The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-06
SEWING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Little Maidens Taught to Make Their
own Clothes.
Fron the Philadelphia Record.)


Frorn the Philadelphia Record.)
Like most other innovations in public
school work. the introduction of sewing
must be credited 10 the agency of Phila-
delphia women-club women although the
beginning was made before the Women S
Club became SO well established as at
present.
, The Public Education Association
brought the matter before the Board of
! Education first about seventeen years ago,
/ and il was in the high and normal schools
that the first lessons il sewing were intro
duced. In 1885 permission was given by
the Board OF Education TO establish sew
ing in every elementary school desiring it,
but it was several years later before it be-
came regularly adopted In all of the
schools.
The great drawback was the fact that
there were no sewing teachers. This diff
fculty has been overcome now by the fact
that there is course in sewing in con-
nection with the normal school.
The course in sewing in the elementary
schools, though incomplete at first. has
now been modified and improved until 1t is
graded with the same regularity as any
study.
Beginning with the third year in the
elementary school a little girl is now given
a systematic course of instruction, which
does not stop until she has completed her
first year in the High School
From the simple running stitch, such as
our grandmothers learned by piecing of
calico quilt patches. the little miss ad-
vances step by step to basting, backstitch-
ing. overcasting. hemming, buttonhole
making and all until the fundan entail work
is thoroughly mastered.
This accomplished, attention is given to
ornamental work, such as feather stitch
ing, hcTringbone, hemstitching and drawn
work, with perhaps the more simple
stitches in embroidery. The various little
exhibitions during the past year showing
collars, handkerchiefs and pieces of IN
derwear made by pupils in the elementary
schools, give evidence of the thoroughness
with which those lessons have been
learned.
Al first it was intended to let the mat
ter stop here. but the spirit OF progress
prevented this. A system of garment cut
ting has been adopted. The girls are taught
TO take measurements accurately and to
draft patterns from which garments may
be cut
Darning and mending. too. have been
introduced, and, while the fancy darning
made by following the pattern CT the ma
terial has not yet been undertaken, very
neat and substantial darns are exhibited
made upon various kinds of fabrics
very great drawback 10 the progress
OF the work is that the necessary materials
are not supplied. The Board OF Education
provides for plain muslin. upon which tie
different stitches may be learned but there
is no provision FOR materials for garments
for the girls 10 make.
An effort is always made 10 induce the
parents to cooperate in this respect, and
in some schools the response is most
hearty. In others. however either from
disability or Discrimination, the request for
material for garment is disregarded by
the parent and the girls are the losers
In addition to sewing and cutting, dur
ing the last two or three years especial
attention is given to the selection OF ma
terials. Samples are furnished and the
embryo seamstresses are taught TO note
the differences between the different fab
RIGS and TO use judgment in seeing that
garment is of material suitable for the
use to which 1t is to be put. Quality and
durability are special considerations. and
more than one little maiden has been CT
material service to her mother by her
knowledge in this respect.
And the children enjoy 1t, too. 1t is
doubtful whether the seventh grade girls
of the Germantown Grammar School Will
any one Of them ever possess a gown in
the years to come which will be a source
OF quite so much pride and pleasure as
the wrappers made by their own fingers
and worn at the closing exercises OF the
school last June.
In other schools dressing sacques have
been made with equal pleasure, and one
OF the more ambitious schools will this
year have class of twelve year-o Kris
who will wear shirt waists of their own
manufacture.
But. after all, it is the handling I the
needle that is most important, and in order
to make that a pleasure 10 the younger
girls most of the sewing teachers have
been diplomatic enough TO begin first with
the wardrobe of Miss Dolly. and the privi-
lege of bringing her doll TO school has
made sewing day the reddest of the whole
week in the eyes of the motherly little
girl who parts regretfully from her pet
toy each morning.
1t must not be supposed however, that
any undue amount of time is given to ;bis
work, although women particularly appre-
ciatc its usefulness.
In the third and fourth years OF the ele-
mentary schools an hour and a half week
is the time allotted. while in the grammar
grades only an hour each week is taken:
and in the high school a lesson of forty
minutes every two weeks is all that is al
lowed
But it is the systematic progress that
gives final results of such undisputed value
and utility.