Sewing SOS
Save Our Sewing Programs

In my many conversations with FACS teachers at conferences around the country, I'm hearing an alarming number of you say that your schools have discontinued the sewing courses in your curriculum.  I'm very distressed at this trend because I think that clothing and textile courses are so beneficial to students in many ways--learning to interpret and follow written directions, manual dexterity, application of math skills, creative expression and more.  I know from personal experience how difficult it is to convince students that they can create their own attractive pieces of clothing.  However, I've had real success in helping them to create fabric projects for craft or home use.  That's why I'm suggesting that FACS departments embrace quilting in the classroom as an alternative to traditional sewing curriculum.

Quilting is the most popular form of personal sewing in America today.  Combining precise sewing techniques, fabric composition, and the artistry of textile design, quilting may be just the thing to update and expand your sewing curriculum. 

Making quilting a part of the FACS curriculum can be an effective teaching technique because it helps students to:

• develop skills in using the sewing machine and related textile construction tools.

• become proficient in reading and following printed and pictorial directions.

• develop an awareness of the role that quilting and other home arts have played in history.

• build a working vocabulary related to geometry, patchwork quilting and sewing in general.

• foster creativity in designing patchwork quilting projects.

• use quilt design software in developing patchwork projects.

• analyze and identify basic geometric shapes.

• increase proficiency in using a variety of measuring instruments.

• develop an appreciation for the relationship among colors of varying hues and intensities.

 
Quilt Design Wizard was created by Electric Quilt company with the novice quilter in mind.  This easy-to-use software provides all the tools that your students will need to plan and visualize quilt projects.  Print illustrated sewing instructions for individual blocks or whole projects.

 

Fresh FACS is now offering the rotary cutting tools by Fiskars needed to complete the projects in FACS By Numbers as well as other sewing and craft applications.  Click on the Fiskars logo to view our selection of rotary cutters, cutting mats, rulers and replacement blades.

Check out the following quilting websites for some inspiring and useful ideas:

www.quiltersbuzz.com
A comprehensive collection of quilt patterns, products, designers and tutorials.

www.quiltsforkids.org
A network of volunteers making and distributing quilts for seriously ill and abused children.  Patterns and instructions making projects for donation are available at this site.

 

Our resource, FACS By Numbers is a complete quilting curriculum that emphasizes not only sewing skills, but history and geometry concepts as well.