I have both an O and an A level in Needlework. For the O level I had to make a garment (I made a halternecked evening dress) and a piece of craft work (I made an embroidered picture, hand and machine, of Noah’s Ark). The dress is long gone, but the picture lurks in a box in my sewing space. Then there were two exams, one written and one practical. I did OK and I loved to sew so I moved on to the A. For this I made a Viyella dress, a lined needlecord jacket, a macramé lampshade and a machine embroidered picture which still adorns my parent’s spare room. The practical required me to make a lined waistcoat which I found easy, but the written paper was a different matter. The knowledge required included home dressmaking, fabric types, soft furnishing construction and design, and the history of costume. I was rubbish at the history part and have an abiding memory of being asked for the history of the pocket in womenswear… and something about providing instructions for making all the soft furnishings in my new house…
I tell you this to help explain my reservations about Youngest’s plans to take the sewing option as her GCSE Design Technology subject. She won’t need to decide for another year, but I have a specific concern! For the first 3 years of secondary school they alternate the DT subjects and in the sewing terms they do 3 projects: they design and make a bug, a hat and a pair of shorts. That’s what Eldest did, and Youngest has done the bug and expects to make a hat next term.
At my secondary school we had been timetabled to do Needlework classes weekly regardless of stream – you could only cook in the C form! We made bags to hold our sewing, and Science rolls to hold our scalpel(yes, knives in school , as required kit!) and other tools. Lots of straight line machining, name taping, chain stitch embroidery and oversewing. Basic, dull and useful! We were taught to darn, mend a variety of tears and different methods of sewing seams. Then we smocked aprons with shell-edged strings for our mums. At last we chose garments to make for ourselves. As a boarder I spent two hours every Saturday morning in ‘mending’ where we sat around sewing on nametapes, darning socks and tights, sewing on buttons… All those things I now do for my girls and have completely failed to teach them.
There is no sign of anyone teaching them to sew at school either.
5 comments:
Thank you for the preview - I think I know the lucky recipient...my sewing classes at school weren't as detailed as yours. I can manage the basics but what I'd really like is a master-class in making - a sewing machine review, a bit of pattern cutting and zipping - I could never put a zip in straight!
Wish I could make gorgeous things. I was hopeless at needlework; I had a vision in my head of how something should look, but my sausage-like fingers always seemed to make a mess of it. The pity of it is that my daughter seems really interested in crafts, but I had a meltdown the other day when we tried to make a rag doll, 'age 6-8, no sewing required'. (Yes, I am THAT crap. Stupendously crap.)
Countrymummy: I'm sure we could organise a little class, I'm clearly going to have to do something with Youngest 'though I'm quite sure you know more than her, and probably more than you think!
notwavingbutironing: My experience of bought craft kits is that they are always more difficult than they say, and helping a child make one up is tricky. Don't beat yourself up! It just isn't any more possible to achieve beautiful results in sewing than it is with making fairy cakes or even laying the table. It's the helping them try that counts.
What lovely cushions! and so tasteful :)
My only claim to sewing was making some shopping bags to sell for pocket money when I first came to France. I found some waxed provencal prints which was the devil to sew.
At the time, you couldn't do anything without paperwork and making money out of such a small stock was totally impossible so I left them with a shop. They sold none and gave them all back to me.
A roaring success :)
I'm obviously not cut out for business!
I also think I know the lucky recipient! It looks fab. The only item I made at school in sewing was an A-line pink skirt - it was revolting and was never worn.
Post a Comment