I am homeschooling my youngest daughter, and have been able to interject needle and fiber arts in her learning. We studied Native Americans and I taught her how to weave. She and her oldest sister are both part American Indian so she loved this. We are beginning Home Ec, and have already cut out aprons to make. She has also learned some knitting and crocheting as well. This year for Geography we are doing "Around the world in 180 days", and she is learning to cook from each country we study, and we've been able to do some needlecrafts and other art from different countries. At the end of the year, we are taking maps of each country we study and are going to make a "Missions Quilt" using applique, to give to our church. This is what I love most about homeschooling is that I can give her these skills as she learns. Her goal right now is to be a fashion designer, so it is a foundation she will be able to build on.

You are absolutely right. I just wish the children learnt sewing, cookery and perhaps a bit of DIY for the boys. I think the lack of knowledge of sewing these days means that we are starved of the lovely material shops that we used to have. If there were cookery classes, I am sure that we would not have the problem of so many obese children. I could go on........

Here in Australia both boys and girls learn cooking at secondary school. I don't know about sewing, will have to find that out and let you know.

We gave our 8 year old grand daughter, a small sewing machine for christmas, she came to visit a couple of weeks later with her mum and dad armed with a sewing box ,and asked me to teach her to sew.Mum and dad took her 2 sisters to the shops and we set to it.I found an easy skirt pattern just straight sides and an elastic waist.Annaliese has watched me sew all of her 8 years, so sewd like a pro. the little skirt looked fantastic.She guided the fabric through as if she had been sewing for years.I told her she would need to know how to use an iron as well, she said mum wont let her use it,I supervised and she was very careful.She has since made a shopping bag and some hair bands.I had a small Brother machine that I got with reward points , so gave her the one to use instead of the childs one , she took it striaght to her room it was soo sweet.I never had a grand mother , so I try to be to my 6 grand children what I would have liked mine to be.

I agree. It gave me so much more than a hobby. But today it is all about technology not about aocialization.