AN UPDATED MODEL OF TEACHING SEWING
BASICS: SERVICE LEARNING
AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
INCREASE LEARNING OUTCOMES
Susan A. Reichelt, Ph. D.
Associate Professor
Winthrop University
OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
Recognize the multifaceted benefits of sewing
Compare a traditional model of an apparel construction
course with an updated model of a sewing course
Examine product models and resources useful in
implementing an updated sewing course
Identify student outcomes, including enhanced problem
solving, decision making, spatial intelligence, and business
skills, gained through completion of an updated sewing
course
WHAT ARE YOUR PERCEPTIONS OF THE VALUE OF
TEACHING SEWING SKILLS AS PART OF A FAMILY
SCIENCES CURRICULUM?
Poll Everywhere Live
HISTORICAL STIGMA AGAINST CLOTHING AND
TEXTILES (C&T) PROFESSIONALS
“A woman who does not know how to sew
is as deficient in her education as a man
who cannot write.”
-----E. W. R Farrar, 1837
(As cited in Osaki, 1988)
DUAL ASSOCIATION OF SEWING SKILL
“The fact sewing represented both a part of the
traditional female role in the home and one of the
few acceptable ways to earn a living, led to
ambiguity on the part of both educators and
students almost from the beginning.”
-----Parsons, 2000
VOCATIONAL CURRICULUM BIAS
“Industrial and trade training were primarily
directed toward working class children,
especially those described as ‘motor minded’
or not bookish.”
-------Powers, 1992
NATIONAL STANDARDS AND BODY OF
KNOWLEDGE
Lack of research base related to the value of
clothing and textiles as part of the required FCS
curriculum
Ranked on the bottom three in importance of
sixteen areas of study in the FCS National
Standards
PREJUDICE BELIES POPULARITY, PROBLEM SOLVING
SKILL, HEALTH AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF SEWING
POPULARITY
2002 sales of sewing machines began a dramatic
increase, continuing throughout the recession
Quilting as an art has increased in popularity in recent
years, showing greater involvement and economic impact
Werhan, 2004
PROBLEM SOLVING SKILL
Smagorinsky study identified outcomes in
decision-making, communication in problem
solving, a willingness to try a variety of
methods until problems are solved, and
spatial intelligence.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Emotional Benefits
Stress reduction
Physical Benefits
Lower heart rates and
blood pressure
Sharp, CA 2009
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Sewing related businesses are on the rise
nationwide
Sewing related products and service
companies increased profitability during the
recent recession
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE C&T ARENA
A TRADITIONAL UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM
Emphasis on garment construction and
isolated skill development
Garment requirements
Sample notebook
REVAMPING THE REQUIRED APPAREL
CONSTRUCTION COURSE
Based on NC high school model
Focus on problem solving,
entrepreneurship and service learning
Covered button intro project
Think of a unique or
creative way this button can
be utilized.
INCLUSION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SERVICE
LEARNING
Student ideas for entrepreneurship
Product development
Presentation development
Class consensus
Mass production of product
SPRING 2012
FINISHED PRODUCTS
SERVICE PROJECTS
REFERENCES
Osaki, A. B. (1988, Winter). A “truly feminine employment”: Sewing and the early nineteenth
century woman. Winterthur Portfolio. 225-241.
Parsons, J. L. (2000). “For homemaking and a trade”: Paradox and problems in the
earlydevelopment of systemized sewing instruction. 2000 Proceedings of the International
Textiles & Apparel Association. Monument, CO.
Powers, J. B. (1992). The ‘girl question’ in education: Vocational education for young women in the
progressive era. Washington, D.C.: Falmer Press
Reichelt, S. A. (2002). Family and consumer sciences national curriculum standards: Implementation
plans for reform. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences Education, 20, 2.
Sharp, C. (2009). Clinical study reveals the stress-reducing benefits of sewing. Home Sewing
Association. Retrieved from
https://www.flickr.com/groups/745332@N22/discuss/72157613029568612/
Smagorinsky, P. (November 1996). Multiple intelligences, multiple means of composing:
Analternative way of thinking about learning. NASSP Bulletin. 80(583), 11-17.
Werhan, C., Buckland, S., & Vollmer, J. (2004). Finding a place for tradition in the curriculum: A case
study for sewing in the Ohio family and consumer sciences classroom. Journal of Family and
Consumer Sciences Education, 22, 43-57.
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS