Mary T.

Sadly today very few schools offer Home Ec. and our young people so badly need those skills. Many of them are on their own very early. I taught HE in a college and one of my most favorite short term interest class was a "survival" class for guys. They loved it!!!

Homespun

Yes, began sewing in home ec in high school. Made an apron and a skirt. When I was pregnant with my first made a lot of baby clothes. Continued to make them (4 of them) clothing until they became teenagers. Love sewing! Started quilting about 15 years ago.

malindaann

my mom taught me on the treadle machine I still have but I took home ec too. We had old Vikings to sew on and boy did they get beat up

LindaM49

I learned to sew when I was about 8 or 9. 5 of us neighbor kids would go to J.C. Penney's and buy 1/4 yd. of different fabrics to make doll clothes. Then in junior high...7th,8th and 9th grade we had 2 double periods a week of sewing and cooking. I got away from sewing till I was a senior in high school and my best friend made all of her clothes...so I started back with help from her. I DID want to wear what I made...lol.

They still have home ec in schools here in the Harrisburg, PA area...they call it something else though. All of my grandkids now ages 16-19 had sewing and also woodshop. Yep...boys sew and girls make wooden projects. My husband said when he was in high school they taught everyone some basic sewing...he graduated in '69. I graduated from another school in '67 and girls were not allowed to take auto mechanics, woodshop etc. And I don't think boys could take Home-Ec.

My daughter took Culinary Arts in high school and went to Vo-Tech...1/2 day at Vo-Tech. Bussed from her home school to vo-tech and then back to home school for regular classes. Her daughter...my grandaughter...is a junior this year and her school district built it's own vo-tech school so no bussing back and forth. She is also in Culinary Arts and LOVES it. She just got a nice job because her teachers gave her a high recommendation...and only there a month and got a promotion. Oh...and she also loves to sew. IF I break down later next spring and buy a new sewing machine...she is hoping that I do...then I told her I will give her my Elna.

BeckyL

I learned from my Grandmother and Mother, then 4 H then Home Ec.

Sallyflymi

Junior High for me. Really started sewing when i had my 2 daughters. Wanted pretty dresses for them but things were tight. Learn to sew those dresses.

Scakes

I was already sewing a bit when I got to home ec classes and I HATED home ec with a passion. I'm sure I learned some new things, but everything I did was wrong! Or at least it wasn't the teacher's way. Didn't matter that my stuff ended up correctly, it wasn't how she wanted it done. The cooking part was the same way and I hated it too. I was so relieved to see that semester end. But I've always loved to sew, and cooking is ok sometimes too. :lol:

quiltmom04

No, I started sewing Barbie doll clothes at about 9 or 10 years old. Eventually got a teaching degree in Home Ec., now called F.A.C.S. (pronounced fax) - Family and Consumer Science.

quiltntoday

No, I learned to sew when I was 10 yrs old and took 4-H. My Mother taught me how to sew and was a perfectionist so made me take out a lot of stitches! I loved 4-H and modeling my clothes at the Fair and getting blue ribbons and money too! It was a fun time.

nanna-up-north

WoW!! I read every post on this thread.... laughed at some, wanted to cry at some. I was a HE teacher for 27 years. Sadly, the school took sewing away .... they said that kids could learn in 4-H if they wanted and it was too expensive for sewing machines. We fought but it landed on deaf ears. I loved teaching HE .... had lots of kids come in after school for extra help but I'm sure some of my students didn't want to come back.... I hope I wasn't one of those teachers that didn't allow flexability.... I still keep in contact with some of my old students.

I learned to sew on my grandmother's treadle.... my mom didn't sew but my sister did. She's the one that really got me started. Thanks, Joan. But I love to do woodworking, too.