School Needlework

[Angela Woodford]

Kind of you Jo! I hope it wasn't too painful?

I haven't looked at that gloomy bundle of school reports for a bit, but the last Needlework written verdict was definitely from SWSNBN and consisted of a scathing condemnation of the way I had attached a sleeve. I admit - that dress was a bit of a disaster.

"By now, Angela should know how to...." it began.

That was July 1971. Perhaps she retired after that. I'll ask Carolynn when we speak next!

[Kim2s70-77]

Mrs Newbold made us keep an exercise book in which we wrote out how to do certain techniques (eg French seams). We would glue in small samples of whatever technique (buttonholes/ darts etc) and an explanation. I have not seen that exercise book since I was in 4th or 5th grade, but can remember every detail. I was not fond of needlework - but can make anything as a result of those lessons. She was a very good teacher, although I could tell you nothing about her!

[Jo]

The sad thing, which tempts me to believe things I would rather not believe about teaching styles, is that I also quite enjoy sewing now, and could probably still make most things if I put my mind to it. I don't think you save a great deal on clothes these days, though I used to make many of my own clothes as a student, but I would still make things like curtains if it was much cheaper than buying. And I can mend and alter things, though again I don't often need to now.

My mother wasn't fond of sewing and I wasn't brought up to sew, although she taught me to darn before I went to CH. She spent much more time teaching me to bake (I was insulted when we had to do our first Victowia Sponge in BJ's class. I'd been making them for years), and I could also knit a little. My earliest attempts in needlework were dire - big stitches showing through on the other side..... and I hated (as did most of us) SWMNBN's lessons with a passion. So all the omens were that I should loathe sewing for life, and never touch another pattern, length of material, or needle and thread from the day I left CH.

Which forces me to the rather uncomfortable question of whether you can actually be forced to like something? To an extent I think people fear sewing because they don't know how to do it, and needlework lessons at school certainly gave us the confidence to tackle fairly big projects. But to actually enjoy it? Maybe it's the satisfaction of creating something, I don't know. But I do wonder, much as I would prefer not to, whether SWMNBN's teaching style was actually a lot more effective than I (or others) might wish to acknowledge. I'd much prefer to believe that a coaching, supportive, encouraging style is a better teaching method, but maybe fear and intimidation works as well.

Or maybe I'd have enjoyed sewing anyway.....who knows

[englishangel]

A very thoughtful piece Jo, and I too can and do sew, and once all the offspring are out of the house and I have room I may well increase my output. I made my first dress while still at primary school, and made my wedding and bridesmaid dresses. But all that tat we had to make in the first three years at Hertford, what a waste of time. I would have loved to make simple skirts and stuff at 11/12, much more useful than a drawn thread table runner. Why is it everyone remembers that?

[anniexf]

My first attempts at hemming were met with the roar "elephant stitches!" I was mortified, as at primary school we girls had made our own PT kit - wrapover skirt and slip-on cap-sleeved top with bound edges, & I'd had no criticism of those. However I did enjoy sewing especially as SWWNBN read to us from Jane Eyre & I kind of identified CH with Lowood.
I still have the apron thing I made in the first term - a blue rectangular bag, embroidered, with a belt that went through the top of it & buttoned up at the back. Of course it doesn't fit me now ... and I still have the embroidered, drawn-thread tray-cloth I made. I thought it was wonderful to make & own something like that, very posh. We didn't have such luxuries at home! Actually - and sorry for this -SWWNBN liked my embroidery so much that in the UV she gave me two corners of an elaborate tablecloth to do. I think she'd done the first two. I was terrified as well as being pushed for time, but she displayed it & I got a Commended! One of my rare successes at CH. So forgive me if my memories of her aren't as horrendous as yours. I've made stuff ever since - very useful when a single parent, I made my daughter things from cheap remnants. Now I mostly crochet & knit - for my grand-daughter, for school fairs etc. etc. I just enjoy making things.

[MKM]

I enjoy sewing too, though I don't do much now. I used to make clothes for my children when they were small, and various things for myself. I even made (and wore) a linen smock in the 1970's, decorated with drawn thread work. But I don't think I learnt much from SWMNBN. Most of the help I had was from my mother, or from other girls.

Recently I've taken up knitting again, but don't often actually finish anything.

[englishangel]

I am like you Mary, never finish anything when knitting. That is why I like sewing, you can tack it all together and see what the finished article will look like. I tried to fit my daughter's Year 11 prom dress like that but she ran away mid-fitting and it was a bit baggy. She has since grown up and when she bought her summer ball dress this year and it was too big round the waist she stood still long enough for me to get it to fit perfectly.

[J.R.]

I am like you Mary, never finish anything when knitting. That is why I like sewing, you can tack it all together and see what the finished article will look like. I tried to fit my daughter's Year 11 prom dress like that but she ran away mid-fitting and it was a bit baggy. She has since grown up and when she bought her summer ball dress this year and it was too big round the waist she stood still long enough for me to get it to fit perfectly.

I really feel sorry for your kids when they went to primary school, Mary !!

[fra828]

Does anyone else remember the trouble we had threading those darned (excuse the pun!) sewing machines? Or was it just me? Miss R (swsnbn) got so impatient with me I was always late with my needlework anyway, got several BS's -below standards. I did make a wearable herringbone pattern skirt midi length circa 1972. I think swsnbn must have left either 1971 or 72. I can't remember anything at all about Mrs Newbold, didn't she also take cookery , as well as Betty Jukes? I never kept any of my old school reports, my parents had a clear out when they moved house in the mid-80's. I don't do much sewing now, only buttons and taking up hems. Although it is expensive, around £10 at least, to get done in drycleaners or sewing shop, I would never attempt to put in a zip!

[Pixie]

I've replaced three concealed zips in skirts/trousers in recent months. They don't seem to last long and it's not because I'm bursting out of my clothes! I used to make a lot of my clothes in the 70's and curtains until fairly recently but it's not worth it now. However, I sometimes alter clothes for myself and other members of the family and I really enjoy embroidery and cross stitch, when I allow myself time to do it. Despite the awfulness of school needlework I'm really glad I learned to sew well.

[Fjgrogan]

Me too - I mean glad that I can do it when I need to. I confess that I do leave trouser zips to the dry cleaners who make a better job of it than I do and are expensive, but still cheaper than buying a new pair of trousers - why is it that trousers last so much longer than their zips, I wonder? What I hate though is always having to shorten trousers. I live in trousers these days; I used to buy most of my clothes by mail order and trousers that would go round me were always too long. But now I have discovered Bon Marche, which my girls call the 'old lady's shop', but they do good everyday basic black, navy or grey at a reasonable price and in assorted lengths, so problem solved! I do however have five (yes five!) pairs of mail order trousers hanging from the door frame waiting to be shortened, mostly the bottom half of suits, the jackets of which will probably be worn out or faded from washing long before I can face the task of all that hemming!!

[midget]

Thanks for that. I have until recently been able to get trousers to fit from M&S, but I'll certainly give Bon Marche a try. I hate altering clothes, and have greeat difficulty threading a needle these days.

[Fjgrogan]

If all else fails, there is always Wondaweb. My husband always used to use it to shorten my trousers, but these days he claims that he can't see well enough to make a decent job of it. Anyway I still had to do the initial pinning, tacking etc.

[Angela Woodford]

Order trousers/jeans from Land's End and they will send you the garment with the exact leg length that you specify, for no extra charge. Their "low-rise" fitting means that my white jeans just reach my waist instead of around my rib cage. The petite fittings would be good for you, Maggie!

What's more, you consult the American Sizing chart and get a lovely surprise when you realse that you are more slender than you realise. How I wished that the label on the white jeans was on the outside so I could flaunt a "size 6" bottom.

Only thing is... not exactly high fashion, but quite nice classic and sporty things.

Does anybody remember transfers for embroidery? My mother used to choose them at the embroidery silks counter of Pratts of Streatham, iron them on to a hanky, tray cloth or whatever, and get me embroidering Lazy Daisy stich.

We had drawerfuls of "serviettes", tablecloths, traycloths, d'oylies, fold over linen embroidered bags in which to keep stockings and embroidered hankies, bags in which to keep other bags.... My mother was engaged in the mid-Twenties, and didn't get married for quite a few years of saving up to do so. She seemed to have spent all those years of anticipation crocheting and embroidering for what she coyly called her "bottom drawer". My sister has the tablecloth which was brought out for the show-off meal of the week, Sunday Tea. The most incredibly elaborate border of crocheted daffodils was clicked over and rapturously admired by the Sunday Tea lineup of ladies.

Another fairy cake, anybody?

[englishangel]

My mother had a tablecloth with many different flowers embroidered on, it almost a sampler, with drawn thread work dividing them, probably a 3 x 3 square. I say probably because 20 odd years ago when she had a health scare and asked all her children what they would like when she died I opted for the tablecloth. When she died 2 years ago I received it, but organised creature that I am I have no idea in what 'safe' place I have secreted it, and no idea where I would display it if I could find it.

If/when I find it I will take a picture because it is very pretty.