Any cool sewing ideas for a Home Ec class?

Question

I have some ideas in mind such as pajama pants and some basic quilting using recycled jeans. But if you can think of anything cool, please share your ideas!

Answer 1

Maybe the Quilt that you can fold into a Pillow . It's a lot of fun to make and a Great Gift ;)))

Answer 2

This is a list of sites that have cool things to choose from.  Wasn't sure if you are a teacher or a student.  Hope they help you out.  Most sites has free patterns or directions and How to's.

CATID=cat13851&PRODID=xprd530173

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp;j...

http://www.burdastyle.com/?gclid=COTvreK...

http://sewing.about.com/od/freeprojects/...

http://www.ericas.com/projects/proj9801....

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/easysew...

http://leisurearts.com/customer_care/def...

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/sewing/inde...

http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/expl...

http://www.craftandfabriclinks.com/fabri...

This one has some free patterns and ideas too.  Just click on the links and the bottom of the page.

http://simplicity.com/

I hope you can find some cool things to make for your class.

Answer 3

EDITED TO ADD:  So what are your goals for this class?  Process or product?   Do you want them to be able to follow a commercial pattern, or is it more of a design and engineering mindset?  What's the ethos of your school (lots of community service or more traditional sewing for yourself?)  How long do you have them for?

Right now in my area of the world, remodeling jeans and t-shirts, trimming basic tote bags and adding ipod pockets to everything seems to be hot, judging by the questions the local kids ask me.  

If vests are in (and I never know), a simple lined vest is only a couple of hours for the beginners I've taught if I teach them commercial bagged lining methods.  The fusible interfacing is what gives them the biggest problems.  (Try Connie Crawford's Guide to Fashion Sewing for the instructions). A thrift shop sportcoat or blazer usually has enough salvageable  shell fabric and lining for a vest at a reasonable cost.

Crawford also has her new "Studio Sewing Skills" dvd out, with a student packet of materials for basic techniques

http://www.butterick.com/item/CC770.htm?...

http://www.butterick.com/item/CC771.htm?...

Students at at least two of the local high schools have to complete X hours of community service -- some of the local students sew lined, drawstring stockings for the Fill A Stocking project, and three students made over a hundred zippered duffles for local foster kids (and they got really good at setting sport zippers and pocket zippers!).  

Have you looked at Nancy Restuccia's book, Hold it!  It's out of print but available in CD form now, but it's also common library fodder.  She has a number of interesting bags with instructions written in plain English.  You can get a sample of her writing style here in the classic tote: http://www.make-it-easy.com/opentot2.htm...  Her Humbug Bag is very fast, and you could teach the actual quilting process with it easily by quilting before construction.  I think I know Nancy well enough to say that if you wanted to use that pattern, it could be made available on favorable terms.

(Humbug bags, btw, in the smallest sizes, make great Christmas tree ornaments).   If I catch a couple of the kids around here who sew I'll try to find out from them what other things are hot right now in this area.

I know that supply money is often tight for some students -- have you considered making needs known to local ASG groups or quilt guilds?  I've cleaned out a lot of old stash to local schools -- all of the zippers in the duffles came from a local jobber offering a grocery sack of sport zippers for $1

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Are you the teacher, or the student?   I'm from the era when (if there was home ec and shop), everybody had to take a semester of each.  The guys I knew got to make cool stuff like tents and sleeping bags, and the women had to make aprons and skirts. :-p

So... whaddya want to make?  Stuff for yourself or stuff for someone else? Fancy socks?   Backpacks?  Totes?  Fishing vests?  Project Linus quilts?  Heartwarmer coats? Tactile balls for preschoolers?  Stuffed animals for the local cops to give stressed-out little kids?  Big totes for foster kids who otherwise wind up carrying their posessions in garbage bags?  

http://www.sewing.org/html/charitysew.ph...

http://www.nancysnotions.com/jump.do?ite...

http://www.rockywoods.com (click on patterns)