Do you remember sewing lessons at school? If you were born in the 1960s or earlier, chances are you do. For many girls, sewing and crafts were simply part of the school week. Boys usually went to the woodworking classroom, while the young girls learned to sew, knit and crochet.
Looking back, I sometimes wonder: were those lessons old-fashioned? Were they based on outdated ideas about boys and girls? Or did they teach us something valuable that many children no longer experience today? For me, the answer is easy.
Our Little Craft Classroom
Once a week, we girls gathered in a classroom where several tables were pushed together. We sat in small circles while our teacher placed baskets full of wool, fabric, needles and colourful supplies in the middle.
The teacher always decided who sat where, and that was probably very wise. We could spend days arguing about who wanted to sit next to whom. Children never really change, do they?
As soon as everyone settled down, the room became wonderfully quiet. The only sounds were chatting, laughing and the soft clicking of knitting needles.
Learning with Our Hands
We learned how to crochet, knit, hand sew and even make simple quilted projects. Every week we created something new.
One project has stayed with me all my life.
We made a little fabric doll completely by hand. We stitched two pieces of fabric together, filled them with tiny polystyrene beads and carefully embroidered the face. Then came my favourite part: the hair.
Long strands of wool were attached one by one with small loops. Our teacher told us not to overdo it.
Of course, many of us ignored that advice.
Our dolls ended up with hair worthy of Rapunzel, and I absolutely loved mine. It slept beside me for years. It was more than a school project—it became a real childhood friend.
Then Everything Changed
When I moved on to secondary school, sewing lessons disappeared.
Now boys and girls attended the same craft lessons together, which I actually think was a good idea. Everyone learned woodworking, metalwork, soldering and how to use different tools.
Many classmates enjoyed it, but I honestly didn't.
I remember telling my teacher that I would rather sit behind a sewing machine with a beautiful piece of fabric than carve a block of wood.
He looked at me with surprise.
Then I pointed at the wonderfully long knitted scarf he was wearing and asked who had made it. His mother? His grandmother? His girlfriend?
I secretly hoped he would understand my point.
Unfortunately, sewing and needlework had become "old-fashioned." Textile crafts were suddenly seen as less exciting than woodworking.
I never agreed.
A Skill I Still Use Today
A few years later, I happily returned to sewing.
The famous fabric market in my hometown Utrecht was nearby, clothes were expensive, and making my own wardrobe made perfect sense. Before long I was designing garments, learning new techniques and dreaming of becoming a costume maker.
Looking back, I realise how much those early sewing lessons helped me.
They taught me patience.
They taught me precision.
They taught me that beautiful things take time.
Most importantly, they gave me confidence to create something with my own hands.
I still feel grateful to the teacher who first showed me how to thread a needle.
Today We Have More Choices
Children today grow up in a very different world.
They no longer have to learn sewing at school. Instead, they can choose from wonderful books, magazines, online classes and thousands of free video tutorials. Whether they want to sew, crochet, knit, quilt or embroider, there are endless ways to learn.
I think having choices is a wonderful thing.
But I also believe there was something special about being together in a classroom, sitting around one big table, sharing materials and helping each other. Creativity grows even more when people create side by side.
A Little Piece of Nostalgia
Sometimes I still think about those afternoons at school.
About the circles of tables.
About the colourful balls of wool.
About the patient teacher who encouraged us to keep trying.
And most of all, I think about my little handmade doll.
I have no idea when or where it disappeared to over the years.
Maybe one day I'll make another one. Who knows... perhaps I'll even create a tutorial so today's children can discover that sewing, just like all those years ago, is still one of the most rewarding and enjoyable hobbies in the world. Because making something with your own hands never really goes out of style.
Marga van der Vet
~Needle Artist~ living & working in the northern province of the Netherlands
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