A room filled with sewing machines, thread, and colorful patchwork is what students taking Sewing look forward to being in every day. What was once known as World of Clothing has been replaced by a different course, Sewing. Family and Consumer Science teacher Whitney Keyes made the change after the original class merged with Fashion Merchandising, another clothing design course.
“I did not change the class title. The Family and Consumer Science Department used to have World of Clothing and Fashion Merchandising. I believe the name was changed when the class went to Mrs. Rademann because World of Clothing and Fashion Merchandising was combined to be one class,” Keyes said. “ Mrs. Rademann taught the class with Art standards; I am teaching the class with Family and Consumer Science standards.”
The course wasn’t the only thing that changed for sewing, as the classroom moved into what was the CNA classroom. Many students who have yet to take art electives have taken sewing as an opportunity to develop better fashion design skills and to use their creativity in a different area. Students who are interested in careers in designing and making clothing are given a chance to shape their abilities and enhance their interest in the field of manufacturing and sewing.
“I do a lot of sewing crafts at home, and a future job that I was thinking about pursuing was something about selling clothes. The second sewing class would cover that; Sewing I was my pathway to take that class eventually,” freshman Evalyn Beulen said.
With Sewing being taught according to FACS standards and not art, the assumption that the class would be less inventive or art-centered could be made, but that is not the case. Within the sewing class, students are learning sewing patterns, hemming, and how to operate a sewing machine.
“With food classes, you’re basically measuring stuff, and with sewing, you’re fixing clothing; it’s different, but also alike,” sophomore Olivia Lake said.
By adding the new course, students get another opportunity to channel their artistry into physical pieces of material, whether in the classroom or on their own time. The newfound craft allows students to fix and tailor their own clothing and other items, a helpful strength for innovative students.
“Sewing allows students a creative outlet with so many options, such as machine sewing, hand sewing, embroidery, crochet, knitting, and more. Sewing allows students to create things they can use, and that encourages them to keep sewing,” Keyes said.
Whether the course is taken to be a fun elective or a prerequisite for further education, the class enhances sewing and embroidery knowledge, an important talent for many.
“For me, it’s just something I really like to do. It’s also something I want to do as my job in the future, so it was sort of a necessity,” Beulen said.
