Thursday, September 1, 2016

dudes - it was meant to be a giveaway



It really was meant to be a giveaway, but I got carried away sharing my angst with you all. Thanks for your comments about your lack of balance it makes me feel better to know that we are all listing to one side.


After I first found Helen's blog I bought a copy of her book and through no real fault of my own I may have ended up with two copies. (I blame red wine and Uncle Google.)



So, I have a copy of Simple Sewn Gifts to give away to you , along with four Fat quarters of Bunny Trail fabric.
(photo courtesy of Helen's blog)

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post- tell me anything you like.
Actually tell me the first thing you think of when I say "sewing school".

(There was a boy called Peter in my sewing class in year 8. In politically correct times we might say he exhibited inappropriate behavior, at 14 I can tell you he was a grabby little grub and I stuck him in the thigh with a quick unpick).
I spent a lot of time outside the textiles room 'thinking abut my behaviour'.)

The winner is Bluebird !!!!

83 comments:

  1. Love the story about Peter!
    Sewing school is what I need to attend to get better at hand sewing! Going to a very feministic school, sewing was not offered but I do wish there was someone in my life who could teach me to be neater when I hand sew!

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  2. I love the fabric, especially the cross stitch bunny! Sewing school reminds me of getting an D in GCSE textiles. I was really upset because I thought my projects were great!

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  3. Your bunny fabric is gorgeous, Jodie. I love your story about Peter. I can't remember any boys being in my textile classes.

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  4. Sewing school reminds me of my secondary school sewing teacher who encouraged my love of sewing. She used to wear a different scarf around her neck every day and the rumour was her husband had tried to kill her. I suspect he found her hidden stashes of fabric and cracked...it could happen to any of us...

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  5. I was a straight A student in Home Ec and a B in Tech Studies, this was because unlike your Peter, I had two great guys in my class who couldn't thread a needle so I did it for them (and most of the sewing too) on the proviso they lit my welding thingo! Worked a charm for three years! No unpicked for me but since then .......

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  6. Sewing school makes me think of the dreadful floral Capri pants I made at high school. They looked so good on the drawing in the pattern packet! One leg was shorter than the other and the fabric I chose would have made Mrs Doubtfire's dress look drab.

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  7. "Sewing school" was my experience of being in year 7 (30 years ago), when we had to practice sewing on a treadle sewing machine to get our 'sewing licence' (straight lines, wavy lines & a circle), and only when we were deemed licence ready were we 'let loose' on the electric machines. Mind you, this probably wasn't a bad thing really as my class neighbour got a needle stuck fast in her finger at one point later in the year!

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  8. It reminds me of when I was 10 years old when I took sewing class. It was in the summer and I made a dress. Thanks!

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  9. I knew exactly what sewing school conjured up for me. Our teacher was rotund with a heavy Scottish brogue which made saying "back stitch on the back" hilarious to a bunch of 12 year olds. She had a shelf bosom and regaled us all with tales of sewing her own bras. I am amazed I ever returned to sewing.

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  10. Fuckups! My first sewing school saw mistake after mistake after mistake. I so wanted to sew and I was so crap. I'm not sure how I ever persevered or how I ever learnt. I'm sure my teacher was given a pretty white straight jacket after she was done with me, and she's still rocking quietly in a corner, muttering to herself.

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  11. love your fabrics and great giveaway...sewing school brings back memories of our years 7 to 9 classes, most of the boys were better seamstresses than the girls! I think they all got A's for their aprons and the girls got C's, boy were most of them mad about that! and then we all had to wear them in Home Ec class

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  12. Ugh. I hated sewing class. Had to sew a whole entire outfit and had never even touched a sewing machine.
    Melsdaisypatch at gmail dot com

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  13. I failed sewing & home economics at school. I wasn't interested in either so didn't apply myself. Now I'm a foodie & a quilter. Go figure! 😜

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  14. oh my i loved sewing classes. I am afraid of what my sewing teacher would say if she knew I was working in an office I think she thought I would make a career out of it. The worst thing was that my maths teacher scored me down because I got a double A in sewing and just couldn't get the maths concept. I think he thought i was just slacking off in his class.But I still do a lot of sewing

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  15. oh my i loved sewing classes. I am afraid of what my sewing teacher would say if she knew I was working in an office I think she thought I would make a career out of it. The worst thing was that my maths teacher scored me down because I got a double A in sewing and just couldn't get the maths concept. I think he thought i was just slacking off in his class.But I still do a lot of sewing

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  16. I basically forgot everything i learned in sewing class and had to teach myself how to use the sewing machine when i got one later in life. I think sewing class would have been a lot more fun if we were making quilts lol.
    laura333369@gmail.com

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  17. When I went to grammar school in the 60's we were only allowed to do sewing and cooking in the first year. If they thought you were bright you ended up studying Latin instead! The first thing we had to make was a gingham apron. My friend cut it out wrong so there were two pieces so we swapped and I matched the squares and sewed it together. The teacher told me off for not asking for more material to start again and I was very indignant at the waste and that she did not comment on how well I had matched the gingham! Probably just as well I didn't continue in her class! Mum and my aunt's taught me to sew, knit , crochet and cook and these are my best skills!

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  18. I spent a lot of time outside of class too, supposed to be a punishment, they were the best bits of some of my school years. Sewing class -I actually didn't get kicked out of that class and remember one weird shaped bag but not much else.

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  19. The thought of sewing school makes me think of my dream o run one

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  20. Reminds me of my Year 8 sewing class where one of the boys overestimated how close he needed to get to the machine and caught himself in the eye as soon as he put his foot on the pedal. That, and the gorgeous handkerchief tops we made. Now, I want to make one of those cute bunnies on the book cover.

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  21. Laughing at your story about Peter... He got what he deserved! Sewing class at school... I hated it!

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  22. I learned how to SEW in SCHOOL from a Catholic nun in a black habit.

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  23. IMHO he deserved it and he should have been the one punished.

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  24. I already knew how to sew before I did sewing at school thanks to my Nana and mum. So sewing at school was fun (and still is most of the time!) I was that "A" student. I do remember fondly my sewing teacher it would be great to bump into her know and talk on a different level - but I doubt that is possible high school was over 30 years ago! Thanks for the chance going to google myself and yes I may have had a glass of red!

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  25. Ah sewing school... someone teasing me and me hitting my hand down on the table hard, and getting a big darning needle threaded with wool right through the palm of my hand and out the other side. Still sewing though more careful about loosing my temper. Ha ha.

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  26. There was a girl in my class who had a mother who was a great sewer. Every class this girl ( we shall call her Kylie....cause that was her name), would sit around slacking off. She maybe would struggle to sew a single seam. Then She would then return to the next class with beautifully set in sleeves, perfect zip placements, etc etc . Caused a lot of squinty eyes....,

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  27. I started teaching sewing classes last fall, and its fun to see students gain confidence and skills. thanks for the chance.

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  28. We only got 1/2 a year for sewing. :-( But I loved every minute (well, except the one where the teacher said in front of the whole class, that my back was too long for a short person). I made a dress, t-shirt, jeans and a stuffed dinosaur. And we had no boys in the class. Which was a good thing, because I would have decked Peter just like my brothers taught me.

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  29. There are no sewing school here in Spain... so my sewing school was my home and the teacher my mom ;)

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  30. Sewing School makes me think about my girls' sewing book and that I need to work with them on it more.

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  31. sewing school means to me that we should be teaching more of our grandchildren the fun of sewing and quilting!!

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  32. "Sewing school" brings back good memories of my Mom teaching me to sew on her Featherweight! I loved sewing and I loved buying fabric - and I still do!

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  33. If 'sewing school' exists I was definitely (and still am!) homeschooled haha!

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  34. Sewing school... what I am trying to get off the ground here in Bendigo. I want people to come along and have fun, enjoy the company of those around them and go home proud of what they have made themselves. I cannot guarantee there will not be an inappropriate behaviour and there are plenty of unpickers! LOL

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  35. sewing school would be awesome! Wish I could go!

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  36. To me, "Sewing School" invokes memories of Home Ec classes in middle school and high school. The teachers didn’t like me because I had been sewing since I could walk and wouldn’t do things their way. I insisted on using the methods my mother had taught me. Mom is 87 and still teaching me the “right” way to sew. :-)

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  37. Sewing in Year 8 with Mrs White who had the most excellent Irish accent. I can still hear her saying Berrrrneeenah and rolling those r's in the most amazing way. Sadly, I somehow got a D- which was a shock but most likely caused by the unfinished pencil case. It was unfinished because I was so anal about my satin stitch on my machine appliqué. I'd say she'd be surprised at how far I've come.....

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  38. Sewing with Miss Pearl (Oh my goodness - that was 43 years ago!!!) I hated it and it was the only subject I ever wagged. Pretty funny to think that sewing is my major addiction now.

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  39. In elementary school, my brother made a felt pin cushion, filled with oatmeal. I made a gym strip bag and I remember my teacher commenting on how neat my stitches were.

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  40. Sewing school: In Year 8 I spent a lot of time sitting under the big cutting tables reading fashion magazines "for research" or wagging class. Unsurprisingly I only completed one item in the entire year and received an F (back in the days when schools used to give them). I've always wondered what my home ec teacher would think if she knew I now love sewing so much I have a craft blog.

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  41. I love the bunnies fabric, so cute.. Thanks for sharing the Peter story.
    I learn my sewing from my mum, so i follow her order all the time else I will be punished.

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  42. Helen makes such pretty projects and your bunny fabrics are delightful, Jodie. Sewing school - oh the memories (and not good ones). Like the pyjama pants legs I managed to (wrongly) stitch together AND upside down, and the cookery apron we had to make and chain stitch our names on. Never ever imagined I'd be any good at sewing.

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  43. Cute book and gorgeous fabric! In Grade 9 I was made to sit the "Sewing Theory" exam even though I wasn't doing the subject (I was doing Tech Drawing) - just because I was a girl. I aced the exam - got 3rd top in the class for the exam!!

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  44. Sewing school makes me think of the classes at school where I never actually did any sewing, it was things like tie dying and chopping the legs off jeans to make shorts! I didn't get into sewing until a few years after I left school!

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  45. I never had sewing school I took auto mechanics. It was a rural thing. That said I love watching Nancy Zieman and I wish there were more quilting shows on TV.

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  46. Sewing school makes me think of Ballarat Girls High School and that is where i had my first sewing class,thankyou jodie for hosting such a wonderful giveaway

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  47. Making an apron by hand in grade six back in the fifties. What a lot of work that could have been done much quicker by machine.

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  48. I hope, in the interests of equality, Peter spent time contemplating the meaning of 'hands off!' 😂😂 and what a pity you got his leg...... Um "sewing school" - getting my sewing machine licence in year 8. Who knew where that would lead to! 😂

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  49. Sewing school takes me back to early high school when I took us an entire term to master the art of making 1 pillow case. Surprisingly though, I did continue to sew but not useless things like that, I now stick to softies etc.... PS the quick unpick was probably far nicer than stabbing him with scissors!

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  50. When I think of sewing school I think of playing with fabric and creating something unique. I would love to be going to sewing school. Thank you for the giveaway.

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  51. "Sewing school" gives me the shivers, I spent all year unpicking because of course you weren't allowed to do left handed cross stitch.

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  52. I just love Helen -- so glad you found her!

    "Sewing school" reminds me of junior high home ec classes, with one of the sweetest, nicest loveliest woman in the world. Even now, my sisters and I need only say "Mrs Dickey" to sign in shared fondness. Perhaps just a few years younger than my own mom, she wore her hair in a gorgeous Gibson Girl knot and was knowledgeable but kind. Like so many others, I was traumatized by the rickety sewing machines we used, but Mrs. Dickey always soothed them into submission! Giuditta

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  53. I went to sewing school in 2nd grade...after having my mom teach me basics for 2 years. Always have loved sewing, and las year I taught sewing to middle schoolers.

    lenelson(at)mail(dot)com

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  54. Ugh. Sewing School. Reminds me of grade 8 home ec. 6 months to make a (insert swear word here) appliqued, shirred, quilted, utterly useless and very unattractive pink gingham potholder with a teacher that looked like Popeye's wife and acted like Attila the Hun. It is seriously a wonder that any spark of serious crafting enthusiasm survived. Now tell me.. Where can I get Bunny Trails in South Australia? :)

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  55. I hated home economics at school, really hated it. Why would anyone waste their time doing that stuff, said me. Hmm, nowadays can't get enough of it.

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  56. I would love to win the fabric but i already own the book. Sewing at school was horrible. The teacher was evil and never ever got up from her desk from where she'd hurl abuse at us

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  57. Hey Jode, my 1st experience was hand sewing in class around year 5 I think. I loved it! We all had a square of fabric and all designed and stitched this square ourselves. The teacher then sewed them all together and hung it up in the classroom all year. That was probably one of the first times that I felt like I had done well at something ��
    Ps I hope Peter's grabby hands were caned!!

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  58. I never had a sewing class I would have loved that though. I have been thinking about taking some class though now to improve what I can do now & to learn new techniques.

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  59. Elephants at Frangipani Fabrics ..... Can't wait, can't wait 😘🌟

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  60. I think I would like sewing school better than I did regular school - any excuse to be sewing is good with me!

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  61. Sewing school - My refusal to tack/baste my seams always ended in an argument and often I was sent out of the classroom to reflect on my attitude. I could not see the point of tacking a 5" straight seam, especially as I'd been sewing with my mother since I was eight years old, and would often remind my teacher of that (she knew my mother and how experienced she was). Luckily I still love sewing, but looking back, I'm surprised my teacher didn't throw her scissors at me; I was the biggest pain in arse student, I'm sure.

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  62. Learning to see with my Aunt Phyl

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  63. When you say 'sewing school' I remember the rather large Mrs Beecham, possessor of a magnificent bosom, who made me unpick, redo and unpick the hem of a hanky over and over again until any desire to sew was beaten out of me for a good deal of time. She also took it upon herself to stand up and bellow 'Amazing Grace' at my wedding just because she had always wanted to sing at a wedding.

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  64. There have been many times lately when I wish I had paid attention during Needlework in Form 2.

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  65. Sewing lessons for young girls, a much needed thing.

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  66. Haha sewing school makes me think of year 7 textiles an apron wit a white smiley face as was the rage in the late 80's.

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  67. Haha sewing school makes me think of year 7 textiles an apron wit a white smiley face as was the rage in the late 80's.

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  68. Fear of threading the machine. I had no idea how to do it and was told to get on with it ! And also hatred for the headband I had to sew with my name on ... I was kept in at lunchtime to do this because I was so slow... arghhhh good job I'm not scarred eh 😉 xx

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  69. These days sewing school is often endless youtube videos with a commentary that goes a little like "and the first thing you're gunna wanna do is you're gunna wanna take each of those corners and you're gunna wanna fold them so they meet up just like this, y'all see how I just folded that, and then you're gunna wanna sew along that edge from about here to here ..."

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  70. Sewing school reminds me of our home ec class in high school where I made my first and last apron, very useless as I have never worn one!
    Evin5 at aol dot com

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  71. I got "kicked out" of home economics because I corrected the teacher on her mock French seam, the principal had to obtain special permission for me take industrial arts with the boys because I wasn't allowed back in her classroom.

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  72. Poor Peter! I was thinking you were going to tell us you married him! Ha! Sewing School to me means Home Economics in junior high with Miss Wilhelm. How I loved her and her endless patience teaching 30 girls how to sew! She thought I had some talent, so allowed me to help other girls who would rather use the scissors to trim each others hair than cut fabric.

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  73. How very generous of you! Sewing School actually brings nothing to mind because while I did take home ec, there was no real sewing involved, no machine sewing, anyway. We did embroidery and there may have been knitting. There was a year of cooking with a teacher who definitely did not like me. My mother did teach my some basic sewing skills and I have her very old treadle machine.

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  74. My mom bought me a Singer sewing machine and sent me for lessons back in the 60's. Been sewing ever since. p.s. My mom couldn't sew at all. :)

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  75. My mom bought me a Singer sewing machine and sent me for lessons back in the 60's. Been sewing ever since. p.s. My mom couldn't sew at all. :)

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  76. Good for you! re Peter ... I don't have great memories of sewing in Home Ec. My mother's machine, which I used for homework, was a beast! But now I look forward to anything that could be called Sewing School - classes, works shops, quilting, garment making ... bring it on!

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  77. To me, sewing school means "home ec" class - short for home economics, which was a course the girls took in junior high, so that we could learn the basics about cooking and sewing. This class literally changed my life, because I discovered how much I LOVED sewing. (Cooking, too, but many more people enjoy that on a daily basis.) My grandma noticed that we had this sewing thing in common, and from that moment on, she did all that she could to encourage me.
    I'm also a big fan of Helen Phillips - I love her style and projects.
    Your blog is lovely, too, and I've just happened on it...will be coming back often to say hello!

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  78. What a lovely giveaway! "Sewing school" instantly brings up a black and white image for me, of rows and rows of old-fashioned school desks, with young'uns each stitching embroidery on a hoop, a look of intense concentration (tongue poking out the side), with a stern matronly teacher at the front of the class keeping an eye on them. I have no idea why, as it is almost as quickly replaced with an image of adults learning new skills through blogs and youtube videos, and then sharing those skills and that inspiration through Facebook and local community groups.

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  79. Sewing school is fun! Then and now!

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  80. In sewing school, 8th grade year, I had the best and most patient teacher. My mom even went and bought a Bernina (not sure on the model) just like we used in school. She must have known how much I loved sewing. I stopped sewing for a long time. Then 15 years ago I started making blessing blankets and camping quilts. My mom had a massive stroke and we ended out moving in with her to take care of her. She passed away in 2014. I inhereted her 1800's sewing machine and with some of my money I purchased my Sapphire 960Q and many other items we use for quilting. I also received 2 huge boxes of material. I thought a patched quilt or 2 and one day I want to make a crazy quilt. So many wonderful memories in all that material.

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  81. You're hysterical! I can see all that time out in the hall had a big impact on your present behaviour ROFLOL!!! (Oh, and that work-life balance thing from your last post? I've been working full time for over 30 years and I'm here to tell you -- Total. Crock. of Shit. You can't have it all, so give up trying!!! You're welcome!)

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  82. It seems universal that sewing teachers spent far too much time on disciplining students. Having taken a summer school course at age 11 prior, I was sorely disappointed when regular school started. My 7th grade sewing teacher was named--I kid you not--Miss Cotton. I think she sent someone to the principal's office every other day. She was an "inside the box" type teacher and made me completely redo an entire skirt waistband after I had creatively (I thought) added some fabric ties to the waistband I had accidentally trimmed even instead of overlapping at the closure. I've never forgotten it! My older brother took "Bachelor Skills" in 9th grade and sewed a chef's apron. This was in the 70s when Title XIII first made it illegal to have classes only for boys or for girls. Luckily I had a great teacher in high school and learned a lot. I don't think sewing is taught in schools at all now :(.

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  83. Sewing school reminds me of my time at school when I was about 8 years old. The girls in my class all sewed a skirt for themselves (I can't remember what the boys had to do). By hand of course! Mine had lots of little blue flowers on it and when we moved shortly after it got lost which still makes me sad. I can remember that I didn't mind at all doing the hand sewing, actually I was quite happy with it and it has remained so till today - about 60 years later!

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Hellloooooo !!!!