies. I took the cookies out of the oven and he said Did you cook those? I said sure, you want some? He said you really cooked them? He thought I put bought cookies in the oven. One thing I have noticed. Young children have no idea what a clock with hands and numbers are. All they know is digital time.

but I bet all these kids can play Angry Birds on a computer!
What does that say about our society?

Love it. My DGD has been using mine ( with constant supervision) for a couple yrs now. She is 5 1/2 and loves it. She really likes the embroidery machine. It is sad that so many things that are not being passed down from Elders to the new generations. I hate to see so many lost arts.

Oh my goodness...that is so sad! That's probably the part where I would have sent him home with the recipe and whole big bunch of them...what is the world coming to?

As soon as my kids were big enough to sit on their own they would sit on my lap while I was sewing.
When they were old enough to talk they would tell others they sewed on mommy's sewing machine!
They love watching the bobbins wind. :thumbup:

Just think what would have happened if you showed them an ironing board

What a wonderful experience you gave those children. Indeed hopefully some will grow up and use a sewing machine.

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.

What a lovely thing you did for these children and their parents. My DD hates sewing of any kind--even balks at sewing on a button. My 3 year old DGD sits on my lap and says "Nother one Nana" as I chain piece. She is facinated with the colours and the blocks that I put into her big-gir-bed quilt. I know that her baby sister is going to be fighting for time on my lap in a couple of years and I will turn her into a quilter too! Exposure to new things is the best kind of teaching and learning.

oh my....sad indeed....in Alaska I taught sewing in the after school program...and here in OK everyone seems to sew...luckily I taught all my kids to sew! Your story makes me want to go out and teach kids again!

My 10 year old grandson walked into my sewing room one day as I was ironing a shirt and said "What in the world is that thing, Gramma?" His mother actually did know how to iron at one time. I guess it is a lost art, as well.

You are a very special person to take the time to show each child something that people don't do anymore. I truly enjoy each day I get to sew and I have been showing my granddaughter how to sew. She is 16 not sure where that will go, but I am sure she likes to make things. Have a great day.

LOL I love this thread!!! I'm a mom of five and my monsters ages 17, 15, 13, 13 and 9 all can cook, bake, clean, and the oldest and youngest do sew( the girls) Them boys love quilts and will ask me to make everything under the sun, I made book covers and a wallet for one recently. Have never been able to get them interested in the actual sewing part.....there's still time lol Amazing how little actual life skills kids are taught now!!

You should be proud of yourself for introducing these kids to a beautiful art. But you are right. It is a shame that kids don't see the things some of us took for granted. My kids saw a lot of sewing. My sisters, mom and grandma all sewed to some degree. Plus throw in a little knitting and crocheting. It was just a normal thing for them.

I do have to get a kick out of one of my grandsons. My daughter sews and has made quite a few quilts and other things. But for some reason he thinks I am the expert maker person. His words, not mine. The other day he told his mom to call and ask if I would make him a shark or crocodile. Okay, that's interesting. Then a week later he wanted to know if I had started because he wants it to be a great white shark now and as big as his body. So I am thinking maybe a sleeping bag? I have no pattern, so I guess I have to wing it. Last request was a real ninja suit, blue please. Which did turn out cute. If he were closer he would help. He loves to go to the fabric store and help match fabrics and later to work on stuff. He just turned six, so not really a lot of help, but he does enjoy the experience. He is supposed to come for a visit this summer, so I am thinking of doing it then so he can help. I need to work on a pattern.

I think that it is so important for kids to get a well rounded look at least of all the home arts. We need to know more then how to go through a drive through or dial a phone to get food. And to have the relaxation of some kind of hobby. No matter what that might be. I know a lot of people that do not have any hobby at all. Nothing. They work, and that is about it. They hire someone to do the house cleaning and take care of their kids. They run the kids here and there so someone else can teach them baseball or dance or even to read. My dad taught me baseball and how to ride a horse and a bike and take care of the cows we had. My mom taught me to sew and to read, to crochet and cook or bake, and of course to clean. My grandma taught me to dance and to walk like a lady and talk like an educated person. Sure, I went to school and church and all that, but my parents were always laying down the basics. I did the same with my kids. And now I tell them every once in awhile to slow down. Take the time to garden and sew and read to the kids. Sometimes it seems like all the running around just makes circles.

I love your story about teaching the kids to make a pillow and use the sewing machine. It was so inspirational.

I learned to sew in my home ec classes in jr. and sr. high school back in the 70's (my mother didn't sew). I guess I was lucky. I hate that schools can't/won't offer sewing classes anymore.

Locally schools can't offer any arts anymore. I think my children had it better in the 90s than we did in the 70s and earlier. There was no way for me to get out of taking home ec. I did not want it and I did not need it but had to take it for a year in junior high (1977-78). My children took 9 weeks of different life skills classes. One year was cooking and one year sewing.

I will be honest that even if I had raised girls and home ec were available I wouldn't have agreed to let them take it. They have much more important things to learn in school. All of my sons can cook and sew because they learned at home just like they learned woodworking, basic mechanics and basic horticulture at home.

I, too, was one that took home ec in school. I made my own clothes til my mid-20's, then quit sewing for a few years. Then I made my living sewing by making sails for sailboats, including accessories covers. I did this for 15 years, then got hooked on quilting. Today? My grandson (now 8) is always wanting to go play in the studio. He really wants to learn how to use "Queenie" - my longarm, but I keep telling him that he needs to learn the regular sewing machine first. Better yet, the neighborhood boys come over & want to sew! Now I have boys ages 8-12 wanting to learn how to quilt! I so enjoy passing on this craft with them. It's a shame that our schools find that computer work is more important than the skills we learned to survive back in the stone age! Unless you can google it or have an app for it, these kids don't know common sense things like we were taught.

Exposing kids to other things is how they learn. You did a good thing, don't be sad. My DH says the same thing about kids & farms. Farm animals, farm equipment, eggs, etc.

My mom didn't teach me any crafty talents & she is 83. I recently taught my 23 year old neice how to quilt & so we will continue to add new quilters to the fold!

You are a very good teacher and should be commended. Teachers (and parents!) need to think: what can I do to inspire them today? What do they need to learn? You are the kind of teacher all kids need. Many teachers do all this, but some don't. And it is also a shame that most people don't appreciate or even recognize the wonderful jobs that most teachers do, spending their own money on things for the students, planning the lesson out all at home, like you did. Great job! :thumbup:

Bravo for you! What a wonderful project for preschoolers! At my school district they do not teach any sewing at all in any grade. Unless these kids have a sewing mom, they won't even know how to sew on a button! I learned to sew in school and it has been a peaceful hobby and, at times, a necessity. I hope parents will start complaining to school boards to bring back home ec in the schools. The boards won't listen to the teachers - it takes the parents to change things!

You are right, Linda. School boards only listen to the parents. I taught home ec in public school for nearly 30 years. We fought hard to keep sewing and cooking in the curriculum but the school said no.... too much money for supplies and they needed English, SS, science and math more. I argued that life skills would last for their entire lives and how often do you hear adults talking about Eng, SS, Sci and Math? They talk about the things that are happening in their homes on a daily basis. The new HS built the home ec dept with one kitchen set-up. How do you teach 25 students with one kitchen? I finally switched to teaching physics. Yes, it's possible to have brains and still think home skills are important. They used to tell me I was the teacher that knew foods and physics.... it was a joke to them.

I still teach sewing to my grandkids and other relatives when I can. My nephews are mesmorized by my spinning wheel. Yes, I spin, too. I guess I am living in the wrong decade.... because it makes me sad as well that people think the things like cooking, sewing, parenting aren't important. They couldn't be more wrong.

My paying job is at a university in the Family and Consumer Sciences department. Among other things we include basic sew skills to advanced pattern and costume design. We have full classes and most students are eager to learn these skills. It is common for our students to come with little to no experience with the art of sewing. All leave with usable knowledge and a number of them begin a career as a fashion or costume designer in our sewing lab. Others are learning skills that they will be teaching in high schools. We don't see "home economics" classes any longer but there is a reemergence of "life skills" classes in our high schools. Folks have discovered that to be a good consumer means to cook your own healthy food, mend your own clothing and care for your own home and car. It is a thrill to see our students making garments, bags and costumes for theater. Can a quilt or other needle craft be far behind? I used some of their space one day to layer a quilt and students asked many questions and were truly interested in the process. Bottom line is the interest is there in our children and young adults. We need to connect with them and show them the thrill of the needle and rotary cutter!!

Nanna-up-north, I hope you get a chance to read my posting about the reemergence of those home economic classes in this thread. Of all of the education area at our university, Career and Technical Education is the one area that is growing. High schools are looking for educators that have the skills to teach basic cooking, sewing, home care and repair and financial literacy. I wish I could blink my eyes and be 25 years old again. I would love to teach those courses. Take heart, your voice was heard and a change is afoot.

I worked with preschoolers most of my life and this is something that most people would not think of. What a great experience for those children.

Fascinating stories here. I love teaching kids to sew on my Featherweight. My 7 year old grandson loves sewing; designed a pillow and small quilt on graph paper. I always have them use the foot on the floor and tell them that if they learn to control the machine they will be much better drivers when they get to drive a car. Thankfully all my 6 grands have mothers who sew at least a bit and are very crafty. Just wish 5 of them weren't 1,500 miles away or more. They all love their quilts and know I made them when they were babies.

I have a ggd (20 months old) who was over the house one day and the "house phone" rang.....she was perplexed at the sound and where it was coming from......and a bit frightened...now when she visits and the phone rings she will put her hand to her ear and say 'ello................

When I was a newlywed and we were furnishing our home I had to have a sewing machine......I thought it was one of the "necessary" appliances in a house. Did not take me long to realize not true, but my daughters grew up knowing how to use "mom's" sewing machine to make repairs......unfortunately one of the two just returned a sewing machine I had given her several years ago-for my annual garage sale-as she "never uses it".....but one out of two isn't bad odds, but two gd don't know and don't want to know about sewing, altho when I babysat them as little ones they would "sew" w/me in my sewing room..........all they know now is texting on their phones!!!!!!what a sad thing.......

I tried to teach two grandkids sewing, but it didn't hold their attention. Too slow of a process for them. Their digital world is a fast paced place. I will have my almost 9 year old for the weekend. I will try with her.

Yes it is unbelievable. When I was in school..........and it's been awhile, almost 38 years I majored in Home Economics. I took 4 years of it and my Senior Year had some free time and was teacher's aid so it was like 5 years. By the time I was a Senior, I was sewing for some of the ladies at Church, making dresses and doing some tailoring for some teachers. I have always love to sew and learned on an old treadle from my mom and made my own doll clothes. I am currently working on My Crayola Quilt using my own bird photography and making lap quilts for all the kids and grand-kids so I can practice free motion quilting and just getting back into sewing after a few years break.