Many years ago, I took a required class my first year in High School. On
one of the first days of our Home Economics class, our teacher, Mrs.
Trainor, told us that we would be constructing a garment, learn to bake,
and learn how to design a home.
I
had never sewn before, as my own Mom did not sew. So we learned about
fabric and thread, and sewing machines, tracing wheels and zippers. And
each one of us made a garment!
After
graduating from High School, I found that making garments was fun and
challenging. I ended up taking another garment class through Adult
Education offered in our public schools.
After
I married and started a family, I found the local craft stores offered
different classes. Cake decorating was a great asset to make birthday
cakes for my little children. But the class that changed how I looked
at a sewing machine was the quilting class.
At
that time, we used scissors, templates and we hand stitched everything.
When our class was almost over, our teacher brought out an instrument
that she said would make cutting our fabric easier. Can you guess what
it was?
Yep,
it was the first time I ever saw a Rotary cutter. None of the students
were impressed, saying "How could this pizza cutter take the place of
scissors?" Not only were we wrong, but my sister in law took a class
at a new quilt shop and learned Eleanor Burns Quilt in a Day method.
Sewing has never been the same for us since ;-)
How about you?? Who taught you to quilt??
I
had never sewn before, as my own Mom did not sew. So we learned about
fabric and thread, and sewing machines, tracing wheels and zippers. And
each one of us made a garment!
After
graduating from High School, I found that making garments was fun and
challenging. I ended up taking another garment class through Adult
Education offered in our public schools. 
After
I married and started a family, I found the local craft stores offered
different classes. Cake decorating was a great asset to make birthday
cakes for my little children. But the class that changed how I looked
at a sewing machine was the quilting class.
At
that time, we used scissors, templates and we hand stitched everything.
When our class was almost over, our teacher brought out an instrument
that she said would make cutting our fabric easier. Can you guess what
it was?Yep,
it was the first time I ever saw a Rotary cutter. None of the students
were impressed, saying "How could this pizza cutter take the place of
scissors?" Not only were we wrong, but my sister in law took a class
at a new quilt shop and learned Eleanor Burns Quilt in a Day method.
Sewing has never been the same for us since ;-)How about you?? Who taught you to quilt??
5 comments:
I had made a couple quilts of pieced squares of leftover dressmaking fabrics in the late 1970s. Early in 1983 right after my daughter was born I took a class at a local community college, and it wasn't too long after that someone introduced me to rotary cutters. I still have the old dressmaking shears used to cut the fabric before rotary cutters though!
Oh Jocelyn how funny - I had that same class in high school, never did finish my dress, got an E!!! I took another when I bought my first sewing machine, and never finished that garment either. I taught myself to quilt, with the help of a friend, did it all by hand with cardboard templates, took me twenty years - but when I finished it, I was hooked. I started getting books at the library and just went for it.
A lady at church offered to teach a quilting class. I brought a friend along, and we each made a small quilt, all stitched by hand. She taught us templates, then showed us the rotary cutter. We got to try that with the 2nd small quilt (we could use a sewing machine on the 2nd quilt). In my Home Ec class, my shirt came out twice as large as it should have (looked like a maternity top on me). We never figured out what went wrong, since the teacher checked each step before we could move on.
Wow, what memories. I too took home ec. and was told we would make a garment and learn how to cook. I realized how much I enjoyed those things and they ended up changing my entire life. My first garment was a yellow blouse with a high collar and I was so proud of that. I also remember m first rotary cutter. How that changed the quilting world, I used to cut each piece with a scissors to make a quilt.
I took Home Ec. in 8th grade through high school, and I loved every minute of it. Well, I actually loved the sewing more than cooking, and I still do! I made both of my prom dresses in high school, and one was made in Home Ec. class.
I love rotary cutters, and I'm glad someone was a genius to think it up! LOL
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