Did you make anything at school ?

Not you, surely jingl?

I made the teachers cross. Does that count?

We had to make a 2 legged garment from a thick cotton. The finished articles were sent to the 'missions in Africa' where apparently the girls wore them as knickers and the boys as shorts!

We learned to hem at primary school and it's about the only sewing I still do.
At senior school we all had to make a petticoat in a blue flowery fabric. I spilt some ink on mine, ever the clumsy one, and my friend said to rub milk into it. That not only made it worse, but stiff as well. When reverend mother wafted in to inspect our handiwork her indulgent smile soon faded when she saw my effort and she held it aloft and said with a sniff "what on earth is that?" She inspired a lifetime's abhorrence of anything needlework related.

I went to a Technical school so we made lots of clothes. We had a fashion show in my last year and we had about 12 models and children to model all the clothes we made.

The first thing I made was an apron for domestic science. Then made baby doll pyjamas in seersucker. Learnt to do smocking. The sewing machines were treadle operated. I used to make loads of my clothes when I was a teenager but only sew on the odd button or turn up a hem these days.

We had to make our gym skirts. If you didn't do a good job you still had to wear it. In first year we made our cookery aprons and a headband. The school had a fashion show and I had to walk down the catwalk wearing my cookery outfit! Others got to model skirts and dresses.

At primary school we had to knit slippers for some reason out of horrible thick blue wool. Then they were sewn to cardboard soles I think but dont recall
Mine ever being finished. At secondary school made a circular dirndl skirt, and later did smocking(why? Never done it again!) but we were taught to darn, hem and sew buttons on which inthought was boring but has been really useful. I have knitted a lot ocer the years and used to make sone clothes, curtains etc. as I changed schools at 13 I never had a cookery lesson which is probably why I'm a hopeless cook!

Dirndl skirt was the first thing and a success but did not enjoy wearing it. I learned many of my sewing skills from my mother when I lived at home. I then did a lot more training over the years including City and Guilds which was the most hard work ever - even more than a BA Hons in History of Art! However I am now very skilled, have earned a living at it and regarded as a very good couturiere.

did one year Dom Sci and learned a few basics which were not particularly enjoyed, but again a lot from my mother, but always said if you can read you can read a cookery book, and if you can read a cookery book then you can cook. Big fan of Delia. Generally thought to be a good cook.

the knitted ribbed bobble hat was not a success. but can now knit to a degree - mainly self taught.

Personally I think Domestic Science in schools is a bit of a waste of time. You can learn much more from your mother, adult education classes and books.

Trouble, mostly!

The first thing I remember making was a felt picture which eventually my mother had made into a tray with the picture covered with glass. I also knitted and made sundresses for my two younger sisters born in Trinidad whilst I was back in England at boarding school. No one has mentioned in their comments whether their items were hand stitched items or machined. Mine were all hand stitched. I enjoyed the sewing lessons and have gone on to stitch all though the years. In fact I make things all the time. Upholstery,quilting,smocking,toy making in fact I'll have a go at most things. I've never bought a ready made curtain in my life and have City and Guilds certificates in soft furnishings and creative textiles. I put it all down to the pleasure I had in creating that felt picture of ducks on a pond with bull rushes around it, all stitched on and couching around the pond in gold threads, my first gold work. I was 10.

usual needle case in primary school - can't remember anything else though.

in secondary school we had to make our cookery aprons in needlework - gingham [I had blue] with white inset into the top which was embroidered with your name.

that was the first term and in the second term we had to make a dress - 5 yds of material was bought - 1 yd for the bodice and the other 4 for the skirt!!!! those were the days of many frilly petticoats!!

because my mother was marvellous at sewing I got quite a lot of help and, when i'd finished the dress, I also made a full skirt and shorts in a lovely deep blue material with a white top.

I always remember having to be in the fashion parade at the end of term - twice as i'd made such a lot. thanks mum!!

that knowledge stood me in good stead as I was able to make my own clothes [daughter's were made by my mum thankfully - fiddly].

unfortunately my knitting skills haven't progressed much beyond baby and dolls clothes - thankfully my mother was able to knit for both my children [and her other grandchildren too].

In the Infants, I made a comb case, out of felt and sown in Blanket Stitch round the edges, In the Juniors it was an Apron, a Bunny out of felt and a knitted Panda, Secondary School I made a Pinafore for my sister, and skirts for myself, I still knit and make things from felt for my daughter, but no longer make clothes, just alter them, if needs be, Recently taught myself to Cable via YouTube, but can not for the life of me Crochet!!

At my private schools we didn't do domestic science but I did a painting of a leopard in the jungle.

I so admire anyone who is handy with a needle - or knitting needles - these skills eluded me and my very frosty Needlework teacher was really horrible to me, but then I must have been a very unrewarding pupil for her .

I am handy with a pen / paintbrush and at secondary school we had an inspiring art teacher who used to let us paint murals on tucked away walls in our old school building. We also visited building sites and decorated the hoardings!

I loved baking and made several types of cakes and pastries in Domestic Science - nothing useful for a dinner - just lots and lots of cakes!

Oh ...and if we're talking cookery ... we covered a very small notebook in greaseproof paper and wrote our recipes in it. I have used this recipe book all my married life - Christmas cake recipe best ever. Copied best recipes into a new notebook several years ago but still didn't throw the original away - until last week.

In Junior School I made a handkerchief case for DM, which I still have and now keep pop sox in. I also handmade a skirt, which I remember enjoying making. At Grammar school I spent 3 years hand sewing a pinafore for cookery. It had to have your initials embroidered on it and was bound with bias binding in your house colour. I never did finish it - I was so bored. I still had unfinished pinny until quite recently - never worn, never finished. However, I made all my own clothes as a teenager, teaching myself how to follow a pattern and copying the fashions in the shops - mostly with curtain material as I didn't like crimplene and the flowery dress material on offer.

At primary school in the 1950's I became proficient at sewing and embroidery, including smocking. Luckily I enjoyed it. Did sewing to O'level and A'level textiles. I always list needlecrafts among my hobbies. When my boys were small I knitted all their jumpers and made all their trousers. Everything was co-ordinated in the way that bought clothes for girls were. Not available for boys though. I used to enjoy hanging out the washing and admiring all my handiwork!!

I made a gym slip and an empire line dress, both of which I wore as they were not bad. I made some lovely doughnuts in cookery only to ruin them by covering them in salt which I mistook for caster sugar. Disaster darling.

Knitted balaclavas and mittens plus socks knitted on 4 needles when I was at school AND they had to be neat and sewn up properly.
Between 1940 and 1944 it was all knitted goods to keep our servicemen warm.When I left school at the age of 14 I did not touch knitting again until I was pregnant with my son in 1950 and I am still knitting today although I cant do the fancy patterns I could many years ago. Clothes were on coupons way back then and wool was scarce so to knit a few cardigans for my baby I had to unravel some old jumpers.

I can't sew for toffee and remember with a grimace having to make a complicated smock when I was about 14. It was bright yellow and had complicated gathers. I hated it, but my thrifty mum expected me to get a lot of wear out of it too - oh the indignity!

I have kept and always bring out some Christmas decs my children made (some now 25 years old!!) and actually repeated the ideas of ones I cherish with my own classes.

It is a such a pleasure to help a child to make something for Mothers Day and know it is likely to be cherished.

We started off by embroidering a hymn book cover and then made an apron for cookery lessons which came in the following year. Then it was a blouse which had to have a collar. My piece de resistance was a gathered cotton skirt 'with placket' and a matching cropped top.

The cookery apron and cap must have been compulsory in all schools - mine was blue and white striped with my name embroidered on the cap. I also made a nightdress case with pompom people on it which is in a cupboard upstairs as my mum kept it. Thinking back we made loads of things but as I was too impatient having to wait until the next week to continue I used to take them home and finish them. I still had the quilted dressing gown when I got married and did a lot of dressmaking in the early years of our marriage then went on to cross stitch work and have always enjoyed crafts. Our domestic science block in secondary school had a 'bedroom' where we were taught to do hospital corners with sheets and general cleaning. I loved cookery and as my parents had a hotel went on to catering college with the intention of going into the family business - once there where we had to do mass cooking for the college restaurant I realised how much I hated it on that scale and much preferred the typing classes! Just as well as I ended up working in accounts!

I made a skirt, including making the pattern for it to fit me when I was twelve. The teacher showed us how.

The next year I made a dress in the first term, so I then made a dressing-gown during the remainder of the year. I wore it for fifteen years and then I made another using the same pattern.

But then sewing was my thing. I had friends who had the same teacher but who never finished anything. In one or two cases I finished their garments for them.

What we cooked in class went home and was eaten for tea by my brothers amd sister and parents: shortbread, raspberry buns, swiss roll, meat and potato pie... those are the ones I remember.

Well I hope it is cooked in a basin in a steamer and doesn't have the horrible glutinous coating!!